Cheesy One Pot Beef

Cheesy One Pot Beef is easy, cozy, and ridiculously delicious! This homemade take on classic Hamburger Helper uses simple ingredients like ground beef, tender macaroni, melty cheddar cheese, and crushed tomatoes—all in one pot for fast cleanup.

Love More One Pot Recipes? Try My One Pot Philly Cheese Steak Pasta or this One Pot Philly Cheese Steak Pasta next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Hearty, cheesy, and packed with flavor, this Cheesy One Pot Beef is a quick and satisfying dinner option. Ground beef, pasta, and a rich, creamy cheese sauce cook together in one pot for an easy, no-fuss meal. Comforting and delicious, it’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something warm and filling.

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Ingredient List

Main Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended for best flavor)
• 2 cups macaroni pasta (elbow macaroni or your preferred shape)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (freshly shredded from block works best)
• 2-3 cups beef broth (low sodium preferred)
• 1 can (14-15 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (fresh preferred)

Seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)

Optional Add-ins:

• Extra cheese for topping
• Fresh herbs for garnish
• Vegetables like bell peppers, peas, or spinach
• Hot sauce for spice

Substitution Notes: Shells or penne work if you don’t have elbows. Ground turkey’s fine too, just maybe add a splash of Worcestershire for flavor. Half milk, half broth makes it extra creamy if that’s your thing.

Why These Ingredients Work

The 80/20 beef isn’t just me being picky—that little bit of fat is where the flavor lives. You drain the excess anyway so don’t stress it. Shredding your own cheese takes thirty seconds and makes the sauce actually creamy instead of grainy and weird like pre-shredded does. Low sodium broth means you’re in charge of the salt, which matters because canned stuff varies wildly. Good crushed tomatoes won’t water down your sauce—I learned that one the hard way. Fresh garlic just smells better and tastes sharper than the jar stuff, and those dried seasonings build up layers without you having to think too hard about it. The pasta soaks up all that beefy, tomatoey goodness while it cooks.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large pot or deep skillet with lid (at least 4-quart capacity)
• Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Box grater (for shredding cheese from block)
• Ladle or large spoon for serving

How To Make Cheesy One Pot Beef

Step 1: Brown the Ground Beef

Toss your beef into a big pot on medium-high and break it up with a wooden spoon. Let it get brown and crumbly—those crusty bits matter. When it’s done, tip the pot and spoon out the extra grease or your sauce will be swimming in it.

Step 2: Season the Meat

Throw in the garlic and all your spices—garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Stir it around for a minute so everything gets coated. Your kitchen’s gonna smell ridiculous in the best way.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

Pour in the broth and tomatoes. Here’s the good part—scrape the bottom of the pot hard with your spoon to get all those brown bits mixed in. That’s where half the flavor is hiding.

Step 4: Cook the Macaroni

Get it bubbling gently, then dump in your pasta. Stir it every few minutes so it doesn’t glue itself to the bottom. Takes about 10-15 minutes till it’s tender but still has some bite. If it starts looking dry, splash in more broth. The pasta’s gonna drink up a lot of liquid.

Step 5: Mix in the Cheese

Turn the heat way down—like low low—then add your cheese. Stir till it melts into this gorgeous creamy sauce. Taste it now and add more salt or garlic powder if it needs it. This is your last chance to fix anything.

Step 6: Grab a Bowl and Serve Warm

Scoop it out while it’s hot. If you want peak coziness, throw more cheese on top of each bowl.

You Must Know

Critical Tip: Drain that beef fat or your sauce will be greasy and thin. Also, keep stirring the pasta or it’ll stick and burn on the bottom. Check it at 10 minutes—mushy pasta ruins everything.

Personal Secret: Add your cheese in two stages—stir in most of it at the end for creaminess, then sprinkle a handful on top of each serving for that irresistible cheese.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Start checking your pasta at 10 minutes. It goes from perfect to mush fast.
• If your Italian seasoning’s been in the cabinet since 2019, toss it and get new. Old spices taste like dust.
• Block cheese you grate yourself melts smooth. Pre-shredded gets clumpy and weird.
• Too thick? Add broth. Too soupy? Let it simmer with the lid off for a few minutes.
• Actually brown the beef. Don’t just cook it till it’s gray—you want color for flavor.
• Don’t add cheese on high heat. It’ll seize up and get grainy. Low heat only.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Southwestern Style: Use taco seasoning instead of Italian, swap to Monterey Jack, throw in black beans and corn. Sour cream and cilantro on top.

Veggie-Packed Version: Dice up bell peppers or toss in frozen peas or spinach toward the end. Makes you feel slightly better about life choices.

Spicy Kick: Red pepper flakes in with your seasonings or hot sauce drizzled on top. Both work.

Extra Creamy: Stir in a few spoonfuls of cream cheese or sour cream with the cheddar. It’s ridiculous.

Different Cheese Blends: Half sharp cheddar, half mozzarella is solid. Pepper jack if you like things spicy.

Make-Ahead Options

Honestly this is best right when you make it, but I get it—life happens. You can brown and season the beef up to 2 days ahead and stick it in the fridge. When it’s dinner time, just add your liquids and pasta and go.

Meal Prep Tip: Double the recipe and pack it into containers for lunch. Add a little milk or broth when you reheat it or it’ll be too thick.

Freezer-Friendly: Let it cool all the way down first, then freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before you reheat it. Add liquid when you warm it up.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The pasta keeps absorbing liquid after you turn the heat off, so if you’re planning on leftovers, make the sauce a little looser than you think you need. When you reheat it, always add milk or broth back in—it makes a huge difference. If you’ve got picky eaters, this is pretty flexible. Leave out whatever they hate and let everyone add their own toppings.

Serving Suggestions

It’s a full meal by itself, but it goes great with:

• Simple green salad with whatever dressing you like
• Garlic bread for mopping up the sauce
• Steamed broccoli or green beans
• Fresh parsley or chives if you’re feeling fancy
• Red pepper flakes for anyone who wants heat

Just put it on the table and let people dig in. Keep extra cheese, hot sauce, and black pepper nearby for customizing.

How to Store Your Cheesy One Pot Beef

Refrigerator: Airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’ll get thicker as it sits because the pasta keeps soaking up liquid.

Reheating: Stovetop on medium-low with a splash of milk or broth works best. Microwave’s fine too—just add a little liquid and stir it halfway through.

Freezer: Cool it completely, then freeze in containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat it slow and add extra liquid.

Allergy Information

Common Allergens:

• Dairy (cheese, possibly in broth)
• Gluten (pasta)

Substitution Suggestions:

• Dairy-Free: Dairy-free cheese that actually melts. Check your broth ingredients too.
• Gluten-Free: Swap in gluten-free pasta. Rice-based or chickpea both work.
• Vegetarian: Plant-based ground meat or cooked lentils work. Use vegetable broth.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sauce turned out too thin—what did I do wrong?

Too much broth or not enough simmering time. Start with 2 cups and only add more if you actually need it. Let it bubble away with the lid off for a few extra minutes. The pasta’ll soak up liquid as it sits anyway.

The cheese looks clumpy instead of creamy—help!

Heat was too high when you added it, or you used pre-shredded cheese. Turn heat to LOW before adding cheese. Always use block cheese you shred yourself.

Can I add vegetables without changing the recipe too much?

Yep. Bell peppers go in with the garlic. Frozen peas or corn in the last 2-3 minutes. Spinach wilts right in before you add cheese. Easy.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Let me know how it went and if you switched anything up. I’m always curious what works in other people’s kitchens.