This One Pan Cheeseburger Pasta is an easy family dinner made in just one pan with beef mince, pasta, cheddar cheese and a creamy burger-style sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights!
If your family loves a cheeseburger and loves pasta, this one will go down very well!
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This one pan cheeseburger pasta has got all those classic burger flavours… beef mince, ketchup, mustard, melty cheese and a creamy burger-style sauce… but all cooked together in one pan with pasta.
This tasted even better than I expected the first time I made it. It's rich, cheesy, really filling and feels a bit like a Big Mac in a bowl!.
The best bit is there's hardly any washing up because the pasta cooks straight in the sauce. No separate pasta pan or loads of dishes afterwards. Just chuck everything into one pan and let it do its thing.
It also reheats brilliantly, so if you've got leftovers, they make a really good lunch the next day. My daughter actually took this in a thermos for school and loved it.
If you like easy dinners like my One Pan Lazy Day Lasagne or Garlic Bread Pasta Bake, this is definitely one to add to the list.
🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make this cheeseburger pasta. To find out how to make it allergy-friendly, simply scroll down to the section below this one.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Beef Mince - This is what gives the dish that classic cheeseburger flavour. I usually use lean beef mince, but whatever you normally buy will work fine, you may just need to drain the pan after frying off the mince if you use one with a higher fat percentage.
- Onion- Finely dicing it helps it almost disappear into the sauce, which is handy for picky eaters.
- Herbs & Spices - I have used garlic granules & paprika.
- Condiments - I've used American mustard, which is what really gives it that cheeseburger taste. It makes a big difference to the overall flavour & ketchup to add a little sweetness and tang.
- Chopped tomatoes - These form the base of the sauce and help cook the pasta directly in the pan.
- Beef stock- The pasta absorbs the stock as it cooks, which gives loads of flavour and keeps everything really rich and saucy.
- Pasta- Any short pasta shapes like rigatoni or spirali work well.
- Cheddar cheese - Makes the sauce rich & cheesy. Use mature cheddar for a stronger flavour.
- Gherkins (optional)- These add that proper burger flavour!
- Spring onions (optional)- Freshen everything up and add a bit of crunch on top.
- For The Burger Sauce - A mixture of mayo, ketchup, American mustard & gherkin juice.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥜 How Can I Make This Dish Allergy Friendly?
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta and make sure your beef stock and mustard are all gluten-free, as some brands can contain hidden gluten.
Dairy-Free: Swap the cheddar for a dairy-free alternative and use a vegan mayonnaise in the burger sauce.
Egg-Free: Use an egg-free mayo.
✏️ How to Make Cheeseburger Pasta
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Add the beef mince to a large deep frying pan and place over a medium-high heat.
Cook for around 4-5 minutes, breaking the mince up with a wooden spoon as it browns.
Step 2: Add the finely diced onion to the pan and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until softened.
If there's a lot of excess grease in the pan, you can drain a little off at this stage.
Step 3: Stir in the garlic granules, paprika, ketchup and American mustard along with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring well, to let all the flavours combine together.
Step 4: Pour in the chopped tomatoes and beef stock, then add the pasta straight into the pan.
Give everything a really good stir so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.
Step 5: Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then place a lid on the pan and cook for 12-15 minutes until the pasta is tender.
Stir regularly during cooking to stop the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 6: If the sauce starts looking too thick before the pasta is fully cooked, just add a splash of water and stir again.
Different pasta brands can absorb liquid differently, so don't panic if it needs a little extra.
Step 7: Sprinkle over the grated cheddar cheese and place under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.
Step 8: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and a splash of gherkin juice to make the burger sauce.
Drizzle over the pasta and finish with chopped gherkins and spring onions if you like. Serve straight away while hot and cheesy.
💡 Lauren's Top Tips
- 🌟 Use The Right Pan: Use a large deep frying pan so everything fits comfortably and the pasta cooks evenly.
- 🌟 Stir The Pasta: Stir the pasta regularly while simmering to stop it from catching on the bottom of the pan.
- 🌟 Don't Skip The Burger Sauce: The burger sauce drizzle at the end really brings the whole dish together and is what gives it that cheeseburger flavour.
- 🌟 Let Everyone Add Their Own Toppings: If your kids aren't into gherkins, just leave them off and let everyone add their own toppings at the table.
- 🌟 Add Extra Liquid If Needed: Different pasta brands absorb liquid differently, so if the sauce starts looking too thick before the pasta is cooked, just add a splash of water.
🔨 The Meal Planning Toolbox
🗒️ Make Ahead
You can make this earlier in the day or the day before, leave to cool in the fridge, so you can reheat it when needed.
🗒️ Batch Cooking
This recipe makes big portions already, but you can easily stretch it further with garlic bread or salad on the side, then save a couple of portions in the freezer for another day. You can also make two and freeze one for later.
🗒️ Leftovers & Storage
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
🗒️ Freezing
You can freeze this, although the pasta texture will soften slightly once defrosted. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
🗒️ Reheating
Reheat in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot. Add a splash of water before reheating if needed to loosen the sauce back up.
🍴 How To Serve
This is pretty filling on its own, but we like serving it with garlic bread, crispy potato wedges, corn on the cob, salad or coleslaw.
💬 Recipe FAQs
Definitely. Turkey mince works really well if you want a lighter version..
Yes, finely diced peppers, mushrooms or grated carrot all work well in this, if you need to hide some veg.
If the pasta isn't cooked but most of the liquid is absorbed, add some more water , put the lid back on and cook for a few more minutes.
⚡ More Pasta Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊
📖 Recipe
One Pan Cheeseburger Pasta
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1lb) beef mince
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon American mustard
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 400 g (14oz) chopped tinned tomatoes
- 650 ml (2 ¾ cups) beef stock
- 300 g (3 cups) dried pasta
- 200 g ( 2 cups) grated cheddar
- chopped gherkins optional
For burger sauce
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 sp American mustard
- splash gherkin juice
Instructions
- Add the beef mince to a large deep frying pan and fry over a medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Dice the onion.
- Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic granules, paprika, ketchup, mustard and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and beef stock, then stir through the pasta.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the pasta is cooked through. Add a splash of water if needed.
- Sprinkle over the grated cheddar cheese and grill for a few minutes until melted.
- Mix together the burger sauce ingredients.
- Drizzle over the burger sauce and finish with chopped gherkins and spring onions if using.
Video
Notes
- Everything cooks together in one pan, including the pasta, so there's hardly any washing up afterwards.
- The pasta absorbs all the flavour from the beef stock and sauce as it cooks, which makes it really rich and tasty.
- Add a splash of water during cooking if the sauce thickens too quickly before the pasta is tender.
- The homemade burger sauce on top is what gives it that proper cheeseburger flavour.
- Easy to adapt for picky eaters by letting everyone choose their own toppings.
- Leftovers reheat brilliantly, making this great for lunches or meal prep.
- You can easily make it gluten-free or dairy-free with a few simple swaps.
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