It doesn’t get much tastier than this Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta! This easy weeknight dinner is a great spin on an American classic and cooks in less than 20 minutes. This ground beef meal idea is a real crowd pleaser, will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can easily be reheated later on.
PRINTABLE RECIPE IS AT THE END OF THIS POST
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, life just seems to get busier and more hectic every day. Often it means that preparing tasty, healthy meals that everyone in the house will love can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, so you’ll thank me for this really easy Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta recipe! It cooks up in a skillet and is ready to serve in almost no time at all.
I was looking through an old Taste of Home book recently when I came across a very similar recipe and knew instantly that it would be something that I could tweak to cook on a weeknight without too much stress, and most importantly I knew my family would enjoy it.
I have two boys at home and as predicted they really loved this recipe and even asked me to make it again. My youngest son is eleven, he had two bowls for dinner and asked for a third, it was that good! He even insisted on having a bowl when he came home from school the next day instead of his usual snack. Did I mention how simple it is to make? You can throw this together very quickly and have it cooked and ready to serve in less than thirty minutes, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge already. This was just as popular as the John Wayne Casserole I’ve made several times.
To make Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta you will need:
(full printable recipe is below)
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 bacon strips, cooked and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
You’ll also need:
Cook the bacon first, I prefer to cook it on a sheet pan in the oven until it’s crispy but you can cook it whatever way you prefer. Drain it on paper towels and cut it or break it into small pieces and set aside.
Cook your macaroni according to directions on the pack, then drain.
While the macaroni is cooking brown the beef in a large skillet until fully cooked. If after cooking the beef has a lot of fat/liquid/juice left you can pour some of that off, I prefer to use lean beef and keep some of the juice as I think it adds to the flavor.
Measure the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup into a small bowl or measuring jug and mix well to combine. Place cornstarch in a separate small bowl and add a tablespoon or two of the broth mixture. Stir until well combined then add that mixture to the rest of the broth mixture. Doing it this way will keep the cornstarch from clumping together.
Add cooked pasta to the skillet along with the beef broth mixture, stir well to combine beef, pasta, bacon, and sauce.
Cook on a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. If it’s too thick for you, thin it out with a little more beef broth.
Sprinkle shredded cheeses over the top of the skillet cheeseburger mixture. Cover and cook on very low heat until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
If you have gluten-free family or friends this would be a very easy dish to make for them, just substitute gluten-free pasta for regular, make sure the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, and you are good to go! If they are also dairy free like I am then you can use a shredded vegan cheese substitute instead, it works just as well and I know they will thank you for it.
More dinner ideas you might like:
- One Pan Beef Stroganoff – Noshtastic
- Crockpot Roast Beef – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Oven Chili Dogs– Amanda’s Cookin’
- Southwest Ground Beef Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Ramen Noodle & Beef Skillet – Amanda’s Cookin’
- BBQ Chicken Tater Tot Skillet– Amanda’s Cookin’
- One Pot Chili Pasta – Kids Activities Blog
Watch the video below
Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 6 strips bacon cooked and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch may use less
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Cook the bacon first, I prefer to cook it on a sheet pan in the oven until it's crispy but you can cook it whatever way you prefer. Drain it on paper towels and cut it or break it into small pieces and set aside.
- Cook your macaroni according to directions on the pack, then drain.
- While the macaroni is cooking brown the beef in a large skillet until fully cooked. If after cooking the beef has a lot of fat/liquid/juice left you can pour some of that off, I prefer to use lean beef and keep some of the juice as I think it adds to the flavor.
- Measure the beef broth,Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and cornstarch into a small bowl or measuring jug and mix well to combine the cornstarch.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet along with the beef broth mixture, stir well to combine beef, pasta, bacon, and sauce.
- Cook on a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. If it's too thick for you, thin it out with a little more beef broth.
- Sprinkle shredded cheeses over the top of the skillet cheeseburger mixture.
- Cover and cook on very low heat until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- serve hot
Recipe Video
This post was originally published on this blog on April 12, 2016.
Sheena Strain
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Candice says
Made it a month ago and my husband is asking for it again!. Making it again tonight!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome! It’s such an easy dinner, so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know! :)
Judy says
I was looking forward to this recipe, but was disappointed. Next time I will sauté some diced Inuits and diced green or red pepper in a tablespoon of the bacon grease. It definitely will add some more flavor. I’m also going to try to add a can of baked beans to add liquid and flavor.
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry it wasn’t for you Judy! Everyone has different tastes :)
Kat says
This turned out really good. I added onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and 1/4 grape tomatoes and I didn’t have bacon so I made it without.. (bet its supurb with it) I also didn’t have miss. So I used havarti dill I had on hand and it worked fine. This is a great way to throw together whatever you have on hand to make a fast meal. Thanks this one saved the day.
Amanda Formaro says
Wow that’s a lot of changes but sounds delicious!
Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots says
Made this tonight, but didn’t have cornstarch, so I added flour. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kelly says
I made this a couple of weeks ago and all my kids loved it. I will be making it this evening and adding dry ranch to it. I am sure that every one is going to eat it.
Kelly says
But instead of using elbow noodles I use the egg noodles. Little it healthier
Colette Grewe says
I make this all the time n my family loves it. I do it just a little differently. I add diced onion. After the bacon is done, I soften the onion in the bacon grease, then add the ground beef and brown it. Adds such incredible flavor that it doesn’t matter if you drain all the grease. The flavor is in there. Like you and sooo many others, I’m a casserole junkie and my husband was constantly complaining about there always being so much. The next time I made one, I made just barely enough for the four of us. He immediately started whining about no leftovers, “This, my love, is exactly why I make so much”.
Amanda Formaro says
That sounds delicious, Colette! I can see why he wanted leftovers after that ;)
Misty says
Cheeseburger helper is my husband’s favorite, so this will be so much better. Thanks, and im going to cook allot of delicious recipes I’ve found. ?
Amanda Formaro says
I hope it turns out to be a hit! :) Good luck with all your tasty recipes!
Whitney says
Is there a way I can cook then froze?
Amanda Formaro says
I would be concerned about the pasta getting mushy, mot to mention that melted cheese doesn’t freeze well. so I wouldn’t freeze it.
luke says
Very nice
Christine says
So I just made it and doubled the recipe and it tastes so good. I didn’t have cornstarch so I used flour still turnwd out great. My toddler ate 4 helpings. Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome to hear, Christine!! I’m glad you enjoyed :)
Bradley says
Just finished it! It was great for an easy meal! Thank you.
Amanda Formaro says
So happy you enjoyed, Bradley! :)
Tracy says
How many will it feed, I have 6 people should I double it
Amanda Formaro says
Hi, Tracy! This recipe serves 6, if you think they may devour this or have a large appetite it could never hurt to double the recipe :)
Devin says
Is there any substitute for beef broth? Thats the only thing I am missing.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Devin, though I’ve never tried a substitute for the beef broth in this recipe an alternative may be soy sauce and water or potentially beef bouillon. Again, I’m not positive how the result will taste using those substitutions. If you find that something works well for you, please let us know! Best of luck!
Christine says
Totally just made it with beef bullion and it’s super yummy. Calls for one cube per cup of water, but I added two to the called for 1.5 cups. My 17 mo old, who usually shies away from meat and starches, has DEVOURED three bowls!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome to hear, Christine! I’m glad it turned out for you :)
Gina says
Is it right you only use a half a box of noodles?
Amanda Formaro says
yes
Linda says
I found this recipe on fb but then couldn’t find it back. I Googled the ingredients and this popped up. So glad I found it back as this is going to be a keeper of a recipe! Perfect just as posted! No changes needed!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much, Linda! I hope you enjoy!
Penny says
Just fixed this tonight and it was a definite win! I precook and freeze my ground beef, so it didn’t take long at all to fix. Thank you for sharing this…it’s now in my meal rotation ?
Amanda Formaro says
That’s fabulous Penny, so glad you enjoyed it!
Sam says
I actually made this last spring & it was terrific. My only changes were to add more Worcestershire sauce (1T) & I used Wondra (double the amount) instead of the cornstarch. While I love casseroles, it’s rare that I put a new one into my rotation & this one is now in it!
Amanda Formaro says
That is awesome to hear Sam, so glad you enjoyed it so much!
Karly says
I definitely thought stuff this good (and this cheesy) existed in my dreams. I am totally obsessing over this bacon-y burger-y goodness and I cannot wait to try it out!
Amanda Formaro says
It is definitely getting rave reviews, you should try it!
Sarah says
This recipe WON THE DAY at my house! At 6:30ish I took to Pinterest, hoping for inspiration I could use, given the meager contents of my fridge, freezer, and pantry. (*Somebody* is a grocery-shopping procrastinator. It might be me…) Even with having to thaw the package of venison burger, dinner – for my hubby, four extremely picky kids, and me – was on the table by 7:15. What?! And the best part was that 5/6 of us loved it. You have NO IDEA what a rarity that is in this joint. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This recipe is definitely going into heavy rotation for the next few months.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s such a great testimony Sarah, thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it, and believe me when I say that I DO understand what a rarity it is when almost everyone enjoys a dish :)
Caitlin says
What if I am allergic to tomatoes what would you recommend to replace the ketchup?
Sheena Strain says
Hi Caitlin, for this recipe you could leave out the tomato ketchup. I can’t really think of an alternative but I think you’ll still love it without ketchup, I hope that helps.
Ron says
As the man in the house that does the cookin, I like to keep it simple and that sure sounds simple enough for me plus I love bacon, let you know how it turns out, thanks for all the ideas!
Amanda Formaro says
I hope you enjoy it Ron!
Stephanie says
Just wanted to say that I made this for dinner and it was very good and easy. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it!
ron says
I like youe recipes
jackie altman says
you also forgot where and when to add the bacon
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you for pointing that out, I just updated the recipe. It gets combined with the beef, pasta and sauce.
Lori says
1/2 cup of corn starch is WAY to much! I’m thinking it was a mistake in the recipe. It made it so thick it was gross!! Should be more like 1 or 2 table spoons.
Amanda Formaro says
You are absolutely correct Lori, and thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I have made the correction in the recipe, it should be 1-2 tablespoons. Please watch your inbox for a small gift from me to help make up for the lost ingredients.