Easy beefaroni is even better when it’s homemade! This quick recipe is the perfect kid-friendly weeknight meal when you want something simple and delicious.
Beefaroni Recipe
This easy beefaroni recipe is a favorite for kids and adults alike! Juicy ground beef, a creamy tomato sauce base, tender macaroni noodles, and melty cheese all come together to make a delicious, one-pan dinner you can whip up in under 30 minutes.
For this recipe, I did choose to make it a bit different than Chef Boyardi’s famous beefaroni. While I love the pairing of tomato sauce and ground beef, I find it a bit too acidic and tomatoey for my taste. This recipe makes it creamier with a cup of milk, but check the FAQ section down below to make it an explosion of tomato flavor, just like you remember it from your childhood.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Kid-friendly – This recipe was inspired by Chef Boyardi’s beefaroni… An easy store-bought pasta meal that kids love! It’s not spicy or full of weird ingredients, just delicious, simple ingredients that they likely already love.
- Quick and easy – You’ll have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less, making it perfect for a busy weeknight! The prep work is so easy, too… You only have to chop the onion, and you can do that up to a week ahead of time!
- Barely any cleanup required – Only one pan is needed for this easy meal! This is not a recipe that will leave you with a full sink of dirty dishes, so you can actually relax after dinner.
Ingredients for Homemade Beefaroni
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this one pan recipe. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Ground beef – Try to pick a lean ground beef to avoid having too much grease. If you prefer, you could swap this out for ground turkey, venison, or even some Italian sausage.
- Chopped onion – You can use yellow or white. I used white for a bolder onion flavor, but a yellow onion would give you a milder, slightly sweeter flavor (great for those who are trying to hide the onion from kids).
- Paprika, Onion powder, and Garlic powder – This all-purpose seasoning blend keeps this dish flavorful but also kid-friendly. If you would like a bigger punch, consider adding a shake of cayenne pepper in there, too.
- Tomato sauce and Tomato paste – You’ll get that classic, delicious tomato flavor that perfectly complements the beef and pasta. See the FAQ section if you like the super tomatoey flavor you usually get from canned Chef Boyardi. If you want even more flavor, use this Roasted Tomato Sauce instead of the canned version.
- Milk and Beef Broth – If you need a dairy-free substitute, unsweetened almond milk is the best choice for taste. It might result in a slightly runnier sauce, but you can cook it down another 30 seconds or so to fix that. You technically could swap both of these for water if you had to, but you will lose some amazing flavor that way.
- Elbow or Macaroni noodles – I used Barilla gluten free, but you could use another brand. You can easily make this recipe with different noodles if you would like, but the simmer time may need to be adjusted. Larger noodles will need more time, and smaller noodles will need less time.
- Shredded cheese – I used tasty cheddar cheese, but you could easily swap this out for your favorite cheese if you prefer. If using a dairy-free cheese, use a brand that is known for melting well as this gets melted on top at the very end.
How to Make Beefaroni
This homemade beefaroni is so easy, it’s perfect for new cooks! All you need is one large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Here’s a step-by-step to create this easy pasta dish.
Brown beef and saute onion
Start by heating a large skillet over medium heat, then add in your ground meat. Break up the meat as it browns, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the meat is browned, drain off the grease, leaving just the meat in the pan. Add in your chopped onions and saute them until they’re translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
Simmer with noodles
Add all of your liquid ingredients (tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, and milk), then add in your spices as well. Scrape the pan to pick up any crispy bits stuck to the bottom–These little pieces have loads of flavor, and the bonus is that this makes it easier to clean the pan later! Stir until ingredients look well combined, then bring to a simmer.
Once the mixture is simmering, pour in your noodles. Cover your skillet with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook for 7-8 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
Top with cheese
Give your beefaroni a good stir, making sure your cooked noodles are well covered in the sauce. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the beefaroni and place the lid back on the pan. Once the cheese has melted, you can serve immediately.
Serve
We love this cheesy beefaroni with an easy salad and some kind of bread (like these cheddar zucchini cornbread muffins or some cheddar garlic biscuits). These Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Tots are a creative, delicious way to get kids to eat more vegetables, too! Simple air fryer veggies are a healthy, quick way to round out a meal, too.
Storage Instructions
Allow this homemade beefaroni to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. This makes delicious leftover lunches, so I like to go ahead and place them in individual containers for easy lunch packing in the morning. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, but you can freeze leftovers if you can’t eat through them all. Simply store in a freezer-friendly container (after cooling completely) and place in the freezer. It’s best thawed (overnight in the fridge) and eaten within 3 months.
How to Reheat Beefaroni
The easiest way to reheat this recipe is in the microwave! Place a individual serving in a microwave-safe bowl, then blast in 1 minute increments at 50% power. Stir between each blast for even cooking.
Beefaroni FAQs
This easy dinner recipe is great for both beginners and busy folks. Here are some common questions and simple tips to help you adjust this recipe for your taste.
How do I make Chef Boyardi’s beefaroni?
If you love that strong tomato flavor that comes from the canned version, I recommend just a few easy adjustments to this recipe. First, replace the cup of milk with an additional can of tomato sauce. Second, double the amount of tomato paste. After simmering, feel free to stir in a bit more tomato paste if you would like a more concentrated tomato flavor.
Can you make beefaroni with a different meat?
Absolutely! We love this with ground turkey as well, but you could easily swap the beef for ground chicken, pork (Italian sausage would be delicious), venison, or another ground meat. You might want to rename it, but nobody’s going to complain about that after they take a bite!
Can you make beefaroni dairy-free?
With two simple changes, you can turn this pasta dish into a safe dinner for your dairy-free friends, too. The milk can be replaced with almond milk or another similar dairy-free alternative to keep it creamy. You could also replace it with more broth, tomato sauce, or even just water if you wanted, though it would result in a slightly different flavor. You can easily replace the cheese with a dairy-free cheese, just try to use a brand that melts well.
If you love this one pan pasta, you have to try these easy weeknight meals!
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese – Talk about an explosion of flavor! This one pan pasta dish is great when you want something similar but with a new twist!
- Easy Bacon Cheeseburger Mac – This one is a classic for a reason! All your favorite burger flavors are made even easier with this quick dinner you can whip up on a weeknight.
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – We love making this one over the holidays, when the sink is full of dishes, or when we just want good comfort food quickly!
- Easy Chili Mac – We love this because it tastes like the perfect combination of mac and cheese and a big bowl of chili! It doesn’t hurt that it’s ready in 30 minutes and fills you up quick.
- Taco Mac – All the flavors of your favorite tacos but in the comforting, easy macaroni format! It’s great when you need to switch it up but still need to satisfy picky eaters.
Easy Beefaroni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 8- ounce can tomato sauce*
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste*
- 1 cup milk*
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups dry macaroni noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium, then add in the ground beef and brown. Once browned, drain off and discard any grease.
- Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, milk, and beef broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the noodles, salt, and pepper. Cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to low. Cook 7-10 minutes until the noodles are tender.
- Turn the heat off and give the pasta a good stir. Top with shredded cheese, then place the lid back on the pan until cheese is perfectly melted. Serve immediately.