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small elbow macaroni and fine cooked ground-beef crumbles in creamy orange cheese soup in an ordinary bowl, with no potatoes, pickle slices or garnish
Melissa Hart

Cheeseburger Macaroni Soup

Elbows make this a cheeseburger soup with a pasta bite instead of a pot built around mashed potatoes. Keep enough broth around them to stay spoonable after the cheese melts. Ketchup and yellow mustard supply the burger flavor without needing a full jar of sauce. A little American cheese helps the cheddar blend smoothly. Add both off the heat, then serve promptly; pasta will keep absorbing liquid even after you've switched off the burner and called everyone to the table.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 5 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 5 oz dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated
  • 2 oz deli American cheese torn into small pieces

Method
 

  1. Brown beef and onion in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, breaking beef into fine crumbles and cooking it to 160°F. Drain excess fat.
  2. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then add broth, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  3. Stir in macaroni and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is just tender.
  4. Add milk and heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes until steaming, without a hard boil.
  5. Switch off the heat and stir in American cheese, then cheddar in 3 additions, until smooth. Divide among 6 bowls while the broth still flows around the macaroni.