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One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

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One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta – the best syn free pasta dish you will make this year PERIOD!!

one pot cheeseburger pasta in a black frying pan

The Best Ever Cheeseburger Pasta

One pot dishes are my favourite thing at the minute, anytime I can create less washing up the better. If you have a family of 4 like me, washing up plates and cutlery is bad enough, but add to that several pots and pans too, and it’s a chore.

Some of the mess is instantly taken away with one pot dishes like this Cheeseburger Pasta and I love it.

So you may be wondering what exactly is cheeseburger pasta, well it’s exactly what it says, all the best part of a cheeseburger turned into a delicious pasta dish that the whole family is just gonna love.

It may not be much of a surprise that we love cheeseburgers in my house. I’ve already brought you these amazing recipes below:

That list just wouldn’t seem complete without adding to it a Cheeseburger Pasta recipe.

It’s actually a pasta recipe that’s pretty popular this side of the Atlantic and this is my healthier, delicious take on it.

The Perfect Cheeseburger

First, no cheeseburger would be complete without the burger part and for that, I use extra lean beef, we also have to have some onion and good seasoning, plus the ultimate ingredients – Worcestershire Sauce.

Usually a Cheeseburger has ketchup, but we want this slightly healthier, so instead, I use fresh chopped tomatoes (I recommend fresh as they just taste so much better to canned which tend to be slightly acidic) and then some tomato paste.

To get that little bit of sweetness, I add a little bit of sukrin gold (you can use any sweetener of choice if you don’t have this, or omit altogether if you prefer).

one pot cheeseburger pasta on white plate with fork

One Pot Pasta Recipes

Pasta is usually cooked in a large saucepan of boiling hot water, but as this is one-pot Cheeseburger Pasta, we are adding the pasta straight into the pan with the beef and for flavour, I add chicken stock, rather than water.

Ensure you do not have the heat to low, the idea is for the liquid to bubble and as the pasta cooks, the liquid is evaporates into a sauce that just coats all the ingredients. If you have the pot on too low a heat, the pasta will just sit in water and not do anything. 

Best Cheese for a Cheeseburger

Usually this side of the Atlantic or in any popular fast food chains, the cheese you get on a burger is a highly processed cheddar cheese slice.

I prefer to use real cheddar in this recipe. However most of our cheddar here in Canada is colour with Annatto to give it that orange/yellow colour. My favourite brand is Baldersons Extra Old Cheddar which I get from costco.

The cheddar once added does something magical. One it starts to melt, along with the starch from the pasta in the same pan, it coats everything in a velvety kind of creamy sauce that is just delicious.

If you want the more orange/yellow colour you might want to swap for a cheese like Red Leicester instead.

Pickles (Gherkins) on a Cheeseburger.

you just can’t have a Cheeseburger without some pickles (gherkins), don’t be put off adding them to this dish, they really do give it an amazing flavour.

Of course if you really do hate them, by all means, leave them out, but personally, those pickles are so darn good in this. 

close up of Syn Free One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta on white plate

Love One Pot dishes? Check out these other amazing recipes:

or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 850 delicious Slimming World and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, syn value and smart points etc.

How can I add a more vegetables to this Cheeseburger Pasta?

I pair this up with a mixed salad, just a big bowl of whatever salad items I have in the fridge and serve it up in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves to. 

Baby greens, spinach, crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, shredded carrots, beetroot, onion, peppers, whatever you have is perfect for a salad.

and if you really don’t fancy anything else with this, that is perfectly find to. Ideally we should add a 1/3 speeds where possible to our meals, but it isn’t compulsory, just make sure you balance out the rest of your meals instead.

Syn Free One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta on white plate with fork

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Syn Free One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Syn Free One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Yield: SERVES 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Syn Free One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta - the best syn free pasta dish you will make this year PERIOD!!

Ingredients

  • 455g (1lb) of extra lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbs of tomato paste
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • 1/2 tsp of onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp of mustard powder
  • pinch of salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 tbs of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbs of sukrin gold (or another sweetener of choice)
  • 300g (10.5oz) of uncooked penne pasta (or other pasta of choice)
  • 3 cups (720ml) of chicken stock + 1 additional cup (240ml)
  • 2-3 tbs of chopped pickles. 
  • 120g (4oz) of cheddar (4xHEa's) - reserve a little for sprinkling on top once cooked
  • fresh chopped Italian parsley
  • Spray oil

Instructions

  1. Add to a small bowl the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and black pepper and mix to combine.
  2. Spray a frying pan over a medium-high heat with spray oil, add the ground beef and onion and cook until brown.
  3. Add the spices, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and sukrin and mix to coat.
  4. Stir in the penne pasta.
  5. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and allow to bubble for approx 12-14 minutes until pasta is cooked (add in more stock from the additional cup of stock if needed).
  6. Add chopped pickles and cheddar and stir until sauce is velvety and coats everything in the pan.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh chopped Italian parsley and the reserved cheddar. 
  8. Enjoy with a side salad and some of my yummy burger sauce from my Big Mac Fakeaway

Notes

This recipe is Slimming World and Weight Watchers friendly

  • Slimming World - 1 HEa per serving
  • WW Green Smart Points - 15 per serving
  • WW Blue Smart Points - 15 per serving (13 if you use extra lean ground chicken)
  • WW Purple Smart Points - 15 per serving (13 if you use extra lean ground chicken)

NOTE: Do not have heat too low or the stock will not reduce down as it cooked the pasta, liquid should be bubbling.

SUITABLE FOR FREEZING - but best enjoyed on day of cooking

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Nutritional information, syn values, points etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 SERVING
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 569Total Fat: 15.7gSaturated Fat: 7.9gCholesterol: 97.8mgSodium: 603.5mgCarbohydrates: 65.5gFiber: 4.3gSugar: 4.2gProtein: 44.5g

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.

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© Siobhan (Slimming Eats)
Cuisine: American / Category: Main
cheeseburger pasta on a white plate pin image

It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free and/or dairy-free, for example) or Vegetarian friendly. Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Cathy

    Really tasty, really easy to make. It went down a storm with the whole family, even my ridiculously fussy youngest.
    Destined to become a firm favourite in our house.

  7. Cheryl

    Absolutely delicious! Even my picky partner and son loved it and that says a lot! Even asked for it again next week

  10. Felicity O'Brine

    So we are eating this tonight but with a toddler and a newborn I tend to premake everything. My husband tasted it once it was finished and said it was the best meal he had ever tried!

    Beautiful recipe- wonder what the toddler will think of it!

  12. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    It’s such a great family friendly meal. My kids love this, I hope your little one loved it too.

  13. Karin

    This is amazing…. done a batch ready to take to work for the week, just kept eating, now haven’t got enough to see me through the week. Thank you for this amazing recipe.

  14. Jessics

    Really loved this. Was looking for sonethung for my fussy kids to eat and this is perfect. Very tasty!

  15. Lisa

    Thanks, tried this and it went down a real treat with everyone. Can this be batch cooked and frozen?

  16. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    Hi Lisa, it is a dish that is best eaten on the day of making, but all the ingredients are fine to freeze.

  17. Yvonne

    delicious Recipe going to make it for the second time today. I have tried a few recipes from this page and all have been fab 🙂

  18. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    so happy you enjoy this one Yvonne, I hope you continue to try and enjoy many more. 🙂

  19. Natalie

    Made this for dinner this evening. Absolutely delicious. Will become a firm favourite in our house now. Thank you for sharing this fab recipe.

  21. Nichola

    Tried it tonight and can’t belive how easy and tasty it was! Will be making it again and can’t wait to try some of your other recipies!

  25. Lauren Scarlett

    Loved this, so nice to have an alternative beef mince dish. Will add to my favourites list!

  30. Clare Richards

    I highly recommend Cheeseburger Pasta. Best thing I’ve made in ages according to hubby (but he’s still enjoyed the other things ive made too!!)
    Thanks again for all the great recipes.

  36. Fiona

    Wow wow and wow!! This dish is amazing, I will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe

  38. Sam

    Amazing recipe, everyone in our house loves it! i made a huge double portion today for 8 of us and everyone cleaned their plates. YUM!!

  39. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    Hi Sam, thanks for commenting, so glad to hear this is a hit with your whole family.

  40. Amanda

    This was delicious – as usual! All of the recipes in here work and are so tasty! This one was a big hit with all the family and I’ll definitely be making it again!

  41. stina

    This tastes better than any diet food has the right to taste. DEFINITELY going to be adding this to the family cookbook!

  42. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    ahh so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for coming back and commented.

  43. Barbara

    Making this for the first time today after reading all the lovely comments on it. Just wondered what pickles does everyone use? I know someone mentioned gherkins, is that right please? Love all your recipes.

  45. Sam

    I love this dish so much. It’s my go-to comfort food!
    Has anyone tried making it with quorn? I have vegetarian friends and I’m looking for an easy one pot meal for a crowd.

  46. krissi

    hey, 960mls of chicken stick seems a lot as one oxo cube only makes 190mls, is 960mls correct?

  47. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    Yes the measurements are correct. I use a low sodium broth, or my own homemade stock. So you can use less stock cubes if that’s what you are using, but the amount of liquid needs to be as stated.

  48. Lisa

    Love this receipt. Now a firm fav for the family. Quick, satisfying midweek dinner.
    Changed the chicken stock for beef stock as I don’t like chicken stock.
    Delicious. Thank you.

  51. Nicole

    Amazing!!! Cannot believe how nice this is!! Can I leave leftovers in the fridge if so for how long??

  54. Jo Jo

    Made this for tea tonight absolutely gorgeous. Didn’t peel the tomatoes but don’t think that took anything away from the dish. Thank you

  56. Karen wass

    I make this with Quorn & use veg stock ,and I can honestly say it’s one of the best pasta dishes I have tastsd.your recipes are amazing,so full of flavour añd easy to make.keep up the good work.xx

  57. Polly

    Can this be done in a slow cooker? Trying to use mine a bit more!! If so how long would you leave it on for?

  58. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    Hi Polly I am not sure, I haven’t tested it in a slow cooker, so could not give timings etc.

  59. Eleri

    This tastes delicious but I wonder if I put in too much liquid? I added the 960mls, but later noticed the recipe also says 4 cups. A UK cup measures 200ml, which would be 800mls. Which one is correct, as my sauce was very thin? Thanks. Love your recipes!

  60. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    no 960ml is correct – it’s US cups, which is 240ml. Sounds like you didn’t have it bubbling quite enough to reduce down. Did you use the fresh tomatoes? Once you add the cheese in at the end, it melts and coats everything in a lovely glossy sauce.

  61. Jayne

    Made this for my very fussy family, didn’t tell them it was a slimming recipe because even saying that word they wouldn’t of ate. My family loved it. I made a larger batch and my husband took leftovers the following day, he even commented that it was even tastier. Definitely a keeper this recipe.

  63. Jenny

    Just made the Cheeseburger pasta,absolutely gorgeous we really loved it.Thank you Siobhan.

  66. Zoe Leech

    Hi, I can’t eat tomatoes, would it be ok to leave them out of this dish?
    Thankyou

  67. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    yes you can, but the sauce may not be quite the same. Just something to bear in mind 🙂

  68. Andy

    Hi, could this be done with tinned tomatoes rather than cutting up tomatoes? Or would that add too much liquid?

  69. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    yes, you can, just make sure you fully drain any excess liquid or it may water it down too much. The taste is best with fresh tomatoes as they have a natural sweetness whereas canned are acidic.

  70. Becka

    Hi shevy,
    Just curious but do you have to add the sweetener? What would that be in place of in a regular recipe?

  71. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    no, you don’t have to, you can omit if you prefer. I use a naturally derived sweetener, not artificial and it’s just a small amount against the acidity of the tomatoes etc

  72. Emma

    Hello. Thank you for your recipe 🙂 Haven’t tasted it yet but it smells delicious. Just wanted to add a quick note to say the 12 minutes have gone by and there’s still heaps of water and the pasta is still hard. Are we supposed boil for 12 minutes not simmer? By the time this is done it’ll be 15 minutes easily maybe 20

  73. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    you reduce heat, so it is not on full, but it should be bubbling to reduce down, otherwise, the pasta and meat will just sit in hot water and not create a sauce. Hope that helps 🙂

  74. Jess Webb

    Thank you for a fabulous recipe! We Had this tonight for dinner. I used Quorn mince (which breaks down more than regular mince) and small pasta shells (perfect for scooping up!)
    Always worried that it won’t look / taste as good as everyone says…..I am a total piglet when it comes to pasta and feel really full after 1 portion (a rarity for me) and my husband had 2 portions!
    Will 100% be making this again – might add Mushrooms

  76. Shevy (Slimming Eats)

    I use chicken because it’s not quite as rich as a beef stock which can tend to overpower some dishes. So the choice is up to you. Personally I would stick to chicken.

  77. Nicola

    It’s a hit in this household. My 7 year old has only eaten chicken and chips and pizza for ages. This recipe is just perfect. I don’t think it touched the sides. Thank you

  78. Carol

    Hi I just made this and put in a tin of chopped tomatoes and adjusted the stock.
    I also put in chopped red pepper and mushrooms as I don’t like pickles, it was amazing thanks so much and so easy!!
    Your recipes are so lovely thank you ☺️

  79. Donna Hitchmough

    Everyone I have made this for loves it, especially me! Lots of people in my Slimming World group talking about it too. Thank you

  81. Siobhan (Slimming Eats)

    Unfortunately, as you have discovered, this recipe isn’t recommended for the slow cooker, it’s a one-pot pasta dish. Quite a few adjustments to ingredients/ratios would be needed to cook this in a slow cooker.

  84. Siobhan (Slimming Eats)

    I haven’t had a chance to test it in the Instant Pot, do let me know how it turns out if you give it a try :O)

  88. Honey Sarfo

    So, so good! Made this using Cannes Plum tomatoes minus the juice and it was amazing! I forgot the sweetener and I dont think it needed it – it was perfect without it for me anyway.
    Such a great idea for a recipe. Thank you! Xxx

  91. Sarah

    Amazing! Another fantastic recipe. Made lots and was great for lunch the next day. My toddler loved it too. Thank you.

  92. Kay

    This is a winner with my picky teenager! I’m not the biggest fan of gherkins (pickles) but I still put them in and it doesn’t ruin the flavour at all, lovely!

  94. Siobhan (Slimming Eats)

    you can try, but a large deep frying pan is best, in a saucepan you won’t get a full enough layer which may mean it takes longer to cook.

  95. Helen

    Hi, is it freezable with the pasta? Many thanks Helen

    Oh my just spotted the Raspberry White Chocolate Baked oats be still my beating heart lol

  96. Charl

    I made this the other week for the first time and oh my, it was super delish! One of the best pasta dishes I’ve eaten. It does weirdly taste of a cheeseburger in pasta too, I was amazed. Fab recipe!

  98. Leanne

    This is my new all time favourite i cant belive i haven’t made it sooner 😮 As im only cooking for myself i didn’t cook the pasta in with the sauce I followed the same recipe i just added half the stock.I managed to get 6 decent portions and froze them.so when i want it i just defrost it and mix my cooked pasta in with it.I made it less than a week ago and ive had it 4x already 😀 delicious.Thanks Siobhan for yet another amazing recipe.x

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