Y’all know I love to get creative with flavors, but every once in a while I get in the mood for straight-up American comfort food, like cheeseburgers. When that craving hit this week I decided to make a cheeseburger flavored pasta, which gives me all that cheeseburger flavor with a lot less actual burger. Because when meat is one of the most expensive items at the grocery store you have to streeeeeeeeetch it any way you can. This One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta does just that. If you loved Hamburger Helper when you were growing up, you’re going to love this homemade version even more!
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Hot Dog Relish is the Secret Ingredient
This cheeseburger pasta is super good even without the relish, but adding a couple spoonfuls of hotdog relish at the end really makes it taste like you’re eating a hamburger. What is hot dog relish? It’s basically a dill pickle relish mixed with yellow mustard. If you can’t find hot dog relish at your grocery store, you can buy plain dill relish and mix a little yellow mustard into it (about a teaspoon).
How to Serve Cheeseburger Pasta
I’m usually all about stuffing my recipes with as many vegetables as possible, but I couldn’t figure out a way to incorporate more vegetables into this recipe without making it less hamburger-like, so I’m just going to suggest you serve it with a simple side salad. Nothing fancy, maybe just some Romaine, tomatoes, and dressing. Keep it easy. :) And maybe Homemade Garlic Bread. Because every meal is better with garlic bread. ;)
Freeze Some For Later
Saucy pasta dishes like this freezer pretty well, IMHO, so if you’re cooking for yourself this would make a good cook-and-freeze-for-later dish. If you’re extra sensitive to texture changes like pasta getting slightly softer, though, you may not be a fan of the leftovers.
Tips for Cooking One Pot Pasta
Cooking one pot pasta recipes is a little bit like riding a bike. You have to watch it and adjust to the nuances of the pasta as it cooks, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze. Here are a few tips:
- Use heavy, thick cookware to help the ingredients heat evenly.
- Use a burner size close to the size of the bottom of your pot for even heating.
- The broth does not need to fully cover the pasta for it to cook, so resist the urge to add extra water or broth.
- Make sure the liquid is simmering the whole time the pasta is cooking. If the heat is too low, the pasta will just get gummy.
- Stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking, but not too often or your risk breaking down the pasta.
- Use your judgment. If your pasta looks close to being cooked through, but there is too much liquid left in the skillet, let it finish simmering with the lid off. If the liquid is gone but your pasta is still not tender, add a splash more water or broth and continue to simmer.
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 1 8oz. can tomato sauce ($0.29)
- 2 cups beef broth ($0.26)
- 1/2 lb. pasta shells, uncooked ($0.50)
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded ($0.75)
- 2 Tbsp hot dog relish ($0.16)
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional) ($0.20)
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion. Add the onion, olive oil, and ground beef to a large deep skillet and sauté over medium heat until the beef is fully browned and the onion is soft and translucent. Drain off any excess fat, if needed.
- Add the flour to the skillet and continue to stir and cook for one minute more. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the skillet. Be careful not to let the flour burn.
- Add the tomato sauce and beef broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve the flour off the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine. The liquid in the skillet may not fully cover the pasta, but that is okay.
- Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let the liquid come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, give it a quick stir to loosen any pasta from the bottom of the skillet, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Let the pasta simmer, stirring occasionally (always replacing the lid), for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat off.
- Add the shredded cheddar to the skillet and stir until it has melted into the sauce. Stir the hot dog relish into the sauce and then top with sliced green onions. Serve hot.
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Equipment
- Deep Stainless Steel Skillet
Nutrition
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If you love easy one pot pasta dinners, check out our One Pot Meals category!
How to Make Cheeseburger Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Start by finely dicing one onion. Add the onion, 1/2 lb. lean ground beef, and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large deep skillet. Sauté the onion and beef until the beef is fully browned and the onions are soft and translucent. Drain off any excess fat, if needed (if you’re using 90% lean or higher, there probably isn’t anything to be drained off).
Add 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour to the skillet and continue to stir and cook for one minute. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the skillet. This is okay, just be sure to watch it closely and not let it burn. The flour will help thicken the sauce and help the cheese melt smoothly into the sauce.
Add an 8oz. can of tomato sauce and 2 cups beef broth. Stir to dissolve the flour off the bottom of the skillet.
Add ½ lb. uncooked pasta shells to the skillet and stir to combine. The liquid in the skillet does NOT need to fully cover the pasta for it to cook. The steam in the skillet will help cook the pasta that is above the surface and the pasta will be stirred to ensure even cooking.
Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the liquid to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, give it a quick stir to loosen any pasta from the bottom of the skillet, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer, stirring occasionally (always replacing the lid), for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat off.
Add 4oz. shredded cheddar cheese and stir it into the pasta until it is melted and creamy.
Finally, add 2 Tbsp of hot dog relish (mustard dill relish), and stir it into the sauce. I feel like the relish is what really made this taste like a hamburger, but if you’re not into relish you skip this last step and still have an amazingly cheesy beef pasta.
I had some green onions in the fridge, so I sliced a couple up and added them on top. They add just a little extra pop of flavor and nice visual appeal to the otherwise very monochromatic dish.
OMG look at that cheesy sauce! 😍
I’ve never used better than bouillon before. How much do we use in this recipe?
One teaspoon to two cups of water will be sufficient for this recipe. You’ll love using it.
For some reason this turned out so bland! I followed everything as directed and the end result was a goopy, tasteless dish. I even added salt and pepper and then when it still seemed tasteless, I added some sour cream and a bit more salt. Kinda disappointed. :(
I’ve never heard of hot dog or mustard relish and couldn’t find it in any stores. Is there a substitute?
You can just grab dill or sweet pickle relish.
Should probably add mustard as well if you’re going to do that
We loved this so much we made it twice in a day (just made 2 servings on the first try) and made a few changes. I used ground turkey (93/7) and macaroni noodles instead, which made the sauce way too thick the first time around so on the second try I doubled the beef broth and that fixed it. I also used dill pickle relish instead of mustard relish since we’re not big on mustard and it gave it just the right amount of tang! Looking very forward to having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. This is my first time trying a recipe from Budget Bytes and I’ll definitely be coming back for more!
Welcome to Budget Bytes! That pickle relish swap sounds amazing. I may have to try that next time I make this.
Love this one as a stand-by when I’m not up for something more involved.
As others have noted, I do like to salt and pepper during cooking, and I think kosher salt gives the best results.
REVELATION: Arugula. I was served a cheeseburger with arugula instead of lettuce a little while back, and it blew my mind how much it added. Tried adding one 8 oz package of baby arugula at the very end of this (after the cheese is incorporated into the sauce) instead of scallions, and man is it good! Really lifts the dish up, in my opinion, and lets you get a vegetable in along with all the delicious meat, cheese, and carbs.
I toyed with the idea of
Adding spinach to it, but then forgot. Maybe next time.
I had to add salt and pepper while browning the meat, and to taste when it was done. I also did a full pound of hamburger, and thus had to add a little more liquid. But it was super good, my husband loved it. This amount fed two of us for dinner, and for lunch the next day.
This is pretty good, but I felt it needed some modifications. Don’t be afraid to season the meat and onion mixture with salt, pepper, and maybe even some other spices. Although I thought that the dish would be salty because beef broth is salty, the noodles actually soaked up the salt, and the sauce tasted kinda bland. To help remedy that, I added salt and tang in the form of ketchup, about 1/2 cup, mustard about 1/8 cup, more relish and a splash of white vinegar.
As a side note, I made this dish with organic gluten free noodles from Aldi, and they turned out great. Also used Daiya vegan cheddar cheese with good results.
Next time, I think I will also reduce the amount of flour by half, and maybe add 1/4 cup more liquid.
Overall, a hearty, comforting, I’m-not-sorry-I’m-American dish!
I converted this recipe for my Instant Pot and it turned out amazing! I cooked the meat using the sautee function, then added everything else and put it on manual for 5 minutes. I did a quick pressure release and the pasta was perfectly cooked but the sauce was still thin. I added some more flour and a Tbsp of tomato paste (already ready in my freezer thanks to your old article!) and it thickened up beautifully. I think next time (there will be a next time!) I’ll try doing a natural pressure release for 10 minutes or so and see if that helps thicken the sauce more. Thanks so much for your recipes, I love your site!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I made it in my instant pot today and did the 10 minute natural release. The pasta was perfect and the sauce was fine. I didn’t use the flour at all. My family loved it.
I. Am. Obsessed. I swear I make this 3-4 times a month. It’s so easy, so few dirty dishes, and such a good comfort food. I sub veggie broth and veggie grounds to make it vegetarian, and it’s great. The recipe is great just as it’s written, but also simple enough that you can experiment with it a little. I like to add some minced garlic in with the onion, along with some dried oregano, paprika, and sometimes dill. A can of diced tomatoes is a good addition too. One problem I’ve had is that my liquid tends to boil off before the pasta is cooked, so I just add an extra cup or so of water or broth.
(A note about the veggie grounds: Trader Joe’s and Lightlife both hold up well, Beyond Meat definitely does NOT. Those are the only brands I’ve tried so far.
This was soooo goood! I used egg noodles, and chopped dill pickle and a squirt of mustard instead of hot dog relish (which I couldn’t find where I live). The pickle really is key to the cheeseburger flavor. I also stirred it often to prevent sticking. At first I was worried it wasn’t enough liquid but it came together. One pot pasta dishes have a kind of heavy texture compared to when you cook the pasta separate and this dish was no different but the ease of the recipe was worth it and it was totally delicious and filling. Husband and toddler agreed!
My husband loved this but even with watching it closely and stirring while simmering, it burned to the bottom in a bad bad way. I had to soak the pan overnight to get the burned parts off. I think it may be good to add the flour after the pasta has cooked to thicken the sauce.
The Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta is amazing. Since my sister HATES pickle relish, we added 1/2 teaspoon. We also added ketchup and mustard, which made the pasta taste like a cheeseburger. It was so good that I came back for seconds. I want to make this recipe again in the future. Thank you, Beth!!! :-)
This was so delicious! I just made this with a full box of bowtie pasta (all I had on hand) and some homemade marinara sauce leftover from pizza night. I was little worried my flavored sauce would overwhelm the dish, but once I added the relish the whole thing came together and is so good! And I love that I only have one skillet to wash. Such a win!
Hi, thanks for posting this; I didn’t have any relish so I took inspiration from your post and subbed in 1 T ketchup and 1 T mustard and it made this dish AMAZING. Thank you!
This tasted delicious, but my boyfriend decided to doubled the entire recipe and the pasta was really tough. It was the shells that nested into each other too. It was hard to get these to soften up and separate. I think it’s hard to double one-pot recipes like this because of something with the water absorption ratio. We tried to add additional water well after the done time, but it made the pasta both gloopy and yet tough. Still the taste was DELICIOUS. My boyfriend was skeptical about the relish but soon was a fan and wanted to add even more relish, lol. We added peas in an it complimented the dish well. I am going to make this again very soon and then I will give it a rating. TIPS 1) Don’t double this recipe 2) Don’t use pasta that can nest into each other with these one pot recipes since the water cannot flow as freely between pieces of pasta 3) If Beth says to add an unusual secret ingredient, DO IT
This was amazing! Takes just like those cheeseburger hot pockets! We added small diced kosher pickles instead of the relish and it was perfect.
This was the first recipe I made from this site and I loved it. Not only was it easy, but it was delicious! It warmed up even better the second day. I didn’t want to share with my family – I just wanted to eat it all! Will definitely make this again.
I changed a few things. I used extra-lean ground beef and didn’t have to drain it. I cooked it with no oil, but I’ve never cooked ground beef in oil? I added onion and garlic powder to the cooking beef (instead of onions). I used a squirt of yellow mustard instead of relish and it gave the pasta a nice little zing.
So glad I found this site! I think almost all my recipes will come from it. Thanks very much!