One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta - the best pasta dish you will make this year PERIOD!!
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.
This recipe is also found in the Slimming Eats Made Simple cookbook as one of the 15 bonus blog favourites. You can get it from all Major Retailers including Amazon
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Cheeseburger Recipes
It may not be much of a surprise that we love cheeseburgers in my house. I've already brought you these amazing recipes below:
- Big Mac Fries
- Big Mac and Fries Fakeaway
- Cheeseburger Quiche
- The Ultimate SW Cheeseburger
- Sweet Potato Cheeseburger Sliders
- Cheeseburger Soup
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 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.
Love One Pot dishes? Check out these other amazing recipes:
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- One Pot Beef Fajita Pasta
- Shrimp Pasta
- Instant Pot Bombay Lamb Curry
- Chana Masala
- Spicy Prawn and Vegetable Risotto
- Beef and Six Bean Chilli
- Mushroom Risotto
- One Pot Speed Pasta
- Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
- Marmite Mac and Cheese
or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 850 delicious Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients 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 ⅓ speeds where possible to our meals, but it isn't compulsory, just make sure you balance out the rest of your meals instead.
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Recipe Card
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta - the best 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 teaspoon of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of mustard powder
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- ½ 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
- Add to a small bowl the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and black pepper and mix to combine.
- Spray a frying pan over a medium-high heat with spray oil, add the ground beef and onion and cook until brown.
- Add the spices, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and sukrin and mix to coat.
- Stir in the penne pasta.
- 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).
- Add chopped pickles and cheddar and stir until sauce is velvety and coats everything in the pan.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped Italian parsley and the reserved cheddar.
- Enjoy with a side salad and some of my yummy burger sauce from my Big Mac Fakeaway
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 596Total Fat 17.9gSaturated Fat 9.4gCholesterol 97.8mgCarbohydrates 60.6gFiber 6.3gSugar 6.7gProtein 45.1g
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.
Avi says
So easy to make and super tasty too. A real winner in our house.
Cat says
Amazing recipe
Lyn says
Hi, how many pickles do you use? They aren't listed on the ingredients.
Thanks
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
two tablespoons of chopped pickles, thanks for spotting. 🙂
Cathy says
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.
Tracey Marshall says
Fabulous recipe - whole family loved it and so easy to make.
Cheryl says
Absolutely delicious! Even my picky partner and son loved it and that says a lot! Even asked for it again next week
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
So happy to hear that. Thanks for commenting
Diane Carr says
I don’t have onion powder will it make a difference or should I add some finely chopped onion?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Dianne, it will be fine without the onion powder - enjoy!!
Felicity O'Brine says
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!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
It's such a great family friendly meal. My kids love this, I hope your little one loved it too.
Karin says
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.
Jessics says
Really loved this. Was looking for sonethung for my fussy kids to eat and this is perfect. Very tasty!
Lisa says
Thanks, tried this and it went down a real treat with everyone. Can this be batch cooked and frozen?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Lisa, it is a dish that is best eaten on the day of making, but all the ingredients are fine to freeze.
Yvonne says
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 🙂
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
so happy you enjoy this one Yvonne, I hope you continue to try and enjoy many more. 🙂
Natalie says
Made this for dinner this evening. Absolutely delicious. Will become a firm favourite in our house now. Thank you for sharing this fab recipe.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
you are welcome Natalie - so happy to hear it was a hit.
Nichola says
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!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Nichola, thank you so much for commenting. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Sharon says
Might be a silly question but is it half a teaspoon of mustard, onion and garlic powder or 1-2 teaspoons
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Sharon, it is half a tsp of each. Enjoy 🙂
Lauren Scarlett says
Loved this, so nice to have an alternative beef mince dish. Will add to my favourites list!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Thanks for commenting Lauren, it’s appreciated
Jane owens says
Amazing, kids adored it.. and 3 fussy teenagers can't be wrong.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
That’s lovely to hear Jane. Thanks for commenting
Hayley says
Absolutely gorgeous dish ... Loved it and will certainly make it again!
Clare Richards says
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.
Vivienne Pennington says
Easy tastes fantastic
Charlotte says
lobe this dish.I did add chopped bacon to make bacon cheeseburger pasta loved it
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yum - sounds like a great addition.
Lisa says
Hi what pickles is everyone using??
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Lisa, any pickles (gherkins) are fine.
Fiona says
Wow wow and wow!! This dish is amazing, I will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Fiona - you are welcome - thanks so much for commenting.
Sam says
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!!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Sam, thanks for commenting, so glad to hear this is a hit with your whole family.
Amanda says
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!
stina says
This tastes better than any diet food has the right to taste. DEFINITELY going to be adding this to the family cookbook!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
ahh so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for coming back and commented.
Barbara says
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.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes pickles are the same as gherkins, enjoy!!
Sam says
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.
krissi says
hey, 960mls of chicken stick seems a lot as one oxo cube only makes 190mls, is 960mls correct?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Lisa says
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.
Lin stewart says
CAn yo use Branson pickle please
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
hi Lin, you need pickles (like gherkins) 🙂
Nicole says
Amazing!!! Cannot believe how nice this is!! Can I leave leftovers in the fridge if so for how long??
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes about 3 days in the fridge is fine.
Kim Pitman says
I just made this tonight for tea and it was delicious ty
Jo Jo says
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
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Karen wass says
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
Polly says
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?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Polly I am not sure, I haven't tested it in a slow cooker, so could not give timings etc.
Eleri says
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!
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Jayne says
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.
Zoe says
Added lightest philidelphia to it for extra creamyness-lovely
Jenny says
Just made the Cheeseburger pasta,absolutely gorgeous we really loved it.Thank you Siobhan.
Mary says
That was so niçebetter then nice my son just loved me best meal I had in a long time
Jules says
Just made this in the slow cooker! Wow a new favourite!
Zoe Leech says
Hi, I can’t eat tomatoes, would it be ok to leave them out of this dish?
Thankyou
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes you can, but the sauce may not be quite the same. Just something to bear in mind 🙂
Andy says
Hi, could this be done with tinned tomatoes rather than cutting up tomatoes? Or would that add too much liquid?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Becka says
Hi shevy,
Just curious but do you have to add the sweetener? What would that be in place of in a regular recipe?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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
Emma says
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
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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 🙂
Jess Webb says
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
Val says
Can I use beef stock instead of chicken
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Nicola says
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
Carol says
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 ☺️
Donna Hitchmough says
Everyone I have made this for loves it, especially me! Lots of people in my Slimming World group talking about it too. Thank you
Tracey says
I made this in slow cooker about 5hrs on low and its just turned to mush,what did I do wrong?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Jane says
Could I use brown sugar instead of the surkin gold ??
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
yep you sure can, just remember to syn/point accordingly.
Nats says
Love this meal!
Could this be done in the instant pot? How would I do that if so please?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
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)
Mary says
Cooked this today with my son and his girlfriend. All loved it. Thanks
Mary says
I cooked it in a slow cooker. Fab.
Honey Sarfo says
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
Bethan says
Made this tonight - absolutely delicious! Thank you Shevy.
Patricia says
What a winner, absolutely loved it - thanks for sharing
Sarah says
Amazing! Another fantastic recipe. Made lots and was great for lunch the next day. My toddler loved it too. Thank you.
Kay says
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!
Michelle says
Can I use a large saucepan instead of a frying pan?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
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.
Helen says
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
Charl says
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!
Catherine says
Made this last night it was delicious will make again and again
Leanne says
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
Sarah brewster says
Omg I’m in love with this dish
Joanne says
I have made this once before & absolutely loved. I would love to try it in the slow cooker. I’ve seen someone say it turned to mush but Mary on 18/02/20 tried it & said it was fab. Just wondering if it’s possible to find out how she did it?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I haven't tested in the slow cooker as it's so quick and easy to make on the stove top, and I am really not keen on pasta cooked in a slow cooker. If you do try you will definitely want to reduce the amount of liquid as it will be to much. Liquid doesn't reduce in a slow cooker, so what ever liquid you add will still be the same once cooked in a slow cooker.
Louise Smith says
Just made the cheeseburger pasta for the first time and it wont be the last my husband and I really enjoyed it thanks for a great recipe
Katerina Ellis says
Hi, Do you know how many cLories this works out to Per person at all? x
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Katerina - if you look at the recipe box, estimated calories are given for all recipes there.
Mr. David Barnett says
Would i be right in thinknig if i am only making it for 2 people, i just half everything including the stock?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
yes half everything if making for two, but make a little extra stock just incase it's needed to cook pasta.
Natalie says
Just made this cheeseburger pasta! Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Will become a firm favourite in our house!