Easy Cheeseburger Pasta Recipe
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Why I Keep Coming Back to This One
With this recipe, you can make this seemingly unhealthy dish really healthy. I use grass fed ground beef, bone broth (chicken or beef), chickpea pasta works great in this dish because of the heavier sauce, grass fed cheese or dairy free cheese. It’s so cozy and the whole family will love it!
Serve it hot with an extra spoonful of relish on top if you like that sweet-tangy burger flavor to really pop. This is especially good with shells, because they catch all that cheesy sauce in the little pockets!
Cheeseburger Pasta
Cheeseburger Pasta is a quick, hearty dinner made with ground beef, cheddar cheese, pasta shells, tomatoes, mustard, and sweet relish for that classic cheeseburger flavor in pasta form. It is rich, cheesy, family-friendly, and perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces shell pasta (or your favorite pasta shape)
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 cups beef broth or beef stock
- 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- ½ cup sweet relish (plus more for serving if desired)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Cook the beef and vegetables
- Place a large deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the diced onion and green pepper and continue cooking until the beef is fully cooked and the onion is softened and translucent.
Add the seasonings and sauce base
- Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well until the tomato paste is fully combined.
Add the liquid ingredients
- Stir in the maple syrup, diced tomatoes, mustard, and beef broth. Let the mixture simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Add the cheese
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
Finish the pasta
- Add the cooked pasta and sweet relish to the skillet. Stir until everything is well coated and heated through. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
Serve
- Serve warm with extra sweet relish on top if desired.
Notes
- Beef broth gives this the richest flavor, but chicken broth works if that is what you have.
- Shell pasta works especially well, but elbows or rotini are also good options.
- For a cheesier finish, add extra shredded cheddar on top before serving.
- If using canned diced tomatoes, drain them slightly if you want a thicker sauce.
- This reheats well, so it is a good option for meal prep or leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 492kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 33gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 949mgPotassium: 683mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 698IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 256mgIron: 4mg
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You don’t drain the grease from the browned burger?
If you use a fatty beef I would drain, leaner beef I would not since your also cooking the onions and peppers in the fat…I make something similar with ground chicken or turkey and it’s fabulous! Hope this helps!