One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta Ready in 40 Minutes

Cheeseburger pasta cooks in a single large pot, and that's the whole appeal on a Tuesday night. The beef browns with onion, garlic, Worcestershire and ketchup, then fusilli simmers in beef broth until the liquid mostly disappears. Milk and cheddar go in last, off the heat, and turn the pot into something between a saucy pasta and a cheeseburger without the bun.

You need a pot wide enough to hold 16 ounces of dry pasta plus 5 cups of liquid. A 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven works. If yours is smaller, the pasta won't cook evenly and the bottom will catch before the spirals soften.

The whole thing takes about 40 minutes from a cold pot, and most of that is hands-off simmering. Stir it every few minutes so nothing sticks, and don't walk away for the last five.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the beef with the seasonings

Set a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and ketchup. Break the beef apart with a spoon and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until no pink is left and the onions have softened. The beef should be crumbly, not in big chunks.

2. Add the broth and water

Pour in the beef broth and the cup of water. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with your spoon. Bring it to a simmer; small bubbles should break the surface steadily, not a hard rolling boil.

3. Simmer the pasta

Stir in the dry fusilli. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender all the way through and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Bite a spiral to check; it should have no chalky center. If the pot goes dry before then, add water half a cup at a time.

4. Melt in the milk and cheese

Turn the heat to low, or pull the pot off the burner. Stir in the milk, then add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next. Stop when the sauce is smooth and coats the pasta.

5. Serve with green onion

Spoon into bowls and scatter sliced green onion over the top. Taste first and add salt only if it needs it, since the broth and cheese are already salty.

Delicious Variations

Bacon cheeseburger version

Cook 4 slices of chopped bacon first, remove them, and brown the beef in the drippings. Stir the bacon back in with the cheese.

Spicy version

Add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the garlic, or use pepper jack in place of 1 cup of the cheddar.

Mushroom version

Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onion. They'll release water, so let the pot simmer a couple of extra minutes before the pasta goes in.

How to Store One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the pot on the stove and brown the beef well; that first step is where most of the flavor comes from. Serve it straight from the pot with green onion on top. Happy baking, friends!

One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta Ready in 40 Minutes

Ground beef, fusilli and cheddar simmer in one pot with Worcestershire and ketchup for a cheesy weeknight dinner with almost nothing to wash up.

10 minPrep time30 minCook time40 minTotal6Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup onion (diced)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 4 cups beef broth
• 16 oz fusilli pasta
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup milk
• green onion (sliced, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1Brown the beef with the seasonings — Set a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and ketchup. Break the beef apart with a spoon and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until no pink is left and the onions have softened. The beef should be crumbly, not in big chunks.
2. 2Add the broth and water — Pour in the beef broth and the cup of water. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with your spoon. Bring it to a simmer; small bubbles should break the surface steadily, not a hard rolling boil.
3. 3Simmer the pasta — Stir in the dry fusilli. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender all the way through and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Bite a spiral to check; it should have no chalky center. If the pot goes dry before then, add water half a cup at a time.
4. 4Melt in the milk and cheese — Turn the heat to low, or pull the pot off the burner. Stir in the milk, then add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next. Stop when the sauce is smooth and coats the pasta.
5. 5Serve with green onion — Spoon into bowls and scatter sliced green onion over the top. Taste first and add salt only if it needs it, since the broth and cheese are already salty.

Chef's Note: Use a 5- to 6-quart pot so the pasta has room to move. Shred the cheddar from a block for the smoothest sauce, and add it off the heat.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker10 minutes30 minutes40 minutes

Written by Maya Whitfield
Maya writes about easy American cookies and bars, plus eggs and breakfast casseroles for busy mornings. She focuses on pantry-friendly ingredients, reliable bake times, and make-ahead steps that fit real weekday schedules. Her recipes keep instructions short and checkpoints clear so nothing gets overbaked or underdone.