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This quick & creamy 15-minute Beefaroni Skillet recipe is the ultimate comfort food! Easy, cheesy, and better than store-bought. It’s the perfect meal for busy nights!
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Skip The Store Bought Stuff, This Is Way Better!
Honestly in (almost) the same amount of time you can open a can of Beefaroni and heat it on the stove, you can make this homemade version… but this is *so* much better! Our mom made this all. the. time. when we were growing up. It was an actual “rotation” meal in our home. It has that classic comfort food cheesiness and creaminess that brings back all the memories for me! In our family we call it “congooliami” but I have no idea where that name came from. My kids call it “beefaroni” and that definitely makes more sense. It was actually one of the first meals I prepared totally on my own as a kid, when I was 9 or 10 years old, that’s how easy this is. To this day my kids beg for this for dinner. It can literally be on the table in 15 minutes. It’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights, big families, and hungry kids (and teens). I’m so excited for you to try this and get a taste of my 90s childhood!
đź©·Erica
Ingredients for Homemade Beefaroni
- Macaroni noodles – I have made this a bajillion times and regular ol’ macaroni noodles just work best. Thicker, shaped noodles will still work great but I have found that they absorb too much of the sauce and can dry out faster.
- Ground beef – You can also use ground turkey, pork, or chicken.
- Onion – Use a yellow or white onion and chop it nice and fine. My kids don’t love big pieces of onion so I pretty much mince it when I make it for them.
- Condensed tomato soup – If you don’t want to use condensed soup, you can use spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, tomato sauce, or just a can of diced tomatoes. The tomato soup gives it a nice creamy consistency so if you use something different you can add some cream cheese to thicken it up and make it more creamy.
- Cream of mushroom soup – You can also use our Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe if you want to make it even more homemade. If you can convince your kids to eat mushrooms, I love sautĂ©ing up a whole pack of mushrooms (check out my post on how to sautĂ© mushrooms) and adding it in addition to the mushroom soup. Seriously so good!
- Cheddar cheese – Get it pre-shredded or get a block and shred it yourself. I have found it comes out creamier when I shred it myself but use whatever you have on hand. You can also use shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend, or Pepper jack cheese, or a combination of several! I also love adding a handful of shredded parmesan cheese if I have it on hand.
- Salt and pepper – All you need is a little salt and pepper to season this Beefaroni. If you want something extra you can add garlic powder, oregano, or a little basil.
How to Make Beefaroni
- Cook the macaroni according to package directions to al dente. Drain (don’t rinse).
- While macaroni is cooking, brown the beef with the onions until completely cooked through and onions become soft and clear.
- Add the tomato and cream of mushroom soups and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the meat sauce and stir until well combined.
- Stir in the cheese until melted.
- Sprinkle a little extra cheese over the top (optional) and serve hot.
Pro Tips for Making Beefaroni
- Don’t overcook the pasta: It will cook a little more in the sauce so cooking the macaroni to al dente is usually just right.
- Try different pasta shapes: As I mentioned above, I like to keep it simple with macaroni noodles, but rotini, penne, bowtie, shells, or egg noodles all work great too!
- Boost the creaminess: Stir in 4-8 oz of cream cheese when adding the shredded cheese. A little extra creaminess never hurt anyone. You can also add a splash of heavy cream.
- Thin the sauce if needed: Add a splash of beef broth or milk to thin the sauce if it’s getting too thick.
- Sneak in veggies: Stir in peas, corn, green beans, diced tomatoes. I love adding shredded carrots and zucchini while I am browning the beef. It cooks down with the beef and my kids don’t even know it’s there!
What to Serve with Beefaroni
This dish is hearty enough to stand on its own, but you can never go wrong serving this with a simple green salad and some garlic bread (garlic bread is *so* good dipped in that creamy sauce FYI). You can also serve roasted or steamed veggies like broccoli, green beans, peas, or corn on the side or you can stir them right in. I really love making some sautéed mushrooms and putting them right over the top.
Storing the Leftovers
Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of milk or cream or heat in 30-second increments in the microwave, adding milk or cream as needed. You can also make this ahead of time and freeze it! I like to portion it out in individual portions for freezing because it thaws easier. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Pasta absorbs sauce as it sits. If your Beefaroni seems dry, stir in a splash of milk, cream, beef broth, tomato sauce, or water while reheating to bring it back to the right consistency.
You sure can! It might not be as creamy but it will give it a nice Italian-style flavor you might like!
Elbow macaroni is my favorite (and the traditional) choice, but small shells, ditalini, rotini, or medium pasta shapes work great too. Just choose a pasta that holds onto the sauce well.
More Easy Dinner Skillet Recipes
This 15-minute Beefaroni skillet recipe is one of those recipes you’ll want to keep on repeat. It’s quick, easy, and totally gives those 90s comfort food vibes. Give it a try tonight, and let me know what you think! And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram at @favoritefamilyrecipes 📸🧀
Homemade Beefaroni Skillet
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni noodles
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 10.5 ounces tomato soup , condensed , not prepared
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup , condensed, not prepared (see note above for substitutes)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Prepare noodles according to package directions to al dente, drain well.
- While noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onion together and cook until beef is browned and onions are soft and clear.
- Add condensed soups and salt and pepper.
- Add noodles to skillet and combine with sauce.
- Gently stir in cheese and serve!
- Optional: Sprinkle some extra cheese over the top and allow it to melt if you want it extra cheesy!
Notes
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- If you don’t prefer canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, try our delicious (and easy!) homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe!
- Sometimes, if we are looking to add more to this Beef and Noodles Skillet, we will stir in corn, peas, a can of diced tomatoes (drained), extra sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach.
- Many times when we make this, we try to hide in extra veggies, so we add shredded zucchini and carrots to the ground beef mixture. Really, our kids NEVER know there are any added vegetables. We use a LOT too. We have used 1-2 of EACH vegetable added in and they don’t ever catch on.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love this recipe? Try these other comforting classics:
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
Instant Pot Goulash
Easy Meatball Stroganoff
Steak Stir Fry
Authentic Italian Spaghetti
Enchilada Casserole
Cheesy yummy and easy to put together. Love, love,love this recipe! I added slice zucchini vs grated and it was wonderful.
Love the idea of using sliced zucchini! YUM!