All Recipes
One-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta (Sloppy, Juicy & Ultra-Creamy)

One-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta
A fast, family-friendly dinner that tastes like a cheeseburger and eats like the coziest pasta bake.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) short pasta (rotini, cavatappi, or shells)
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ketchup + 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt & 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
- 1 can (14–15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk + 1/2 cup (120 ml) cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar, divided
- 1/2 cup (50 g) shredded mozzarella (optional)
- 2 tbsp cream cheese (optional, extra creamy)
- Pickles & scallions for topping (optional)
Time & Yield
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 25 minutes
- Total: 35 minutes
- Serves: 6
Swaps
- Ground turkey works great; swap broth for chicken broth.
- Use macaroni or penne if you don’t have rotini.
- Add diced tomatoes & green chiles for heat.
Directions
- Brown: In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion until browned, 5–6 min. Drain excess fat; stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
- Season: Add ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; stir to coat.
- One-pot pasta: Add dry pasta, broth, and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 10–12 min, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente. Splash in water or broth if needed.
- Creamy finish: Stir in milk, cream, and cream cheese; simmer 2–3 min until silky.
- Cheese: Off heat, fold in 1½ cups cheddar (and mozzarella). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top; cover or broil briefly to melt.
- Serve: Top with pickle chips and scallions. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of milk.
- Freezes up to 2 months (thaw overnight; reheat gently).
TO CONTINUE RECEIVING MY RECIPES TYPE ❤️ “More, please!”