Name: One Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Pound Ground Beef (I used 90% Lean); 1 Tablespoon Water; ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda; 1 Onion (Diced); 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste; 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced); 1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard; Salt and Pepper (To Taste); 1 Tablespoon Hamburger Seasoning; 3 Cups Hot Water; 3 Teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base; 3 Tablespoons Ketchup; 2 Tablespoons Relish; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce; ½ Cup Heavy Cream; 3 Cups Pasta (I used Shells); 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese (Shredded); 6 Slices Bacon (Cooked Crisp); Pickles (If Desired)

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My one pot cheeseburger pasta features juicy ground beef, melty cheese, and pasta in a creamy sauce. This easy family favorite recipe is ready in just 30 minutes!

a fork with bacon cheeseburger pasta with round beef, a creamy sauce, and cheese.

I love one pot pastas like my cheesy Taco pasta and my BBQ Chicken Pasta. They're easy, flavorful, and only require me to wash one pan! This one pot bacon Cheeseburger Pasta has joined our dinner lineup. One bite of the flavorful creamy sauce and you'll understand why! It's perfect for when you need dinner on the table fast!

Why Our Cheeseburger Pasta Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science

We Use a Secret Ingredient For Tender Beef: A tiny amount of baking soda helps the beef brown and keeps it juicy and tender not dry and crumbly.
We Use Flavorful Ingredients: Tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce, and Better Than Bouillon add umami notes that make this dish downright craveable.
We Shred Our Own Cheese: It melts smoothly tastes fresher and actually saves you money!

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

ingredients including ground beef, tomato paste, ground mustard, hamburger seasoning, ketchup, shells, and cheese.

Bacon: If crunched for time I'll often use Hormel Black Label microwave bacon stirred in at the end. If I have more time I'll fry up the bacon and sometimes keep a tablespoon or so of grease to cook the onion in for even more flavor.
Ground Beef: I like using 90% lean as it has good flavor without being overly greasy. If using 80/20 I suggest draining the excess fat after browning.
Cheese: Avoid the pre-shredded cheese in the bag as it is coated in starches that don't melt smoothly and can cause the sauce to be grainy.
Tomato Paste: Buy it in the tube not the can. It's easier to save and reuse this way!
Relish: I like the flavor of sweet relish here while my fiancé prefers dill. Use your favorite or even chopped pickles if you'd like.
Ketchup: As a Pittsburgh girl it's only Heinz for me!
Heavy Cream: I like heavy cream here as it is less likely to break that half and half. You could honestly leave out the cream for a lighter dish with less dairy if you wanted.
Pasta: I used medium shells as I like that their shape and ridges collect the sauce and beef! You could also use cavatappi, rotini, penne, or even elbow macaroni!

a 4 image collage showing how to brown ground beef, onions, stir in tomato paste, and dry mustard, and adding pasta.

Krystle's Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Stir Often: This dish will stick if you walk away! Stirring also helps the noodles release starch which thickens the sauce.
Scrape The Brown Bits: When you add the water use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the beef. This is great flavor, don't leave it stuck to the pan!