Description
A comforting and delicious mashup of cheeseburgers and pasta that’s quick and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces short pasta (like penne, rotini, or elbow macaroni)
- 1 pound ground beef (can substitute with ground turkey or chicken)
- 6 slices bacon (cooked and crispy)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain but reserve about a half cup of the pasta water for the sauce later.
- While pasta cooks, fry the bacon until crispy then drain and crumble it. Leave a little bacon fat in the pan for flavor.
- In the same skillet, brown the ground beef over medium high heat. Break it up into bite sized pieces and cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Reduce heat to medium and add cream cheese to the beef, stirring until it melts and coats the meat. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper, and stir well.
- Toss in the cooked pasta and shredded cheddar, stirring until everything looks melty and delicious. Add reserved pasta water as needed for desired sauce consistency.
- Fold in the crumbled bacon, saving some for topping. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of cheddar and remaining bacon pieces. Garnish with chopped green onion or pickles if desired.
Notes
Great for leftovers; flavors improve after a night in the fridge. Can easily be scaled up for a crowd.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: pasta, bacon cheeseburger, comfort food, quick meals, dinner