Cheeseburger Pasta

This cheeseburger pasta is a hearty recipe of ground beef, shells and cheese in a savory tomato sauce, topped off with bacon and pickles. All the flavors of a bacon cheeseburger in a comforting pasta dish!

If you love a good bacon cheeseburger, you’ll adore this unique pasta dish! It’s packed with meat, cheese, tender pasta and of course bacon for a satisfying dinner the entire family will go crazy over.

My kids love cheeseburgers, and they also happen to love pasta. I combined their two favorites to make this hearty bacon cheeseburger pasta. Let me just tell you, at first I was a bit skeptical of how this would all come together. But after I had one bite, I could not stop eating it, this pasta is totally addictive!

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHEESEBURGER PASTA?

Begin by boiling your pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, fry up your bacon until crispy. Brown your hamburger in the pan with the bacon grease, adding tomato sauce, ketchup and seasonings after the beef is done. Toss everything together with plenty of cheese and enjoy one of the most delicious and savory dinners you’ve had in a while.

I like using 90% lean ground beef simply because it contains a lot of flavor with less grease. You can use any of your favorite cheeseburger toppings along with the bacon and pickles if you like. Any of them will fit perfectly; if it goes well on a cheeseburger, it goes well with this pasta!

Other toppings that might be good are

• Diced tomatoes
• Onion
• Shredded lettuce
• More cheese!

I love using cheddar cheese in my cheeseburger pasta simply because it’s a classic when it comes to meal like this. However, a colby jack cheese or another mild cheese that melts easily would work great as well. This dish is easily customizable so don’t be afraid to mix things up to match your preferences.

WILL ANY PASTA WORK IN CHEESEBURGER PASTA?

If you aren’t partial to shells, any short pasta will work in their place. Other great options are penne, rigatoni or fusilli pasta.

CAN YOU USE VELVEETA IN CHEESEBURGER PASTA?

I personally don’t use Velveeta because I don’t think it’s as flavorful as cheddar cheese. That being said, it melts smoothly and gives a creamy texture to this pasta, so if you prefer to use it, you’ll still get great results.

We love taking some of our other favorite recipes and turning them into pasta dishes like this incredibly delicious cheeseburger pasta. It’s a quick and easy dinner everyone will be asking for again and again.

OTHER CHEESY RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
• Stove Top Mac and Cheese
• Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
• Sausage Cheese Balls
• Wisconsin Brat & Beer Cheese Dip

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5 from 7 votes

Cheeseburger Pasta

This cheeseburger pasta is a hearty recipe of ground beef, shells and cheese in a savory tomato sauce, topped off with bacon and pickles. All the flavors of a bacon cheeseburger in a comforting pasta dish!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword cheeseburger pasta, ground beef pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 632kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

• 8 ounces shell pasta
• 6 slices bacon diced
• 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup diced pickles
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
• Place the bacon in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until bacon is browned and crisp.
• Remove bacon from pan and set aside. 
• Drain off most of the fat from the bacon, leaving approximately 2 teaspoons in the pan.
• Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned, 4-5 minutes.
• Add the onion and cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until onion has softened.
• Add the tomato sauce, ketchup and mustard to the pan. Stir to coat the beef with the sauce.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the beef mixture.
• Add the cheddar cheese to the pan with the pasta; stir until everything is combined and cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle with reserved bacon, pickles and parsley, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 621mg | Potassium: 1073mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 22.7% | Vitamin C: 12.8% | Calcium: 45.4% | Iron: 28.5%