The Easiest Beefaroni Recipe

My easy beefaroni recipe comes together in about 40 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. Made with tender ground beef, perfectly cooked pasta, and a rich, savory tomato sauce, this classic dish combines all the nostalgic flavors of your childhood with a fresh, homemade touch. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a dish that warms up beautifully for leftovers, this beefaroni is sure to become a household favorite.

 

Easy Beefaroni Recipe

• Easy Comfort Food. This beefaroni recipe is the perfect combination of cozy comfort food and an easy weeknight dinner. It utilizes common pantry staple ingredients and takes just 40 minutes from start to finish.
• Good for Picky Eaters. It’s perfect for picky eaters because it has familiar shapes like elbow macaroni and a cheesy tomato sauce like a fancy spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients for Beefaroni

• Elbow Macaroni: You can use your favorite short cut of pasta for this recipe. Penne, rigatoni, or rotini will all work. Elbow macaroni is a classic choice but you can use whatever you’ve got on hand.
• Onion & Garlic: Yellow onion and minced garlic are going to boost the flavors of the cheesy tomato sauce. You can dice them as finely as you like so your picky eaters won’t even notice them! I normally only cook onions for 4-6 minutes but in this recipe, we do it just a bit longer so that the onions start to caramelize. This helps to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce.
• Herbs & Spices: Italian seasoning, chili powder, and smoked paprika combine with the cheesy tomato sauce to give it that classic beefaroni flavor.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is the perfect way to get that “cooked-all-day” flavor in just minutes!
• Ground Beef: I recommend 85/15 ground beef for this recipe. 80/20 or 90/10 would work as well.
• Tomato Sauce: Smooth tomato sauce is the perfect base for this cheesy sauce. Not canned spaghetti sauce – just straight tomato sauce.
• Worcestershire: Worcestershire bumps up the beefy flavor in such a great way. Sub with soy sauce if you don’t have Worcestershire on hand.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds a rich flavor and a perfectly creamy texture. Substitute with half and half if you prefer, but the sauce will be thinner.
• Medium Cheddar: I like the bite that medium cheddar adds to this recipe. It’s not quite as muted as mild cheddar and not quite as spunky as sharp cheddar. You really can use any type of cheddar cheese though!

How to Make Beefaroni at Home

Cook pasta until al dente. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. Cook for about a minute. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through. Use the juices from the meat to deglaze the pan and scrape all those yummy bits off the bottom. 

Stir in tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce, along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, medium cheddar cheese, and a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until warmed through.

 Add cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and enjoy!

Tips for Making Beefaroni

• Pasta. Cook the pasta just until al dente. This will ensure the best flavor and texture and if you have leftovers and need to reheat them, you won’t end up with mushy pasta!
• Cheese. Shred your own cheese at home! Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store has cellulose which prevents it from clumping and also prevents it from melting. Freshly grated cheese will melt much easier and taste better.
• Sauce. The sauce in this beefaroni will thicken as it cools. Plan to add a splash of cream before reheating.

Making Beefaroni Ahead of Time

• This beefaroni is the perfect make-ahead meal!
• It will stay fresh in the fridge for days and reheats beautifully.
• Make a batch over the weekend and you’ve got easy lunches or dinners ready to go in just minutes!

Storing Leftover Beefaroni

Store leftover beefaroni in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating Beefaroni

• You may need to add a splash of cream to loosen up the sauce before reheating.
• Reheat beefaroni in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
• You can also reheat in the microwave in 30-60 second increments until warm. Season to taste.

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