One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta is a great way to avoid the store and boxed stuff. With real cheese, seasonings, ground beef, and noodles you can create a tasty dish in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 437kcal
Cost: Recipe $10.25 / Serving $1.28
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef ($4.49)
- ½ cup diced onion ($0.45)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder ($0.16)
- 2 teaspoons onion powder ($0.16)
- 1 teaspoon paprika ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.04)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper ($0.01)
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened ($0.47)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 2 cups milk ($0.40)
- 1 box (16 ounces) elbow noodles ($0.98)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded ($2.00)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered ($1.00)
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Season. Add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir to combine.
- Add cream cheese. Stir in the cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated.
- Cook the pasta. Increase heat to high. Add water and milk and bring to a boil. Add the elbow noodles, return to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes, stir, then cook for another 5 minutes. The liquid may look curdled at this stage, which is normal.
- Add cheese. Remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar. Cover and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
- Finish. Gently fold in the cherry tomatoes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
Notes
- Curdling: Milk may appear curdled when boiling. This is normal and smooths out as the noodles absorb liquid and cheese melts.
- Milk swaps: Higher fat dairy like heavy cream can be used but will increase richness.
- Cheese flavor: Use sharp cheddar or increase cheese for a bolder taste.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in airtight containers or bags for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 653IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 307mg | Iron: 2mg
