Easy Homemade Beefaroni Recipe

A quick and tasty childhood classic Beefaroni recipe made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, onion, garlic, and a few common pantry spices in a tomato base, all topped with melted sharp cheddar.

Course main meal pasta

Cuisine American

Keyword beefaroni recipe, homemade beefaroni, how to make beefaroni, what is beefaroni

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 384kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

8 ounces elbow macaroni 2 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 small yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup low sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta well.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef. When the ground beef is about halfway browned, add the onion. Continue cooking until the beef is browned and the onion is tender.
Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, and dried oregano. Cook for one minute while stirring constantly.
Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and mustard. Simmer the mixture for 5-7 minutes.
Add the cooked, drained elbow macaroni to the skillet. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the pasta mixture and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

Notes

Use ground beef with a little fat in it. The fat is what gives it flavor and juiciness and makes it tender.
Substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken.
If you do not have smoked paprika, you can use sweet paprika. However, I do encourage you to keep smoked paprika on hand, as it has a unique smokey flavor that is so good in beef birria and ropa vieja.
Any short pasta will work with this recipe, like small shells, cavatappi, wheels, rotini, or penne.
Use a good quality cheddar cheese block and grate it yourself. I really liked Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

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