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Loaded Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Loaded bacon cheeseburger pasta is a one-pot ground beef pasta skillet with crispy bacon and a velvety cheddar sauce. Tender rotini or penne simmers in beef broth and milk, then gets finished with melted sharp cheddar and classic cheeseburger flavorings like ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 730
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
bacon
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
onion
  • 1 onion small, diced
garlic
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
ketchup
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
pasta
  • 2 cup pasta rotini or penne, uncooked
beef broth
  • 2.5 cup beef broth
milk
  • 1 cup milk
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
pickle chips
  • 1 pickle chips for topping

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook bacon
  1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, then crumble it and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the pan for browning.
Brown beef and build the cheeseburger base
  1. Brown the ground beef with the diced onion in the same skillet using the reserved bacon drippings. Drain excess fat, then add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
  2. Stir in ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pasta, beef broth, and milk with salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Keep stirring until the pasta is evenly submerged.
Simmer and finish
  1. Cover and cook on medium heat for 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. Look for a thickened sauce that clings to the noodles.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in shredded sharp cheddar until melted and creamy. The sauce should look smooth and glossy with no dry cheese streaks.
  3. Top the pasta with bacon crumbles and pickle chips before serving. Add the pickles last for a bright tang and crunchy bite.

Notes

For a smoother cheddar sauce, add cheese off-heat and stir until fully melted before topping. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat gently with a splash of milk or broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the dairy sauce can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (90% lean) and swap whole milk for 2% milk.