Everything you love in a cheeseburger!
Everything you love in a cheeseburger is baked together in our favorite macaroni and cheese…but don’t forget the toppings! Pickles, tomato, lettuce and red onion are diced and combined to make a fresh and crunchy relish to top or serve alongside the rich and creamy macaroni. I love the contrasting textures and flavors – just like on a great burger! We served this at our Memorial Day BBQ this year and it was a big hit with our crowd!
Cheeseburger Macaroni & Cheese with Burger Topping Relish
Everything you love in a cheeseburger is baked together in our favorite macaroni and cheese...but don't forget the toppings! Pickles, tomato, lettuce and red onion are diced and combined to make a fresh and crunchy relish to top or serve alongside the rich and creamy macaroni. I love the contrasting textures and flavors - just like on a great burger!
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Servings: 10
Ingredients
Macaroni
- 1-2 tablespoon salt (for water)
- 1 box/pound elbow macaroni
Beef Mixture
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup ketchup
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 stick (4-tablespoons) butter
- 1/4 cup (+2 tablespoons) flour
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 6 ounces American cheese (from deli, not pre-packaged slices) cut into strips
Bread Crump Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper
Burger Topping Relish
- 2 large dill pickles diced
- 2 plum tomatoes diced
- 2 large leaves romaine lettuce cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup finely mined red onion
Instructions
- This makes a half-sized foil steam table pan (12 ¾ x 10 3/8 x 2 3/5). Place your foil pan on a baking sheet for stability. Could alternatively use a 4-quart dish.
- Grease pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Set a large pot (6-quart or larger) of salted water (1 tablespoons salt) to boil.
Beef Mixture
- Brown ground beef, drain off fat. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in ketchup.
Cheese Sauce
- In 4-quart saucepan make roux: melt butter and stir in flour, white pepper, mustard and salt until smooth.
- Cook for a few minutes stirring constantly. Whisk ½ cup of the milk into the roux until they combine smoothly. Add a little more milk and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the rest of the milk. Heat and stir frequently over medium heat.
- Make sure to scrape the bottom and edges of pan while stirring.
- When slightly thickened, before it simmers, remove from heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce and cheeses.
- Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in ground beef mixture.
- Taste and add more seasonings if desired.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta, about a minute or two less than the package directions.
- Drain and pour into baking pan.
- Pour in cheese sauce and stir to combine.
- Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
Assemble & Bake
- Stir together melted butter, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
- Remove foil from pan and sprinkle on breadcrumbs.
- Bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until hot all the way through.
- Should be at least 150-160 degrees in the center of the pan on an instant read thermometer.
- If breadcrumbs are not browned to your liking, you can broil until browned.
Topping
- Stir together pickles and vegetables.
- Serve with Cheeseburger Macaroni & Cheese.
Tried this recipe?Share it! Tag @epicuricloud - Please Leave A Comment & Rating Below! TY!
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