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Cheeseburger Mac

Source of Recipe

From "One-Hour Comfort" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"If you ever had Hamburger Helper as a kid, your eyes might be getting wide with nostalgic joy right now. And if you didn't, well, here are cheeseburgers and mac and cheese combined into one hearty skillet meal. You're welcome. This is the most perfect union of these two comfort classics, made without opening a single flavor packet. You want a solid sear on the ground beef to emulate that beloved burger outer crust, but one side effect of lots of browning is pebbly-textured meat. To keep the beef tender, turn to a test kitchen trick and briefly soak the ground beef in a solution of salt, water, and baking soda. Elbow macaroni, milk, and water cook together in the skillet, and then you add the cheese. The combo of American cheese and sharp cheddar is both flavorful and meltable. To keep the cheeseburger spirit strong, fold in some favorite condiments: ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chopped onion, and chopped dill pickles. Top the skillet with a little more cheese, finish it under the broiler, and sprinkle it with more raw onions and pickles. No matter your age, you'll jump for joy."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons plus 1 ½ cups water, divided
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt, divided
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pepper
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
â—¦ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
â—¦ 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
â—¦ 1 cup whole milk
â—¦ 8 ounces American cheese, chopped (2 cups), divided
â—¦ 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided
â—¦ ½ cup finely chopped onion, plus extra for serving
â—¦ ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles, plus extra for serving
â—¦ 2 tablespoons ketchup
â—¦ 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce


Recipe

Stir 1 ½ tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and baking soda together in medium bowl until baking soda and salt are dissolved. Add beef and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add macaroni, milk, and remaining 1 ½ cups water and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until macaroni is al dente, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Stir 1 ½ cups American cheese, 1 ½ cups cheddar, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt into macaroni until fully combined and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and sprinkle remaining ½ cup American cheese and remaining ½ cup cheddar over top of macaroni. Broil until spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
Serve, sprinkled with extra onions and pickles.

Serves 4 to 6
Total Time: 45 minutes