This do-it-yourself Beefaroni recipe is filled with savory floor beef and macaroni noodles tossed in a wealthy, flavorful tomato sauce with cheese. It’s the final word family-pleaser for a weeknight dinner!
I really like nostalgic consolation meals like Beefaroni, do-it-yourself alphabet soup, and mac and cheese. For one more straightforward one-pan dinner, do that tacky hen and broccoli pasta!
Relying on the place you might be on the planet, you may know right now’s mixture of floor beef and macaroni noodles in tomato sauce as American goulash, chop suey, or slumgullion. In our home, we name it Beefaroni! I LOVED consuming this tacky beef and tomato pasta as a child! And since I dwell in a home of pasta fiends, it’s nonetheless one in all my household’s favourite consolation meals.
Why I Love This Beefaroni Recipe
- The sauce is simply too good. The sauce on this do-it-yourself Beefaroni is unmatched. Creamy, tomatoey, and filled with savory seasonings. To not point out CHEESE!
- Superfast. This Beefaroni recipe is fast to prep and cooks in simply 25 minutes. Plus, it’s a one-pan pasta recipe, so that you cook dinner every thing aside from the noodles in a single skillet.
- Household-friendly. In case your kiddos love Hamburger Helper, this recipe may be very comparable. One essential distinction is that Beefaroni has tomatoes, whereas Hamburger Helper doesn’t. In addition to, my beefaroni recipe has a lot taste that the entire household begs me to make it not less than twice a month.
What You’ll Want
Who else grew up consuming Chef Boyardee Beefaroni from a can? Properly, making it at dwelling means realizing precisely what goes into it. Which if you happen to ask me is means higher! These are some notes on the elements. Scroll right down to the recipe card for a printable listing with the complete recipe particulars.
For the Sauce
- Beef Broth – This may be do-it-yourself inventory or store-bought low-sodium beef broth. Rooster broth additionally works right here.
- Milk – I like to recommend entire milk. Milk with decrease fats content material might curdle. You would use heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- Tomato Sauce – Select your favourite tomato sauce or tomato passata from the shop. Or, in case you have a household recipe, go forward and use it. You’ll additionally want tomato paste.
- Worcestershire Sauce – That is my secret ingredient for including a kick of umami to every thing from chili to Bolognese and meatloaf. You can too use soy sauce.
- Brown Sugar – Or use granulated sugar, to offset the tanginess of the tomatoes.
For the Beefaroni
- Elbow Macaroni – Macaroni places the “roni” in Beefaroni! However that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t make this recipe with one other short-cut pasta. Different good selections are penne, rigatoni, rotini, ziti, shells, or bowtie pasta.
- Onion – Yellow onion, or one other delicate selection, diced up.
- Floor Beef – I like to recommend lean floor beef because it gained’t make the dish too greasy.
- Seasonings – You’ll want salt and pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.
- Butter and Flour – To make what’s known as a roux, used to thicken the tomato gravy. The butter might be salted or unsalted.
- Cheese – I take advantage of shredded cheddar, however nearly any comfortable, melting cheese will work. Monterey Jack is one other good possibility, or you’ll be able to even use Velveeta. Be sure to grate the cheese recent from the block, because it melts a lot smoother.
The best way to Make Beefaroni
This straightforward recipe comes collectively rapidly on the stovetop; all you’ll want is a skillet and a big pot for the pasta.
- Make the sauce. First, whisk collectively the sauce elements (broth, milk, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar) when you boil the macaroni in salted water. Put aside a cup of the pasta water earlier than you drain the noodles.
- Sauté. In the meantime, sauté the onion in olive oil, then add the bottom beef. Season after which cook dinner the meat till it’s properly damaged up and browned. Transfer the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon afterward.
- Make a roux. Subsequent, you’ll whisk flour into the pan with melted butter. Let that cook dinner off a bit earlier than including the tomato paste.
- End the sauce. Whisk the ready sauce into the roux. Sprinkle in some dried oregano and basil, and hold simmering till the sauce thickens. Lastly, take the pot off the warmth and soften within the shredded cheese.
- Put all of it collectively. Now, add the cooked macaroni and floor beef. Stir that every one along with the tacky tomato sauce and a splash of pasta water, and dig in! I wish to garnish my Beefaroni with recent parsley.
Recipe Suggestions and Add-in Concepts
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Boil the elbow macaroni al dente in line with the instructions on the bundle. Watch out to not overcook the pasta or it’ll be mushy.
- Salt the pasta water. Toss a few heaping spoonfuls of salt into the boiling water you’ll use to cook dinner the pasta. Salted pasta water is essential to flavorful pasta. Don’t overlook to put aside among the water earlier than draining the pasta, too! The starches leftover are nice for emulsifying the tomato sauce.
- Add the cheese off the warmth. Ensure that the sauce isn’t nonetheless simmering whenever you add the cheese. If it’s too scorching, the dairy can separate and make the sauce grainy.
- Swap out the meat. Substitute floor beef for lean floor turkey or hen as a substitute.
- Add veggies. Add diced bell peppers, carrots, celery, pan-fried or roasted mushrooms, broccoli florets, or inexperienced peas. You may sauté quick-cooking veggies alongside the onions on this recipe.
- Make it spicy. To provide this Beefaroni some warmth, sprinkle over crushed purple pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne when seasoning the bottom beef. You can too add a splash of your most well-liked scorching sauce.
What to Serve With Beefaroni
I really like Beefaroni with Cheddar Bay biscuits or garlic breadsticks on the aspect and a sharing-size Caesar salad or roasted vegetable salad for the desk. I’ll additionally serve it with straightforward veggie sides like steamed broccoli, or roasted asparagus and Brussels sprouts. It’s such a comfy, comforting weeknight dinner!
Sweeten issues up afterward with this chocolate mug cake or a slice of German marble cake for dessert.
The best way to Retailer and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover Beefaroni in an hermetic container within the fridge and reheat inside 3 days.
- Reheat. Heat leftovers on the stovetop or within the microwave. You can too cowl the Beefaroni with foil and heat it within the oven. I like to recommend sprinkling the Beefaroni with slightly water or broth to loosen the sauce up.
- Freeze. Beefaroni freezes nice for as much as 3 months. I’ll typically switch the cooled Beefaroni to a casserole dish earlier than double-wrapping it with plastic wrap or foil, and place it into the freezer. This manner, it’s able to thaw within the fridge and go proper into the oven to reheat.
Extra Floor Beef Recipes
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Make the sauce. Whisk collectively the broth, milk, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Put aside.
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Prepare dinner the pasta. Carry a big pot of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Prepare dinner the macaroni in boiling water per the bundle’s directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Put aside.
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Saute the onion. Set a big, heavy-bottomed saute pan or forged iron skillet over medium-high warmth and add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute till translucent.
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Brown the meat. Add the meat to the pan with the onions and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Prepare dinner the meat till it’s properly caramelized and cooked by, crumbling it with a picket spoon as you go. Switch the meat and onion to a plate with a slotted spoon. Drain all however 1 tablespoon of grease.
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Make a roux. Cut back the warmth to medium and add the butter to the pan. As soon as the butter has melted, whisk within the flour and cook dinner for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Whisk within the tomato paste and cook dinner for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.
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Add the sauce. Whisk the sauce into the roux and cook dinner, whisking all of the whereas, till clean. Season with oregano and basil, and cook dinner till thickened.
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Make it tacky. Flip off the warmth and stir within the cheese. Hold stirring till it has absolutely melted into the sauce.
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Put all of it collectively. Stir the macaroni and cooked floor beef combination into the tacky tomato sauce. If the sauce isn’t adhering to the pasta properly, stir in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.
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Serve. Serve the beefaroni heat, garnished with recent parsley.
Energy: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 33g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.5g | Ldl cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1484mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 340mg | Iron: 4mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ in line with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.