Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni

Name: Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces elbow macaroni; 1 pound ground beef; 6 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces; One 10 3/4 ounce can condensed tomato soup; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

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When you can’t get to an actual bacon cheeseburger, this recipe for bacon cheeseburger macaroni is the next best thing. Maybe even better!

PIN this recipe for Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni now… So you can make it later!

Who doesn’t love a juicy bacon cheeseburger every once in a while? I know I do, and when I love something with the passion I feel for bacon cheeseburgers, I get a strange longing to morph it into different shapes.

I did this with lasagna, I did this with macaroni and cheese, and I did it with tacos. So it was really only a matter of time before I took a perfectly innocent bacon cheeseburger and turned it into a bowl of pasta.

And while I was at it (and please don’t feel like you need to follow my crazy lead here), I decided that I might as well try grinding my own meat for once. I’d heard tell that buying your own chuck steak and grinding is a million times better than using the packaged ground beef.

So I threw caution to the wind and ground my own beef. And even though this took all of about 5 extra minutes, I felt extremely superior about the whole thing…and yes, it tasted amazing.

What really struck me was the consistency…grinding beef at home gives you a textured, slightly chewy, totally delicious taste sensation that is nothing like your garden variety burgers.

And while while you certainly CAN go out and buy an official meat grinder, you can also grind beef perfectly wonderfully in that handy food processor that is probably sitting on your kitchen counter right this minute.

If you are interested in going on your own meat-grinding adventure, here’s a handy link to an article in Bon Appetit that will tell you everything you need to know.

However, this recipe will work just fine with regular supermarket ground beef as well, so don’t let my meat-grinding obsession scare you off.

Here’s how to make bacon cheeseburger macaroni!

In addition to your ground beef, you’re going to need some bacon (natch), some elbow macaroni, some shredded cheddar and a can of good old tomato soup.

Cook a pound of elbow macaroni according to package directions until it is done. Drain and set aside.

Cook a pound of ground beef in a large skillet over medium high until done. Remove and set aside and drain skillet.

Cook 6 slices of chopped bacon (you want about one inch pieces) in the same skillet until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, leaving bacon drippings in skillet. (I know. SO MUCH DRAINING.)

Return the beef to skillet, add the cooked pasta and a can of condensed tomato soup (this makes a fun, ketchup-y sauce) and heat through over medium heat. Stir in the cooked bacon.

Sprinkle cheese on top, cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes. Serve at once.

More tips for making bacon cheeseburger macaroni!

Can I use a different kind of pasta?

Sure you can! Any kind of short pasta will work – penne, bow-ties, etc.

Can I swap out ground turkey for the ground beef?

Yep! Or even ground pork or ground veal – any ground meat will work.

Can this be made ahead?

It can, all the way up until the cheese. Reheat it slowly over medium heat, then do the cheese step and serve it up!

So the next time you get that familiar bacon cheeseburger craving, give this version a whirl. I’m not saying you’ll never go back, but you might be tempted!