Crockpot Cheeseburger Macaroni Casserole
If you're looking for a super easy, kid-pleasing crock pot recipe...give this cheeseburger macaroni casserole a try...it's yummy :)
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time6 hrs
Total Time6 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound macaroni uncooked BUT it IS better if you cooked it a couple of minutes
- 3 cups milk
- ½ stick butter melted
- 1 package cream cheese softened and cut into small chunks
- 3 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 pound precooked ground beef
- 1 cups shredded mozzarella optional
- 3 ribs celery diced optional
- 1 bell pepper diced optional
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar optional, but adds a nice punch
- 3 tsp smoked paprika less if you prefer a milder flavor
- 3 tsp garlic powder less if you prefer a milder flavor
- salt & pepper to taste
Slow Cooker:
Mix milk, butter, and vinegar. Add paprika, garlic powder, and salt & pepper. Stir well. set aside.
Butter the crockpot insert well. Add pasta, ground beef, diced cream cheese, ½ of each shredded cheese, celery & bell pepper. Toss to combine.
Pour the milk sauce over the top. Top with remaining shredded cheeses. Cover & cook on low for 4 to 6 hrs. High 2 ½-3.
Instant Pot:
Brown the ground beef using the saute function. Drain excess grease.
Add remaining ingredients except for the shredded cheeses.
Lock the lid and close the pressure valve. Set to manual, high for half the cook time of your noodles. Natural release 5 minutes then quick release.
Open the instant pot and add half the shredded cheeses. Mix well. Top with remaining cheese and close lid. Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.
Stove Top:
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Brown your ground beef over medium-high heat.
Drain pasta. Add remaining ingredients, holding out half the shredded cheeses. Mix well.
Cover and allow to rest 20 minutes. Note: If your pasta was cooled completely, you may need a bit of heat to melt the cream cheese. Use VERY low heat and stir constantly.
Top with remaining cheese and allow to set about 5 minutes for the cheeses to melt.
Oven-Baked:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Follow steps 1 and 2 of stovetop directions. Combine ingredients and pour into a well-greased 9x13 baking dish.
Top with remaining cheeses and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Freezer Meal:
Cook the pasta according to package directions BUT for only half the time indicated. Drain and set aside.
In a large freezer bag, combine the cooked meat, pasta, vegetables, cream cheese, and 1/2 the cheeses.
Use a sandwich bag for the last of the cheese.
In a quart-sized bag, combine the liquid ingredients and the spices. Place the sandwich bag and the quart-sized bag inside the larger bag with the pasta-meat-vegetable mixture.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding with cooking directions shown above.
Want to completely save yourself the step of cooking the ground beef? Check out our Make-Ahead Ground Beef Recipe. It is excellent, cooks overnight, and freezes very well for quick & easy meals!
Here are a couple of seasoning options. Just delete the paprika and go a little lighter on the garlic powder...
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning or keep the paprika and go with a little less taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Want to make it a complete meal?
• Add 1 to 2 cups of defrosted, frozen peas and carrots in step #3, cover, and allow it to cook another 30 minutes or so.
• If you're going for the taco seasoning then frozen or canned corn would work great! Add a can of black beans too! These could get tossed in during step #1 without issue.
• If you'd rather do Italian then broccoli, cauliflower or Italian green beans would work great!