This Cheesy Beef and Pasta recipe is a dinner favorite the whole family will love. The hamburger and macaroni cook together in the sauce in one skillet for a delicious and easy to prepare meal with tons of flavor. 

Wooden spoon with cheesy beef pasta held over skillet of pasta.

This dish is based on one of my favorite meals from my childhood. We called it Macaroni Meat Casserole, and when I was old enough my mom taught me how to make it. As a teenager, I would occasionally make it for my family. I still have the original recipe in my binder of tried and true recipes. For this recipe, I kept the ingredients and flavors from my favorite childhood dish but simplified it for quick and easy preparation in a skillet.

Preparation

Like my macaroni pasta bake, this recipe uses one pound of ground beef. There is no need to boil the macaroni, it cooks right in the pan. You start by softening the onions and browning the beef in a skillet. Next, you add the sauce ingredients and simmer to develop the flavors. Then the pasta cooks in the skillet with the ground beef for 10-15 minutes until tender. Top with cheese and finish in the oven for a delicious casserole flavor.

ingredients combined in the skillet simmering, ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, seasonings

This recipe is a family-friendly meal that all my kids enjoy and ask for seconds.  “Mmmmm! Mom, can you make this again?” I love to hear that.  With simple ingredients, pasta, tomato sauce, ground beef, and cheese combined into a cheesy, saucy one-dish meal, I bet your family will enjoy this delicious dinner as much as mine! It also makes for easy prep and clean-up, a bonus for the cook in the house!

More Ground Beef Recipes:

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Skillet

Servings: 8 servings
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
A Cheesy Beef and Pasta dinner favorite the whole family will love. Ground beef and pasta cook together in a tomato sauce for a delicious and easy to prepare meal with tons of flavor. 
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. dried basil
  • salt and pepper
  • 12 oz. whole-wheat elbow pasta
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Heat olive oil in a large (5 quart) skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add beef and cook until browned, crumbling into small pieces.
  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, and a little salt and pepper. Cook at a low simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the pasta and water. Cover and increase the heat to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring often, until pasta is just tender, 13-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Stir in the cheddar cheese and ½ cup of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Serving: 1/8 recipe, Calories: 431kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 564mg, Potassium: 758mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 570IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 429mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.
This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!