This simple and tasty Beefy BBQ Mac and Cheese starts with the blue box stuff and transforms into an easy dinner idea with a delicious twist.
What to add to boxed mac and cheese
Like many moms, I keep blue boxes of mac n’ cheese on hand. My kids LOVE it. It’s a favorite in our house alongside grilled hot dogs and baked beans!
You can almost guarantee nine times out of ten if we’re having hot dogs at our house; mac n’ cheese and baked beans are on the menu!
While there’s nothing wrong with plain ol’ mac n’ cheese, though, I like to mix things up sometimes!
This Beefy BBQ Mac and Cheese is a great meal idea for when time is tight. The whole thing can be done in about 20 minutes! Not to mention, it’s relatively budget-friendly!
Back when my kids were younger, and money was tight, I came up with lots of ways to change up a box of Kraft mac and cheese! This recipe still remains one of our favorites!
You can serve this BBQ Beefy Mac with a salad, veggie, and maybe some fruit, and you’re good to go!
This is one of the best twists on mac and cheese out there! Enjoy, y’all!
Ground Beef Mac and Cheese: Ingredients & Substitutions
For this Beefy BBQ Mac and Cheese recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- ground beef – lean. This recipe is a great way to use old leftovers, too!
- onion – chopped onions are a perfect addition to any mac and cheese, BBQ or not.
- mac and cheese dinner – get yourself a box from the store to make things simple, and cook the noodles based on the directions!
- butter, milk, shredded cheddar cheese – staples of any mac and cheese dish! These give you a creamy consistency.
- BBQ sauce – this provides the dish’s BBQ flavor, of course.
- bacon – cooked and crumbled. You’ll mix some in with the mac and cheese, but it also tastes wonderful as a topping!
- green onions – chopped green onions are another fantastic topping for beefy BBQ mac and cheese.
Hamburger Mac and Cheese: FAQs
About 6-8 servings, depending, of course, on portion size. It’s enough for a family at dinner, I think!
You’ll want to put aside about 20 minutes. Five of that is for prepping the ingredients, and 10-15 minutes of that is for cooking them!
Besides cheddar, other cheeses that go great in a mac and cheese are…
– Parmesan: The best and most authentic parmesan is always sold as Parmigiano Reggiano if you want to try that out!! Remember that hand-grated parmesan will always taste best.
– Brie: Brie is an extremely creamy cheese that turns into a wonderfully buttery liquid when it melts. It’s a perfect partner to parmesan and bacon.
– Monterey or Pepper Jack: Both are similar to cheddar and great for melting! Pepper Jack is a derivative of Monterey Jack with a kick. It has spicy chill peppers, bell peppers, and various spices for a nice hot zing!
– Gruyere: Gruyere cheese melts perfectly in this dish! It’s smooth and velvety with a nutty flavor that comes with hints of sweetness you may not expect! It adds a mature taste to any mac and cheese, but kids love it too.
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BBQ Beefy Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese dinner 7.25 oz. each
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup BBQ sauce or more to taste
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 oz.
- 12 ounces bacon cooked and crumbled
- green onions chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a skillet brown and crumble the ground beef with onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add the butter, milk, BBQ sauce, cheese and cooked ground beef. Mix well. Add half of the bacon and stir to combine.
- To serve, top each portion with remaining bacon and green onions.
Notes
- Ground turkey is a great alternative to ground beef!
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on June 7, 2013. Updated on August 14, 2022.
Looks delicious, Jamie – pinned 🙂
Something about comfort food! Two great flavors together is a party in the mouth. Stopping by from Kathy's. Have a great weekend.
Would love it if you would join our BBQ Block Party-Linky Party Thursday's.
http://easylifemealandpartyplanning.blogspot.com/p/bbq-block-party-thursday-linky-party.html
Hope to see you there
Great idea this might actually please both my cheesy kid and my beefy kid. Thanks for sharing it with us on foodie friday.
Nothing beats the blue box and I love that you spiced it up with BBQ sauce. I thought I was the only one who did that! This looks super yummy!
We would love for you to link this up with us at Living Well Spending Less! You can link up any of your thrifty projects each Thursday – we would love to have you join us! http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/category/thrifty-thursday/
Ooooo…yum! My son would love this! Thank you for linking, Jamie.
Jamie, this is a great dish that we would just love. Hope you have a wonderful week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
That looks delicious and so easy too! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe at the Say G’day Saturday linky party.
This week’s linky party has just started so I hope you can stop by and say g’day!
Best wishes for a great weekend,
Natasha in Oz
My kids love mac n' cheese from a box. I can't eat it, but with your improvements I actually want to give it a try. Thanks for sharing at Inspire Us Thursday at Organized 31.