Cheeseburger Pasta

By contributing writer Beth

There’s nothing better on a busy weeknight than dinner on the table in 30 minutes. That’s what makes this Cheeseburger Pasta dish the perfect supper for your hungry family.

This recipe was inspired by my family’s love for macaroni and cheese. Yes, sometimes we make it from those blue boxes, but mostly I make it from scratch. Adding ground beef takes it from a side dish to a main dish.

You can add more garlic, ground mustard, or even toss in a tiny touch of horseradish to the cheese sauce to make it have a little more complex flavor.

It’s so much fun to put out the condiments on the table when I serve dinner. You can put out:

• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Barbeque Sauce
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Diced Tomatoes
• Pickles
• Lettuce
• Bacon
• Avocado
• Hot Sauce
• and even MORE Cheese!

Throw on anything that you’d put on a cheeseburger.

This dish can be thrown together in a flash. Make the most of your time by putting on the water to boil first. Then start browning your ground beef. This overlap in cooking will shave off minutes from your meal prep time. I can get this meal on the table in less than half an hour.

Note: I recommend a sharp cheddar cheese for the shredded cheese in the sauce. For our test version, we tried a three cheese blend that included cream cheese shreds. It was delicious and creamy and perfectly smooth!

Print Recipe

Cheeseburger Pasta

Macaroni and cheese with a delicious twist! Your kids will adore this fast and easy meal.

Course: Main Dish

Servings: 8

Author: Toni Anderson

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese sharp recommended
• 12 ounces pasta uncooked

Instructions

• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
• While the pasta is being prepared, brown the ground beef along with the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic.
• When the beef is completely cooked do not drain the grease. Stir in the flour to coat the beef. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
• Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a low simmer over medium low heat. Do not boil.
• When the milk mixture is beginning to bubble gently, stir in the cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat.
• When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and place back into the pot it cooked in.
• Stir the cheese sauce into the pasta and serve with mustard and ketchup drizzle and chopped tomatoes.

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• Baked Ziti
• Beef Nacho Casserole