Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pasta

This is just pure and simple comfort food.  Classic retro comfort food from our childhoods.  And it has gone by many names. 

Hamburger Helper History

What many of us know as Hamburger Helper from the ’70’s also goes by ‘American Chop Suey’, ‘Johnny Marzetti’, ‘American Goulash’, even ‘Slumgullion’! Some funny names, but in the end, its all good.  Did you know that Hamburger Helper got its start during a beef crisis in America because of an anchovy shortage!?  Apparently farmers relied on anchovies as part of the feed for their cattle.  So there was just less meat to go around and fill the grocery stores’ refrigerated sections.  Step in Hamburger Helper, a way to stretch beef with pasta, tomatoes, and spices.  Add more veggies, and even less meat is needed to feed a large family.

Revamping the packaging, and even a marketing campaign targeting single men, this pantry staple has endured the decades, and can be found in many pantry cupboards across North America.  Dried pasta, a packet of spices are at its core, to be combined with sautéed beef, milk and water. And while the box on the grocery shelves may have helped ones come up with meals to stretch their prized amount of beef, that box also contains a lot of sodium etc.  For a cool detailed history of this pantry staple, check out The Untold Truth of Hamburger Helper over at Mashed.

But at it’s core, the combination of pasta, tomato sauce, beef etc is good.  It’s a one pot, one skillet meal that is cozy, and easy to whip up.  So if we make this cheeseburger pasta homemade, we have total control of the ingredients, how much salt etc is added, and how fresh the ingredients will be.

Double Bacon Cheeseburger

If we are going out for burgers, the combo Jim will always order is a Bacon Double Cheeseburger.  I don’t blame him. When we were first married I made him a homemade version of beefy cheesy pasta, but without the bacon.  But then I started realizing that bacon would be a great addition.  It adds some great flavour, and a bit of fat, especially if you are using lean beef, or even chicken or turkey.  Keep the bacon.

And if we are going to Double Cheese this dish, what better way than adding some cream cheese to the sauce that develops?  Instant tang and creaminess without needing a lot of it.  The other cheese of course is a medium cheddar, and copious amounts of it.  You can also replace or combine the cheddar with Fontina, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella.  Just make sure it is a meltable cheese, the drier or more aged a cheese, the less smooth the final sauce will turn out.

How to Make it Healthier

We can increase the health benefits of this dish with veggies, of course.  Onions, garlic, chopped red and green peppers, even chopped baby spinach.  And since this is Cheeseburger inspired, anything else you want on a burger could go in: mushrooms, pickles etc.  There are diced tomatoes in the dish, but if you want to add chopped cherry tomatoes etc, go for it.

Flavour Makers

Italian seasonings, chilli powder, sweet paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce are what gives the sauce the flavour depth it needs.  You can totally adjust these to the palate of your family.  If you want a bit of heat, add some cayenne pepper!  The Worcestershire sauce adds an umami side to the beef and sauce, don’t leave it out.

Method

This Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pasta dish comes together quite easily and quickly, so it is perfect for a weekday meal.  Sautéing ground beef (or turkey or chicken) onions and garlic, then adding chopped veggies, seasoning mix, and stir.  Then add the can of diced tomatoes, stock, milk and dried macaroni.  Let it all cook together till the sauce has thickened and the pasta is cooked through.  That’s when the cream cheese and then the shredded cheese is added and stirred through till melted.  Ta da! Done.

Stock Options

If you have a carton of beef stock, or homemade stock handy, use it.  If not, Better Than Bouillon for Beef is what I turn to.  If wanting to make this a chicken or turkey meal, you can use my Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder to make a flavourful stock. Or if bouillon cubes is all you have on hand, that’s fine too.

Final Thoughts

The full recipe for this Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pasta will feed six comfortably.  If it is only two of you at home, feel free to cut the recipe in half.  It will make great leftovers, as long as your pasta is the kind that will hold up under the pressure of sitting overnight in the fridge.  Thankfully the gluten free macaroni I use is just fine for leftovers of this dish.

Speaking of pasta, macaroni is the classic option, but any smaller pasta will work.  Do you have mini shells in the pantry? Or how about that bag of orecchietti, go for it. Or bow ties, if that’s what the family likes. Don’t go any larger than a small penne though.

My favourite finish to this dish is chopped pickles!! I know, it may sound weird, but try it!  Whether you use dill or bread and butter pickles, chop them up and sprinkle them on top, their tang and crunch are such a fun accent!

I’m all for classic retro comfort foods, and meals like this totally fit the bill.  We’re all big kids in the end, aren’t we??  And if you have a different name for this Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pasta, please share!

Print

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Pasta

Pure comfort food, this dish comes together quickly, is filled with healthy ingredients, and will make the entire family happy! Perfect weekday dinner, just add a side salad.

Course Main Course

Cuisine North American

Keyword beef, casserole, cheddar cheese, one pot meals, pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 rashers of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb lean ground beef, or 454 grams, see Notes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper, see Notes
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups elbow macaroni, see Notes
• 1 1/2 cups milk, or 340 ml
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock, or 340 ml see Notes
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, or 398 grams
• 3 oz cream cheese, cubed, or 85 grams
• 1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese, see Notes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, garnish
• 1/2 cup diced pickles for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook till just crispy. Drain away any excess fat.
2. Add the beef, and brown and crumbled.
3. Add the onions, garlic, and chopped peppers. Cook for 2 minutes, or just starting to soften.
4. Add the Italian seasoning, paprika, chilli powder, Worcestershire and cayenne if using. Stir through. Add 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Stir through.
5. Add the pasta to the beef mixture.
6. Pour in the milk, beef stock, and diced tomatoes. Combine. Bring everything to a boil, and then reduce the heat. If you have a lid that fits, cover partially. If not, that's alright, just don't go far. Either way, stir gently but regularly to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom.
7. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through and tender.
8. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir through till smooth. Add the shredded cheese and stir till melted.
9. Taste and re-season as desired.
10. Serve with parsley, and chopped pickles.
11. See blog post for more details.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to replace the beef with ground chicken or turkey. The bacon will help keep everything from being too dry. If using a very lean meat, don't drain as much of the fat from the bacon.
Feel free to replace some of the peppers with mushrooms.
You can use any small shaped pasta, gluten free or otherwise. If the pasta you choose doesn't do well left in sauce overnight, you may consider making a half batch.
You can replace the beef stock or broth with chicken broth, or use my Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder to make your own.
You can replace some of the medium cheddar with Mozzarella, Fontina or Monterey Jack.