Description
Hearty Cheesy Sloppy Cheeseburger Pasta combines classic American comfort flavors in one skillet. Ground beef, melted cheese, and pasta create a satisfying meal perfect for family dinners and quick weeknight cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz (227 g) elbow macaroni or pasta of choice
- 1 can (14.5 oz / 411 g) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) ketchup
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil pasta in well-salted water until al dente, then drain completely and set aside.
- Meat Foundation: Sear ground beef in a large skillet, fragmenting into fine crumbles and cooking until deeply caramelized and releasing natural oils.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Introduce finely diced onions and garlic into the browned beef, sautéing until translucent and releasing their fragrant essence.
- Sauce Development: Stream in diced tomatoes, beef broth, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, allowing the mixture to simmer and concentrate flavors while reducing slightly.
- Pasta Integration: Delicately fold cooked pasta into the robust meat sauce, ensuring thorough coating and flavor absorption.
- Cheese Transformation: Sprinkle shredded cheddar across the skillet, stirring continuously until cheese melts completely, creating a velvety, uniform consistency.
- Final Refinement: Season judiciously with salt and black pepper, garnish with optional fresh parsley, and serve immediately while steaming hot.
Notes
- Choose Lean Beef: Select ground beef with lower fat content (80/20 or 85/15) to prevent excessive greasiness and ensure a cleaner, more balanced flavor profile.
- Control Pasta Texture: Cook pasta just until al dente to maintain structural integrity and prevent mushiness when mixed with the sauce, creating a perfect pasta-to-sauce ratio.
- Manage Cheese Melting: Remove skillet from direct heat when adding cheese to prevent scorching, stirring gently until smooth and fully incorporated for a creamy, uniform consistency.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap ground beef with plant-based crumbles for vegetarian version, use gluten-free pasta, or reduce sodium by choosing low-sodium broth and condiments for health-conscious alternatives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg