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This large casserole uses a ketchup-and-barbecue glaze beneath macaroni mixed with condensed cheddar soup, milk and shredded cheese. Its sauce and cracker-bound meat layer differ from a scratch-roux macaroni bake. Check dish capacity before assembling; the full quantity needs a deep baking dish with headroom.
Stir the cup of ketchup and cup of barbecue sauce together, then divide that combined mixture evenly. One half goes into the beef with crackers, eggs and onion soup mix. Spread the other half over the meat before its first bake.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 2 pounds lean ground beef
- Set out: 30 Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups), or 1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs; 1 (2 ounce) packet onion soup mix
- Set out: 2 large eggs
- Set out: 1 cup ketchup; 1 cup barbecue sauce
- Set out: 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- Set out: 2 cups milk; 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
- Set out: 1 teaspoon salt
- Set out: 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Set out: 1 tablespoon onion powder; 4 cups shredded cheese (combination of cheddar and mozzarella)
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a deep baking dish with sufficient headroom.
- Stage 2
- Mix the ketchup and barbecue sauce and divide into two equal portions.
- Stage 3
- Combine beef, crushed crackers, onion soup mix, eggs and one portion of sauce gently. Press the meat evenly into the dish and spread the remaining sauce over it.
- Stage 4
- Bake about thirty minutes, continuing until the meat center reaches 160°F.
- Stage 5
- Meanwhile, boil the three cups of dry macaroni to al dente and drain well. Whisk the condensed cheese soup with the milk, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper.
- Stage 6
- Taste this sauce before adding the listed salt as needed.
- Stage 7
- Fold in the cooked macaroni and two cups of shredded cheese. Spoon excess fat carefully from the cooked meat without scraping away its glaze.
- Stage 8
- Spread the macaroni over the meat and scatter the remaining two cups of cheese.
- Stage 9
- Bake about seventeen to twenty minutes, continuing until the middle reaches 165°F. Rest ten minutes before serving.
No additional can water belongs here. The formula already includes two cups of milk for the macaroni topping. Whisk the condensed soup with that milk before adding cooked pasta so thick soup does not remain in isolated pockets.
Where do the four cups of cheese go?
Fold two cups into the macaroni mixture and reserve two cups for the surface. Keeping those portions separate prevents using all the cheese inside and then guessing an extra topping quantity.
What if the dish looks too full?
A nominal nine-by-thirteen-inch footprint does not tell you the depth. Use a deep oven dish and leave space below the rim for bubbling. If necessary divide the components between two oven dishes before cooking, keeping the layers at similar depths and checking each dish separately.
How should the seasonings be handled?
Onion soup mix, cheddar soup, cheese and barbecue sauce all vary in salt. The listed salt is a seasoning allowance, so add it cautiously to the macaroni sauce after tasting that cooked mixture. Never taste the raw beef mixture to adjust seasoning.
Storage and serving later
Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Meatloaf with Scratch-Made Macaroni and Cheese or Cheesy Beef and Shells Casserole with Tomato Soup. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal.
USDA’s temperature guidance specifies 160°F for ground beef. Thermometer placement guidance explains checking the thick center rather than relying on surface color.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- How is the barbecue mixture divided?
Stir the cup of ketchup and cup of barbecue sauce together, then divide that combined mixture evenly. One half goes into the beef with crackers, eggs and onion soup mix.
- Is the soup diluted according to its can?
No additional can water belongs here. The formula already includes two cups of milk for the macaroni topping.
- Where do the four cups of cheese go?
Fold two cups into the macaroni mixture and reserve two cups for the surface. Keeping those portions separate prevents using all the cheese inside and then guessing an extra topping quantity.
- What if the dish looks too full?
A nominal nine-by-thirteen-inch footprint does not tell you the depth. Use a deep oven dish and leave space below the rim for bubbling.
- How should the seasonings be handled?
Onion soup mix, cheddar soup, cheese and barbecue sauce all vary in salt. The listed salt is a seasoning allowance, so add it cautiously to the macaroni sauce after tasting that cooked mixture.