One pot cheeseburger pasta is a dinner that always has the kids cheering. This easy recipe is made all in one pot in under thirty minutes, and has all the flavors of cheeseburger you love! This dish is perfect for busy weeknights, comes together fast and easy, and is perfect for any cheeseburger lover.

Cheeseburger macaroni finished in a large pot being mixed with a wooden spoon.

Table of Contents

Why We Love One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Made All In One Pot – I love one-pot meals, they make clean-up so easy and are my favorite meals to make on a weekday.
30 Minutes To Make – During the week it can be hard to get dinner on the table, and quick meals that don’t take long to make are one of my favorite easy recipes to make!
Family Friendly Dinner – Honestly once my kid gets cheeseburger pasta on the brain, she keeps bringing it up asking for it for dinner. Skip the Hamburger Helper boxed version, this similar one-pot cheeseburger pasta tastes even better and is great comfort food for the whole family and is perfect for the pickiest eater. We loved it so much I also made a homemade cheesy beef and shells version of hamburger helper that my family loves too.

Love one pot meals? Try the one-pot turkey spaghetti, the chicken broccoli and rice, the one-pot ground beef burrito bowl, the creamy chicken penne alfredo or the one-pot smoked sausage and rice! So many choices for delicious easy dinners.

Ingredients For Cheeseburger Pasta

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

olive oil
onion diced
ground beef
garlic minced
diced tomatoes canned, tomato sauce can also be used
beef broth – you can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth
Worcestershire sauce
paprika
salt
pepper
ketchup
elbow macaroni dry pasta
cream cheese
cheddar cheese shredded, mozzarella cheese or another shredded cheese blend can also be swapped

How To Make One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta

Place a large dutch oven or large 5-7 quart pot on the stove. Turn the heat to medium high and add the olive oil. Place the onion and the garlic in the pan, heating and stirring until the onions begin to brown.

Diced onion being cooked in a pot from overhead with raw ground beef in a bowl on the counter nearby.

Add the ground beef to the pan. Stir and break up the meat as needed cooking it all the way through until brown, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any excess grease from the beef.

Ground beef cooked in a large pot from overhead.

Pour the diced tomatoes with juice and the beef broth over the ground beef. Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, and ketchup to the pot. Give the mixture a gentle stir to mix everything well in the large pot.

Ground beef with broth and tomatoes in a large pot from overhead with a bowl of uncooked macaroni on the counter from nearby.

Place the uncooked pasta into the pot and spread out the pasta in the pan as much as possible. Push the pasta gently under the liquid but don’t stir until it has cooked a little bit with the lid on the pot.

Uncooked macaroni in a tomato broth in a large pot from overhead.

Bring the pot up to a boil, then cover the pot and turn the heat down to medium-low heat to simmer. Cook the pasta covered for about 8-9 minutes or until tender. Stir the pasta occasionally while it cooks to help keep it from clumping, about every four minutes to give it a chance to cook. Taste the pasta for tenderness when you stir the pasta it should be al dente when done. Cover the pot with the lid again to continue cooking as needed.
The pasta is done when it is tender. Turn the heat to low and let the pasta stand for a 2-3 minutes to soak up a little more of the sauce.
Cube cream cheese into small pieces. Add cream cheese and stir well until fully dissolved. Then add the shredded cheddar cheese a little at a time, stirring to let the cheese melt. Serve this family favorite topped with a little extra cheddar cheese and if desired, chopped pickles and chopped fresh juicy tomatoes if desired!

Cooked macaroni mixed with tomatoes and ground beef in a large pot from overhead with cheese, pickled and tomatoes in small bowls nearby.

Variation Ideas And Swaps

Make It Bacon Cheeseburger– Add a few slices of crumbled cooked bacon to take this one pot pasta up a level. If the bacon is uncooked, you can cook it in the pot before you make the pasta. Then crumble or chop the bacon and mix it in at the end! I also have a slow-cooker bacon cheeseburger soup (and a hamburger stew!) I bet you will love.

Add All The Burger Toppings– Any toppings you enjoy on a burger can be added to the top of this tender pasta at the end. Try diced tomatoes, diced onions, shredded lettuce, chopped pickles (or a spoonful of relish) or a little extra cheese. You can add these toppings at the table for everyone to add their own favorites.

Try A Drizzle Of Sauce On Top– While my kid prefers this pasta as is, I like to add an extra drizzle of sauce on my pasta at the table. Try hot sauce, sriracha, your favorite BBQ sauce, a little sour cream, or a burger sauce like this Big Mac Sauce.

Swap The Ground Meat– Ground turkey or ground chicken can also be swapped into this dish. Ground pork or ground sausage can also be used, but I recommend only swapping pork for half of the ground beef or it can make everything a bit heavy. I have not tried this dish with vegetarian options like soy crumbles or Beyond-style meat, let me know if you try it!

Swap The Pasta Shape – I’ve used macaroni, but you can swap in 8 ounces of your favorite pasta. A short pasta like shells, penne or fusilli tends to work best for this hearty meal.

Cheeseburger macaroni in a dinner bowl surrounded by more bowls of cheese, tomato and pickle toppings on the counter.

How Long Will Cheeseburger Pasta Last?

Expect this cheeseburger pasta will last for three days. Place leftovers in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator. Our family enjoyed the leftover pasta almost as much as we enjoyed it fresh, and leftovers made an easy meal.

I think this tastes just as delicious the next day, and the entire family enjoyed the leftovers.

It is also possible to freeze the leftovers of this pasta dish to be reheated later. Frozen it will taste best if reheated and eaten within about two months if stored in a freezer zip-top bag.