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Cheeseburger macaroni recipe? YES, PLEASE! Hamburger meat, pasta and an epic cheese sauce. All made in ONE POT. Too easy!
It’s been a bit hectic here. With the move, the traveling, the wedding planning, and the holidays, we’ve been constantly on the go-go-go.
But even with our super busy schedules, I can still whip up this cozy, comforting cheeseburger mac in a flash.
That’s right. You read that right. It’s cheeseburger MAC. AND. CHEESE. Aka, homemade hamburger helper made a million times better thanks to Cabot cheese.
Owned by 800 farm families throughout New York and New England since 1919, Cabot creates the best cheese and dairy. So it’s no wonder that this mac and cheese yields that super creamy, super epic cheese sauce.
And my favorite part? You can throw all of it in the Instant Pot®! And I mean, all of it, even the uncooked pasta. You barely have to lift a finger here.
After the quick-release, you can stir in all the cheese, letting it melt right into the pasta. The key here is using a good quality cheese, like Cabot Mild Cheddar Cheese. It will make all of the difference!
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 20 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 40 minutes minutes
Cheeseburger macaroni? YES, PLEASE! Hamburger meat, pasta and an epic cheese sauce. All made in ONE POT. Too easy!
4.9 stars (52 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups shredded Cabot Mild Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Heat olive oil; add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Add onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in beef stock, tomato sauce and pasta; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
Stir in cheese and heavy cream until cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes; stir in parsley.
Serve immediately.
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Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery. As always, I only partner with brands that I love and truly believe in, allowing me to create more quick and easy recipes to get us through the week without breaking the bank. All opinions expressed are my own.
posted on December 6, 2019under entree, instant pot, pasta
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84 comments -
Jennifer — March 5, 2024 @ 2:10 PM Reply
Yummy! I love this recipe, it’s fabulous as is and it’s a great recipe that allows substitutions if need be.
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Amy — February 7, 2024 @ 5:34 AM Reply
Wow
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Lana — February 2, 2024 @ 5:45 AM Reply
I’ve made this recipe several times over the years and love it! It is great as is! We also like to make a healthier version with ground Turkey/Chicken stock and omit the heavy cream and it’s still delicious. This summer I plan on using poblano peppers and green chiles and maybe stirring in fresh corn at the end. So many things you can try!
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Jessica Curry — October 10, 2023 @ 2:46 PM Reply
I got tired of pulling out my huge instant pot, so I make it on the stove. My kids beg me to make this all the time, and they fight over the leftovers! Very good recipe!
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Heidi — September 12, 2023 @ 1:25 PM Reply
My family love this recipe and I have made it many times over the years. As I am trying to reduce our meat consumption, I used only a third of the meat last time and replaced the other two thirds w small green lentils (dry). I added an additional 1.5x water to lentil amount to the pot. They cooked in 5 min although 6 would have been better. Next time, I will look for a slightly longer-cooking pasta. My whole family liked the lentil addition and I was cleared to repeat it. Also positive: I felt the dish was quite filling w the lentils. Just sharing if someone wants to try.
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Mike — September 10, 2023 @ 11:23 AM Reply
The wife loved it which is pretty much the standard for what gets fixed again in our house. Quick and easy, I’ll definitely prepare this again. Must confess, when faced with a choice between using the bag of shredded cheese or hand-shredding the block of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar already in the fridge, I chose easy over great.Soon I’ll enjoy the Cabot with some Riesling & fruit, or whatever looks good at the moment. Thanks, and I’ll be trying a couple more recipes from your site soon.
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Libby — July 9, 2023 @ 7:40 PM Reply
My husband and I LOVE this dish. It tastes exactly like Hamburger Helper but way fresher and unprocessed. Also SO easy. Definitely a favorite of ours.
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Melissa Carr — June 12, 2023 @ 8:03 PM Reply
Quick n easy! I let it sit 10 min after stirring in the cheese n cream. Used Tinkyada gluten free shells. 5 min, quick release. Great recipe!
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Tanisha — May 4, 2023 @ 7:22 PM Reply
Super tasty! It’s in my regular rotation now at my husbands request. I use whole wheat macaroni, increasing the cooking time to 7 minutes and it comes out perfect!
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Caitlin — February 4, 2023 @ 7:08 PM Reply
This is my absolute go-to guaranteed to please meal for my 22 month old. It’s super easy to throw together. I use protein pasta and have never had an issue with the pasta getting too mushy in the instant pot. Tonight I didn’t have any dry pasta so made the sauce on the stove (omitted the beef broth since it seemed saucy enough without it) and added frozen ravioli I cooked separately, a hit!
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Marie Frank — January 9, 2023 @ 8:34 AM Reply
I would make this the traditional way, not in the Instant Pot, because the pasta was mushy. I would make it al dente and then add everything to the pasta. The flavor was good, however.
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Rachel — November 5, 2022 @ 8:50 PM Reply
This came out so delicious! Great instant pot recipe!
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Dee Dee — September 27, 2022 @ 10:02 PM Reply
This absolutely amazing. I’m wondering if it can be doubled in an 8 quart?
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Sarah W — September 23, 2022 @ 4:49 PM Reply
I make this all the time and it’s a true household hit. I made the mistake and made a different recipe last time and it was terrible. I’m so glad I found ole faithful. I’ll be bookmarking it immediately!
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Nathalie GAGNON — September 6, 2022 @ 3:20 PM Reply
Tried it tonight. So easy and convenient recipe. The texture was perfect, not watery at all. I had the opposite, after the 5 minutes pressure coooking and the quick pressure release I put the cheese and cream and noticed that the macaroni had sticked to the bottom. Luckily there was no burned taste. Merci !
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Sharon — September 5, 2022 @ 4:06 PM Reply
Hi. I followed every instruction with the exception of the type of cheese. I used cheddar.
After releasing the pressure and removing lid, I added cheese and heavy cream.
What I have is a soup. This was not my goal.
I used 12 0z macaroni.
It’s in the fridge and I ordered a pizza for tonight’s dinner.
Should I boil another 12 oz of macaroni? Would that resolve or help?
I appreciate your help.
Sharon
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Katie — July 14, 2022 @ 3:10 PM Reply
This is my favorite instant pot recipe! I’ve shared it with many friends, and we all love it. It’s fantastic!
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Haddy Furgang — July 9, 2022 @ 9:55 AM Reply
omg i love this recipe so much it’s super easy and quick to make! it’s also so good me and my whole family love it!!
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Nina Capaccio — April 19, 2022 @ 4:41 PM Reply
OUTSTANDING ! Followed recipe exactly, finished dish fantastic. But… you do have a tendency of putting together many marvelous creations. Easy to make, clear concise instructions and OMG it’s made with real food and is healthy too! What a concept. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
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Lindsay — December 20, 2021 @ 6:10 PM Reply
This was so easy and so good! My whole family loved it, including my very picky son.
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Jodes — December 12, 2021 @ 9:28 PM Reply
Basically it’s like leggo’s tomato puree.
Married to an American but live in Australia 🙂
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Ryan Shaughnessy — November 29, 2021 @ 5:32 PM Reply
For some reason it was soupy. We followed the directions. Any ideas?
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Scott W. Brown — November 11, 2021 @ 3:41 PM Reply
Substituted cream cheese for cream. Oh so good.
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Hannah Brayshaw — August 22, 2021 @ 10:01 PM Reply
I’m in Australia. What do you mean when you say a can of tomato sauce? Is it pasta sauce, passata, tinned tomatoes? Thanks……
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staceyes — September 26, 2021 @ 6:05 PM Reply
In America a can of tomato sauce is just cooked tomatoes-very similar to a Marinara sauce only there’s no additional flavors added. It’s just tomatoes that have been cooked down into a sauce. You could substitute pasta sauce or marinara.
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Jodes — December 12, 2021 @ 4:43 PM Reply
Basically it’s like leggo’s tomato puree.
Married to an American but live in Australia 🙂
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Liz — May 21, 2021 @ 10:09 AM Reply
I love this recipe, I do a slighter version, with 99% ground turkey breast, and chicken stock, I leave out the cream all together and I use sharp cheddar, my husband loves it, the toddler loves it, and it’s Easy!!!!
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Karla — April 22, 2021 @ 3:05 PM Reply
So easy and delicious! I sautéed the beef, onions and green peppers in a separate pot, easier to drain the grease. Made the rest as written! Kids devoured it!
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Ash — February 25, 2021 @ 5:02 PM Reply
Delicious! I used a 160z box of pasta & increased the rest of the ingredients by 1/3. I used 20Oz jar of marinara sauce & 3 1/2 cups of beef broth. The whole family loved it! I’m new to the Instant Pot… but use it almost every night since I got it. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
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Kenzie — February 20, 2021 @ 8:27 AM Reply
Amazing!! My husband and I loved it! So good and seriously so easy!!
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Kenzie — February 20, 2021 @ 8:27 AM Reply
Amazing!! My husband and I loved it! So good and seriously so easy!!
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Nick — February 16, 2021 @ 5:11 PM Reply
This was a hit at our house! So easy to do in the Instant Pot. Followed your recipe to the letter. After some googling found that 12oz of macaroni was roughly 3 cups.
Thank you!
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erin — January 3, 2021 @ 4:37 PM Reply
Great recipe! You are basically making homemade hamburger helper but for a weeknight easy meal that teens love, you can’t beat it!
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Matt — January 17, 2021 @ 2:22 AM Reply
Can this be used with vegetable stock vs beef? I have 4 containers left of vegi stock and would like to use it.
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SCOTT ELLIS — February 14, 2021 @ 4:46 PM Reply
Of Course…. sounds good!!!
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Jill — December 2, 2020 @ 6:41 PM Reply
I’ve made this twice and the second time was better than the first. Still making some tweaks, but overall it’s delicious! And quick! I’m wondering if this is freezable?
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Juliee — December 1, 2020 @ 4:17 PM Reply
Yep! This one is a keeper! I’ve made many variations of this and they were just “okay” but this one is it! So good!
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Aimee — December 7, 2020 @ 6:18 PM Reply
I make this on the stove top by following the instructions as written in a Dutch oven and then cooking on medium heat for about 15 minutes (stirring often) instead of pressure cooking. We usually add some chipotle powder along with paprika, etc for a bit of heat but as written it’s an A+ classic hamburger mac.
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Celeste — August 4, 2021 @ 2:39 PM Reply
I tried this in my dutch oven and 15 min was perfect! Thank you!
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Diana — November 19, 2020 @ 11:43 AM Reply
I don’t have an instapot, so I had to convert it. I cooked the pasta with boullion and put it in a pan. I cooked the ground beef with the vegetables, stirred in the spices , then added the tomato sauce. I poured it over the noodles. Cooked at 350 for 10 minutes. Added cheese and cooked 5 minutes longer. Perfect!
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Jody — November 10, 2020 @ 5:43 PM Reply
I made this as written except I used gluten-free pasta. I cooked it for 6 minutes and it was perfect, not soupy at all. My whole family enjoyed it but I feel like it’s missing something… maybe a dash or two of hot sauce? I also think the canned tomato flavor was too strong so I might try swapping plain tomato sauce for pizza sauce. Still yummy, but I think those changes would make it a real keeper.
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SCOTT ELLIS — February 14, 2021 @ 4:56 PM Reply
Make the changes for you and family… cooking is an art! If your family likes loves hot sauce, spicy, add hot sauce… I hated diced tomatoes growing up, would push them to the side, tomato sauce works… My Mom and Grams called this a “Scrummage”…. Instant Pot just makes it faster and easier….
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Bonnie — July 29, 2020 @ 8:07 AM Reply
This was so easy and so yummy! Both my husband and 4-year old son loved it. My son doesn’t often ask for seconds or leftovers and he pounded this. I can’t eat bell peppers, so I left them out and just upped the onion from half to whole. I also don’t keep broth in the house because we just don’t use it up quickly enough, but I do keep Better Than Bouillon. No joke – that stuff is a life saver. This recipe is now on the make again rotation!
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Jennifer McGuire — July 22, 2020 @ 4:31 PM Reply
Just perfect. The Spouse requested cheeseburger mac with tomato, which isn’t a thing I usually make. It’s 4000 degrees out so I certainly didn’t want to put on a pot of water for pasta. Boom, this recipe. No beef broth in the house, but water and some additional salt did the trick. Happy Spouse!
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Srl — May 27, 2020 @ 3:06 PM Reply
Excellent recipe! Mine looked just like her picture.. That never happens. Tastes as good as it looks too! Very good whole family including picky toddlers lived it. Perfect recipe!
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Sharron L Tufts — August 10, 2021 @ 1:54 PM Reply
Has anyone made this without an Instant Pot?
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lisa — May 8, 2020 @ 4:49 PM Reply
I just made this for my family…we were going to order pizza but I am so glad we didn’t! the whole thing came together very quickly and easily. I love all the Damn Delicious recipes….. every single one is…well…damn delicious! thank you!
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Emma — April 20, 2020 @ 7:51 PM Reply
Loved this! Didn’t have a bell pepper, so I added a can of diced green chilies. It gave the perfect amount of spice. Also added frozen peas at the same time as the cheese just to add some more veg.
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Heidi — April 13, 2020 @ 4:04 AM Reply
This was soooo good! Kids and parents loved it alike. To me, it tastes like lasagna without all the work. Will surely make again. Thanks!
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Carol — April 3, 2020 @ 4:59 PM Reply
Delicious. I used ground turkey and stirring in Parmesan adds a nice zing.
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Adrienne — April 3, 2020 @ 6:45 AM Reply
Thank you for another delicious recipe – family loved it!
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Greg — March 29, 2020 @ 5:19 AM Reply
Perfect! A little hot sauce at the end put it over the top.
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Greg — April 1, 2020 @ 6:51 PM Reply
So good we made it three days later
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Leanna — March 26, 2020 @ 6:14 AM Reply
Very tasty! Swapped a couple ingredients to utilize what I had on hand (evaporated milk instead of heavy cream; tomato soup instead of tomato sauce); overall delicious recipe! Sort of like a DIY hamburger helper; reminded me of my childhood. Great comfort food!
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MDM — April 21, 2020 @ 4:45 PM Reply
Very easy and tasty! I’ve made it several times and was pleased each time. I’ve used a variety of cheeses – whatever is on hand – and I have also subbed in a can of tomato soup for the tomato sauce and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe.
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Nancy — January 15, 2020 @ 4:18 AM Reply
Loved it! Very easy recipe and flavours are delicious. This is the second recipe I’ve made from the site and I feel like this is the only site I need! Thank you
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Jean — December 13, 2020 @ 12:39 PM Reply
Great recipe after a day of holiday baking!! I only had Cabot sharp cheddar but it was a wonderful taste!!!!
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Lisa OLeary — January 12, 2020 @ 5:43 PM Reply
HUGE family hit and sooo easy!!!!
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Sandi — January 6, 2020 @ 6:31 PM Reply
There isn’t one thing I have made from your blogs or your fantastic meal prep book that my family and I have not loved!!!! Seriously! This is a fave also!!
Do you have nutrition value listed anywhere for your recipes? I am using MyFitnessPal for a workout challenge for a month and would like to be as accurate as I can with my entries.
Thanks tons for all your hard work, yum recipes and fantastic instagrams with Butters and Cartman!!!
-Sandi
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Lauren — April 29, 2020 @ 6:31 PM Reply
Hi Sandy
If you go into the Meals, Recipes and Food tab on My Fitness Pal you can add her recipe directly from the web 🙂
I did it, however I changed the servings to 7 because there was heaps!
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stacy griffith — January 6, 2020 @ 1:46 PM Reply
This was easy & delicious! We ate it with ketchup & mustard and chopped dill pickles on top and it tastes just like a cheeseburger!!
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Lucy — January 3, 2020 @ 2:31 PM Reply
Love how easy this was! Ultimate comfort food! I used a three cheese blend of medium, sharp, and white cheddar.
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Lauren Kim — January 1, 2020 @ 4:06 PM Reply
Eating this right now and as usual-yumm! Next time I will half the broth and increase the marinara bc my guys prefer lots of sauce. I also used ground buffalo cuz I didnt have beef and I used an Italian cheese mix rather than cheddar.
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Kelly — December 31, 2019 @ 10:13 AM Reply
This was EXCELLENT.
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Melanie Gragnani — December 16, 2019 @ 10:46 AM Reply
Hi! Have made lots of your recipes and my family loves them! If I was going to double this and use an 8qt Instant Pot- would the instructions stay the same? Thanks!!
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Donna Baxter — December 14, 2019 @ 4:42 PM Reply
very easy and very good. made exactly as recipe said and it came out perfect. Except I used colby jack and cheddar cheese.
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Cheryl — December 13, 2019 @ 6:03 AM Reply
If I want pasta al dente what would the cooking time be?
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Eva — December 11, 2019 @ 4:13 PM Reply
Is this supposed to look liquidy until the pasta sits a few minutes and has a chance to absorb more liquid?
I made it exactly as described above, and after opening the pot it is extremely soupy looking…??
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Sara Cunningham — March 17, 2020 @ 11:04 AM Reply
I had the same thing happen, I’ll use half the broth next time
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Leanna — March 26, 2020 @ 6:17 AM Reply
What I find to work well is to mix for a couple minutes after mixture has had the chance to cool some. The liquid absorbs back into the sauce and the sauce fills the inside of the noodles after some stirring (sort of how boxed mac looks very soupy until it mixes and sets). I actually used more broth than was called for, and when I was finished stirring and served, it set up so nicely I served it on a dinner place and the sauce did not run at all.
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Greg — April 1, 2020 @ 6:52 PM Reply
Yes, it’s a bit liquid..let it sit after adding cheese and cream.
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Cheryl McCann — December 9, 2019 @ 4:52 PM Reply
Oh my! This was delicious. My husband loved it and deemed it a keeper. Wehave loved all your recipes I have tried so far… Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta, beef stew, blueberry vanilla muffins, etc. The only change I made was substituting penne for the macaroni since that’s what I had. I added one minute to cook time and it was perfect.
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Mary — December 9, 2019 @ 9:45 AM Reply
I’ve looked for Cabot mild Cheddar cheese, they do not sell it in our area (southern CA). Do you recommend another brand or just use any mild cheddar cheese?
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 9, 2019 @ 11:40 AM Reply
You can use any mild cheddar variety, Mary. 🙂
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April Durco — December 9, 2019 @ 6:18 AM Reply
It would be great if you included your macaroni al dente time in the recipe as a reference point for pasta we are using at home. For example, I have macaroni at home that ranges from 6 min to 13 min depending on the brand. I used a 9 min al dente for this recipe and cooked for 4 minutes with a quick release. The pasta was overcooked just slightly, but the recipe was still delicious. I will be making this again with the same pasta and will try for 2 minutes. Thanks for sharing a quick and simple weeknight meal!
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Sara Cunningham — March 17, 2020 @ 11:06 AM Reply
I used trader joe’s macaroni, cook time 6 minutes. I cooked for 3 and the pasta was perfectly cooked but my dish was soupy?
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Jule — December 8, 2019 @ 11:50 AM Reply
Made this last night and it was perfect for a pregame quick and hearty meal for teens. I used what I had on hand: .8 lb meat, and halved all other ingredients. I didn’t have a can of sauce, so used part of a jar of Trader Joe’s pizza sauce. Despite this, it was really good! Not something I’d serve to company, but we’ll eat it a lot this winter. Thank you!
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Angela — December 7, 2019 @ 4:39 PM Reply
This is so delicious that I wish I had doubled it. All the ingredients are in perfect proportions!
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Ken — December 7, 2019 @ 9:15 AM Reply
This recipe looks like a keeper. The only issue I have with your site and others is using odd amounts of ingredients. Pasta comes in full pound packages, so why would you print this using 12 oz instead of 8 or 16 oz?
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 7, 2019 @ 10:03 AM Reply
Hi Ken! This is a great recipe indeed and we hope you can give it a try! 🙂
To answer your question, we work very hard to develop and thoroughly test these recipes and they are created in relation to all other ingredients so it is very common that at least one of the ingredients does not turn out to be an even amount.
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Trish — December 23, 2019 @ 6:10 PM Reply
I ran into that too I wound up buying a kitchen scale it makes things so much easier in terms of measuring
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Amanda — January 27, 2020 @ 8:52 PM Reply
Gluten free pastas come in 12oz packages, and are necessary for my Celiac fam, so I’m loving this! Generally it’s easy to eyeball other quantities, though!
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Donna Turiano — December 7, 2019 @ 8:21 AM Reply
I would love to make this but I don’t have an instant pot-just a crock pot. I have no room for another appliance. Is it possible that you could show the recipe and translate it into how to make it in a crock pot? It would be most appreciated!
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 7, 2019 @ 10:05 AM Reply
Hi Donna! We have a Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe that you could use as a reference for this recipe. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Hope that helps!
Jennifer — March 5, 2024 @ 2:10 PM Reply
Yummy! I love this recipe, it’s fabulous as is and it’s a great recipe that allows substitutions if need be.
Amy — February 7, 2024 @ 5:34 AM Reply
Wow
Lana — February 2, 2024 @ 5:45 AM Reply
I’ve made this recipe several times over the years and love it! It is great as is! We also like to make a healthier version with ground Turkey/Chicken stock and omit the heavy cream and it’s still delicious. This summer I plan on using poblano peppers and green chiles and maybe stirring in fresh corn at the end. So many things you can try!
Jessica Curry — October 10, 2023 @ 2:46 PM Reply
I got tired of pulling out my huge instant pot, so I make it on the stove. My kids beg me to make this all the time, and they fight over the leftovers! Very good recipe!
Heidi — September 12, 2023 @ 1:25 PM Reply
My family love this recipe and I have made it many times over the years. As I am trying to reduce our meat consumption, I used only a third of the meat last time and replaced the other two thirds w small green lentils (dry). I added an additional 1.5x water to lentil amount to the pot. They cooked in 5 min although 6 would have been better. Next time, I will look for a slightly longer-cooking pasta. My whole family liked the lentil addition and I was cleared to repeat it. Also positive: I felt the dish was quite filling w the lentils. Just sharing if someone wants to try.
Mike — September 10, 2023 @ 11:23 AM Reply
The wife loved it which is pretty much the standard for what gets fixed again in our house. Quick and easy, I’ll definitely prepare this again. Must confess, when faced with a choice between using the bag of shredded cheese or hand-shredding the block of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar already in the fridge, I chose easy over great.Soon I’ll enjoy the Cabot with some Riesling & fruit, or whatever looks good at the moment. Thanks, and I’ll be trying a couple more recipes from your site soon.
Libby — July 9, 2023 @ 7:40 PM Reply
My husband and I LOVE this dish. It tastes exactly like Hamburger Helper but way fresher and unprocessed. Also SO easy. Definitely a favorite of ours.
Melissa Carr — June 12, 2023 @ 8:03 PM Reply
Quick n easy! I let it sit 10 min after stirring in the cheese n cream. Used Tinkyada gluten free shells. 5 min, quick release. Great recipe!
Tanisha — May 4, 2023 @ 7:22 PM Reply
Super tasty! It’s in my regular rotation now at my husbands request. I use whole wheat macaroni, increasing the cooking time to 7 minutes and it comes out perfect!
Caitlin — February 4, 2023 @ 7:08 PM Reply
This is my absolute go-to guaranteed to please meal for my 22 month old. It’s super easy to throw together. I use protein pasta and have never had an issue with the pasta getting too mushy in the instant pot. Tonight I didn’t have any dry pasta so made the sauce on the stove (omitted the beef broth since it seemed saucy enough without it) and added frozen ravioli I cooked separately, a hit!
Marie Frank — January 9, 2023 @ 8:34 AM Reply
I would make this the traditional way, not in the Instant Pot, because the pasta was mushy. I would make it al dente and then add everything to the pasta. The flavor was good, however.
Rachel — November 5, 2022 @ 8:50 PM Reply
This came out so delicious! Great instant pot recipe!
Dee Dee — September 27, 2022 @ 10:02 PM Reply
This absolutely amazing. I’m wondering if it can be doubled in an 8 quart?
Sarah W — September 23, 2022 @ 4:49 PM Reply
I make this all the time and it’s a true household hit. I made the mistake and made a different recipe last time and it was terrible. I’m so glad I found ole faithful. I’ll be bookmarking it immediately!
Nathalie GAGNON — September 6, 2022 @ 3:20 PM Reply
Tried it tonight. So easy and convenient recipe. The texture was perfect, not watery at all. I had the opposite, after the 5 minutes pressure coooking and the quick pressure release I put the cheese and cream and noticed that the macaroni had sticked to the bottom. Luckily there was no burned taste. Merci !
Sharon — September 5, 2022 @ 4:06 PM Reply
Hi. I followed every instruction with the exception of the type of cheese. I used cheddar.
After releasing the pressure and removing lid, I added cheese and heavy cream.
What I have is a soup. This was not my goal.
I used 12 0z macaroni.
It’s in the fridge and I ordered a pizza for tonight’s dinner.
Should I boil another 12 oz of macaroni? Would that resolve or help?
I appreciate your help.
Sharon
Katie — July 14, 2022 @ 3:10 PM Reply
This is my favorite instant pot recipe! I’ve shared it with many friends, and we all love it. It’s fantastic!
Haddy Furgang — July 9, 2022 @ 9:55 AM Reply
omg i love this recipe so much it’s super easy and quick to make! it’s also so good me and my whole family love it!!
Nina Capaccio — April 19, 2022 @ 4:41 PM Reply
OUTSTANDING ! Followed recipe exactly, finished dish fantastic. But… you do have a tendency of putting together many marvelous creations. Easy to make, clear concise instructions and OMG it’s made with real food and is healthy too! What a concept. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Lindsay — December 20, 2021 @ 6:10 PM Reply
This was so easy and so good! My whole family loved it, including my very picky son.
Jodes — December 12, 2021 @ 9:28 PM Reply
Basically it’s like leggo’s tomato puree.
Married to an American but live in Australia 🙂
Ryan Shaughnessy — November 29, 2021 @ 5:32 PM Reply
For some reason it was soupy. We followed the directions. Any ideas?
Scott W. Brown — November 11, 2021 @ 3:41 PM Reply
Substituted cream cheese for cream. Oh so good.
Hannah Brayshaw — August 22, 2021 @ 10:01 PM Reply
I’m in Australia. What do you mean when you say a can of tomato sauce? Is it pasta sauce, passata, tinned tomatoes? Thanks……
-
staceyes — September 26, 2021 @ 6:05 PM Reply
In America a can of tomato sauce is just cooked tomatoes-very similar to a Marinara sauce only there’s no additional flavors added. It’s just tomatoes that have been cooked down into a sauce. You could substitute pasta sauce or marinara.
-
Jodes — December 12, 2021 @ 4:43 PM Reply
Basically it’s like leggo’s tomato puree.
Married to an American but live in Australia 🙂
Liz — May 21, 2021 @ 10:09 AM Reply
I love this recipe, I do a slighter version, with 99% ground turkey breast, and chicken stock, I leave out the cream all together and I use sharp cheddar, my husband loves it, the toddler loves it, and it’s Easy!!!!
Karla — April 22, 2021 @ 3:05 PM Reply
So easy and delicious! I sautéed the beef, onions and green peppers in a separate pot, easier to drain the grease. Made the rest as written! Kids devoured it!
Ash — February 25, 2021 @ 5:02 PM Reply
Delicious! I used a 160z box of pasta & increased the rest of the ingredients by 1/3. I used 20Oz jar of marinara sauce & 3 1/2 cups of beef broth. The whole family loved it! I’m new to the Instant Pot… but use it almost every night since I got it. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Kenzie — February 20, 2021 @ 8:27 AM Reply
Amazing!! My husband and I loved it! So good and seriously so easy!!
Kenzie — February 20, 2021 @ 8:27 AM Reply
Amazing!! My husband and I loved it! So good and seriously so easy!!
Nick — February 16, 2021 @ 5:11 PM Reply
This was a hit at our house! So easy to do in the Instant Pot. Followed your recipe to the letter. After some googling found that 12oz of macaroni was roughly 3 cups.
Thank you!
erin — January 3, 2021 @ 4:37 PM Reply
Great recipe! You are basically making homemade hamburger helper but for a weeknight easy meal that teens love, you can’t beat it!
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Matt — January 17, 2021 @ 2:22 AM Reply
Can this be used with vegetable stock vs beef? I have 4 containers left of vegi stock and would like to use it.
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SCOTT ELLIS — February 14, 2021 @ 4:46 PM Reply
Of Course…. sounds good!!!
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Jill — December 2, 2020 @ 6:41 PM Reply
I’ve made this twice and the second time was better than the first. Still making some tweaks, but overall it’s delicious! And quick! I’m wondering if this is freezable?
Juliee — December 1, 2020 @ 4:17 PM Reply
Yep! This one is a keeper! I’ve made many variations of this and they were just “okay” but this one is it! So good!
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Aimee — December 7, 2020 @ 6:18 PM Reply
I make this on the stove top by following the instructions as written in a Dutch oven and then cooking on medium heat for about 15 minutes (stirring often) instead of pressure cooking. We usually add some chipotle powder along with paprika, etc for a bit of heat but as written it’s an A+ classic hamburger mac.
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Celeste — August 4, 2021 @ 2:39 PM Reply
I tried this in my dutch oven and 15 min was perfect! Thank you!
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Diana — November 19, 2020 @ 11:43 AM Reply
I don’t have an instapot, so I had to convert it. I cooked the pasta with boullion and put it in a pan. I cooked the ground beef with the vegetables, stirred in the spices , then added the tomato sauce. I poured it over the noodles. Cooked at 350 for 10 minutes. Added cheese and cooked 5 minutes longer. Perfect!
Jody — November 10, 2020 @ 5:43 PM Reply
I made this as written except I used gluten-free pasta. I cooked it for 6 minutes and it was perfect, not soupy at all. My whole family enjoyed it but I feel like it’s missing something… maybe a dash or two of hot sauce? I also think the canned tomato flavor was too strong so I might try swapping plain tomato sauce for pizza sauce. Still yummy, but I think those changes would make it a real keeper.
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SCOTT ELLIS — February 14, 2021 @ 4:56 PM Reply
Make the changes for you and family… cooking is an art! If your family likes loves hot sauce, spicy, add hot sauce… I hated diced tomatoes growing up, would push them to the side, tomato sauce works… My Mom and Grams called this a “Scrummage”…. Instant Pot just makes it faster and easier….
Bonnie — July 29, 2020 @ 8:07 AM Reply
This was so easy and so yummy! Both my husband and 4-year old son loved it. My son doesn’t often ask for seconds or leftovers and he pounded this. I can’t eat bell peppers, so I left them out and just upped the onion from half to whole. I also don’t keep broth in the house because we just don’t use it up quickly enough, but I do keep Better Than Bouillon. No joke – that stuff is a life saver. This recipe is now on the make again rotation!
Jennifer McGuire — July 22, 2020 @ 4:31 PM Reply
Just perfect. The Spouse requested cheeseburger mac with tomato, which isn’t a thing I usually make. It’s 4000 degrees out so I certainly didn’t want to put on a pot of water for pasta. Boom, this recipe. No beef broth in the house, but water and some additional salt did the trick. Happy Spouse!
Srl — May 27, 2020 @ 3:06 PM Reply
Excellent recipe! Mine looked just like her picture.. That never happens. Tastes as good as it looks too! Very good whole family including picky toddlers lived it. Perfect recipe!
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Sharron L Tufts — August 10, 2021 @ 1:54 PM Reply
Has anyone made this without an Instant Pot?
lisa — May 8, 2020 @ 4:49 PM Reply
I just made this for my family…we were going to order pizza but I am so glad we didn’t! the whole thing came together very quickly and easily. I love all the Damn Delicious recipes….. every single one is…well…damn delicious! thank you!
Emma — April 20, 2020 @ 7:51 PM Reply
Loved this! Didn’t have a bell pepper, so I added a can of diced green chilies. It gave the perfect amount of spice. Also added frozen peas at the same time as the cheese just to add some more veg.
Heidi — April 13, 2020 @ 4:04 AM Reply
This was soooo good! Kids and parents loved it alike. To me, it tastes like lasagna without all the work. Will surely make again. Thanks!
Carol — April 3, 2020 @ 4:59 PM Reply
Delicious. I used ground turkey and stirring in Parmesan adds a nice zing.
Adrienne — April 3, 2020 @ 6:45 AM Reply
Thank you for another delicious recipe – family loved it!
Greg — March 29, 2020 @ 5:19 AM Reply
Perfect! A little hot sauce at the end put it over the top.
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Greg — April 1, 2020 @ 6:51 PM Reply
So good we made it three days later
Leanna — March 26, 2020 @ 6:14 AM Reply
Very tasty! Swapped a couple ingredients to utilize what I had on hand (evaporated milk instead of heavy cream; tomato soup instead of tomato sauce); overall delicious recipe! Sort of like a DIY hamburger helper; reminded me of my childhood. Great comfort food!
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MDM — April 21, 2020 @ 4:45 PM Reply
Very easy and tasty! I’ve made it several times and was pleased each time. I’ve used a variety of cheeses – whatever is on hand – and I have also subbed in a can of tomato soup for the tomato sauce and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe.
Nancy — January 15, 2020 @ 4:18 AM Reply
Loved it! Very easy recipe and flavours are delicious. This is the second recipe I’ve made from the site and I feel like this is the only site I need! Thank you
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Jean — December 13, 2020 @ 12:39 PM Reply
Great recipe after a day of holiday baking!! I only had Cabot sharp cheddar but it was a wonderful taste!!!!
Lisa OLeary — January 12, 2020 @ 5:43 PM Reply
HUGE family hit and sooo easy!!!!
Sandi — January 6, 2020 @ 6:31 PM Reply
There isn’t one thing I have made from your blogs or your fantastic meal prep book that my family and I have not loved!!!! Seriously! This is a fave also!!
Do you have nutrition value listed anywhere for your recipes? I am using MyFitnessPal for a workout challenge for a month and would like to be as accurate as I can with my entries.
Thanks tons for all your hard work, yum recipes and fantastic instagrams with Butters and Cartman!!!
-Sandi
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Lauren — April 29, 2020 @ 6:31 PM Reply
Hi Sandy
If you go into the Meals, Recipes and Food tab on My Fitness Pal you can add her recipe directly from the web 🙂
I did it, however I changed the servings to 7 because there was heaps!
stacy griffith — January 6, 2020 @ 1:46 PM Reply
This was easy & delicious! We ate it with ketchup & mustard and chopped dill pickles on top and it tastes just like a cheeseburger!!
Lucy — January 3, 2020 @ 2:31 PM Reply
Love how easy this was! Ultimate comfort food! I used a three cheese blend of medium, sharp, and white cheddar.
Lauren Kim — January 1, 2020 @ 4:06 PM Reply
Eating this right now and as usual-yumm! Next time I will half the broth and increase the marinara bc my guys prefer lots of sauce. I also used ground buffalo cuz I didnt have beef and I used an Italian cheese mix rather than cheddar.
Kelly — December 31, 2019 @ 10:13 AM Reply
This was EXCELLENT.
Melanie Gragnani — December 16, 2019 @ 10:46 AM Reply
Hi! Have made lots of your recipes and my family loves them! If I was going to double this and use an 8qt Instant Pot- would the instructions stay the same? Thanks!!
Donna Baxter — December 14, 2019 @ 4:42 PM Reply
very easy and very good. made exactly as recipe said and it came out perfect. Except I used colby jack and cheddar cheese.
Cheryl — December 13, 2019 @ 6:03 AM Reply
If I want pasta al dente what would the cooking time be?
Eva — December 11, 2019 @ 4:13 PM Reply
Is this supposed to look liquidy until the pasta sits a few minutes and has a chance to absorb more liquid?
I made it exactly as described above, and after opening the pot it is extremely soupy looking…??
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Sara Cunningham — March 17, 2020 @ 11:04 AM Reply
I had the same thing happen, I’ll use half the broth next time
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Leanna — March 26, 2020 @ 6:17 AM Reply
What I find to work well is to mix for a couple minutes after mixture has had the chance to cool some. The liquid absorbs back into the sauce and the sauce fills the inside of the noodles after some stirring (sort of how boxed mac looks very soupy until it mixes and sets). I actually used more broth than was called for, and when I was finished stirring and served, it set up so nicely I served it on a dinner place and the sauce did not run at all.
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Greg — April 1, 2020 @ 6:52 PM Reply
Yes, it’s a bit liquid..let it sit after adding cheese and cream.
Cheryl McCann — December 9, 2019 @ 4:52 PM Reply
Oh my! This was delicious. My husband loved it and deemed it a keeper. Wehave loved all your recipes I have tried so far… Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta, beef stew, blueberry vanilla muffins, etc. The only change I made was substituting penne for the macaroni since that’s what I had. I added one minute to cook time and it was perfect.
Mary — December 9, 2019 @ 9:45 AM Reply
I’ve looked for Cabot mild Cheddar cheese, they do not sell it in our area (southern CA). Do you recommend another brand or just use any mild cheddar cheese?
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 9, 2019 @ 11:40 AM Reply
You can use any mild cheddar variety, Mary. 🙂
April Durco — December 9, 2019 @ 6:18 AM Reply
It would be great if you included your macaroni al dente time in the recipe as a reference point for pasta we are using at home. For example, I have macaroni at home that ranges from 6 min to 13 min depending on the brand. I used a 9 min al dente for this recipe and cooked for 4 minutes with a quick release. The pasta was overcooked just slightly, but the recipe was still delicious. I will be making this again with the same pasta and will try for 2 minutes. Thanks for sharing a quick and simple weeknight meal!
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Sara Cunningham — March 17, 2020 @ 11:06 AM Reply
I used trader joe’s macaroni, cook time 6 minutes. I cooked for 3 and the pasta was perfectly cooked but my dish was soupy?
Jule — December 8, 2019 @ 11:50 AM Reply
Made this last night and it was perfect for a pregame quick and hearty meal for teens. I used what I had on hand: .8 lb meat, and halved all other ingredients. I didn’t have a can of sauce, so used part of a jar of Trader Joe’s pizza sauce. Despite this, it was really good! Not something I’d serve to company, but we’ll eat it a lot this winter. Thank you!
Angela — December 7, 2019 @ 4:39 PM Reply
This is so delicious that I wish I had doubled it. All the ingredients are in perfect proportions!
Ken — December 7, 2019 @ 9:15 AM Reply
This recipe looks like a keeper. The only issue I have with your site and others is using odd amounts of ingredients. Pasta comes in full pound packages, so why would you print this using 12 oz instead of 8 or 16 oz?
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 7, 2019 @ 10:03 AM Reply
Hi Ken! This is a great recipe indeed and we hope you can give it a try! 🙂
To answer your question, we work very hard to develop and thoroughly test these recipes and they are created in relation to all other ingredients so it is very common that at least one of the ingredients does not turn out to be an even amount.
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Trish — December 23, 2019 @ 6:10 PM Reply
I ran into that too I wound up buying a kitchen scale it makes things so much easier in terms of measuring
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Amanda — January 27, 2020 @ 8:52 PM Reply
Gluten free pastas come in 12oz packages, and are necessary for my Celiac fam, so I’m loving this! Generally it’s easy to eyeball other quantities, though!
Donna Turiano — December 7, 2019 @ 8:21 AM Reply
I would love to make this but I don’t have an instant pot-just a crock pot. I have no room for another appliance. Is it possible that you could show the recipe and translate it into how to make it in a crock pot? It would be most appreciated!
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Jana @ Damn Delicious — December 7, 2019 @ 10:05 AM Reply
Hi Donna! We have a Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe that you could use as a reference for this recipe. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Hope that helps!
