Mac and Cheese Burger ~ tasty

Oozy, cheesy mac and cheese on-top of a perfectly seared smash burger and topped with crispy bacon bits! You have to indulge in this sensational Mac and Cheese Burger!

About this Mac and Cheese Burger Recipe

I've seen mac and cheese loaded burgers on the menu in various burger joints now and after trying my fair few, I wanted to make it myself. You see, it's not just about slabbing a load of mac and cheese on a burger, it's about getting the build just right so that every mouthful is delightful.

This burger is stacked with a single layer of mayonnaise (honestly, its all you need) a small bed of shredded lettuce and a large smashed beef patty. All then topped with a hearty portion of this oozy, smoky mac and cheese, developed and refined purely for this recipe. The full mac and cheese recipe is linked separately to give you the best experience when making each part. Don't worry though, every ingredient you will need is listed in this post.

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Ingredients

You could easily access ready made mac and cheese from a grocery store. However, this mac and cheese recipe has been developed and refined solely for this Mac and Cheese Burger recipe. I highly encourage you to prepare a portion before you begin. Ingredients and instructions can be found here or I have listed the ingredients further down in the post for ease. If time is limited, don't let this stop you.

Ground beef
Brioche burger buns
Shredded lettuce
Streaky bacon (finely chopped)
American burger cheese
Mac and cheese (see below for ingredients needed)
Butter

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step photographs:

Buns and bacon frying in a pan with butter

Step 1: Over a low heat, melt the butter in a pan and toast the burger buns. At the same time, add your bacon pieces. After 1-2 minutes of toasting, remove the buns.

Step 2: Add your meat to the pan, then smash down using a burger smasher or spatula into a burger patty. It is your choice whether to make two patties or one large patty. Add salt and pepper.

cooked burger patties with cheese on top

Step 3: After two minutes, flip over the burger and add cheese.

Step 4: Cover with a burger dome or pan lid, to allow the cheese to melt.

bottom bun topped with mayonnaise and lettuce

Step 5: On the bottom bun, add a generous amount of mayonnaise. then top with shredded lettuce.

burger and cheese placed on to bottom bun

Step 6: Top the bottom bun with your burger patty and melted cheese.

Mac and cheese and bacon bits added to burger

Step 7: Next, add a generous scoop of mac and cheese, sprinkle with your bacon bits and add the top bun.

Step 8: Dig in!

What about the Mac and Cheese?

The star of the show in this burger is the deliciously oozy, cheesy Mac and Cheese, the recipe for my version can be found here: Baked Mac and Cheese. This Baked Mac and Cheese recipe is creamy, cheesy and baked with golden, crispy breadcrumbs (if you like).

Step 1: Prepare the cheese sauce by following the step by step instructions here.

Step 2: Combine the macaroni and the sauce together ready for loading on to the burger.

What you will need:

Macaroni
Grated Red Leicester
Grade Cheddar
Grated Gruyere
Grated (or chopped small) Mozzarella
Unsalted butter
Smoked paprika
White pepper
Flour
Milk
Heavy cream
Dijon mustard

See recipe post for quantities and instructions.

What beef should I use for the patty?

The perfect burger patty needs to have a 70/30 meat to fat ratio. This allows the beef to remain succulent and juicy when cooked and adds a depth of flavor that low fat beef just can't match.

Which buns can I use for this recipe?

I have paired this burger with a brioche burger bun, the easy recipe can be found here: Brioche Hamburger Buns recipe.

Alternatively, you can definitely use a simple burger bun, the recipe can be found here: Homemade Hamburger Buns.

Substitutions

This Mac and Cheese Burger has wonderfully balanced flavors of creamy mac and cheese paired with deliciously crispy bacon pieces. However, if you want to use up other items you have in your refrigerator then here are some ideas:

Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian. You can also substitute the bacon bits for glorious Caramalized onions!
Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free.

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe perfect is a pan and pan lid. Instead of using a burger dome, simply use the lid for your pan to perfectly steam your buns and melt your cheese to perfection. You can easily fry your burgers in a pan, or be a star chef and grill on an iron skillet or griddle.

Storage

Store the wet ingredients (mayonnaise, mac and cheese) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

Refrigeration: You can store your burger patties raw in the fridge for up to 2-3 days before you want to cook them. Always store in an airtight container and keep away from cooked meat products. You can store cooked patties in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container, keep away from any raw meat in your fridge.

Frozen: You can freeze your raw or cooked patties for up to 3 months, ensure they are separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together and store in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.

Reheating: To reheat your raw patties, simply thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and fry as instructed above. If you’re reheating cooked patties, heat them in a pan or skillet until they are heated through. Finally, recombine with your buns, mayonnaise, cheese and bacon jam as instructed above.

Top Tip

Since the star of the show in this burger is the mac and cheese, I recommend using a variety of cheeses in your cheese blend to balance the flavor perfectly. You can always use pre-made mac and cheese but you just won't match the flavor explosion in my Mac and cheese recipe here.

FAQ

What type of meat is best for this Mac and Cheese Burger?

All you need for the perfect patty is good quality ground beef that is 70/30 meat to fat ratio. It contains the perfect amount of fat to keep your burger patties juicy and flavorful.

How can I smash my beef patty?

For my smash burgers, I use a smasher which is a flat, heavy tool. However, you can use a sturdy spatula with no holes to smash down your burgers. Because the patty is so thin, I also suggest using a sturdy metal spatula to flip your burgers and keep them in tact.

Looking for other burger recipes like this? Try these:

Mexican Burger
Bacon Jam Double Cheeseburger
The All Italian Burger
How To Make A Lettuce Wrap Burger In-n-Out Style
How To Make A Homemade Big Mac
Oklahoma Onion Burger
Bob's Big Boy Double Decker
Wet Burger (Islak Burger)
Blue Cheese Burger
Chili Cheeseburger
5 Guys Burger Recipe - Authentic Copycat
4x4 Burger

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

Baked Mac and Cheese
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Smashed Potatoes

Recipe