Cheesesteak pasta comes together in a single pan in 30 minutes, making weeknight dinner a breeze. Ground beef, pasta, bell peppers, and onions are coated in a sour cream and cheese sauce.
This one pan dinner makes the perfect weeknight comfort meal. If you grew up on hamburger helper, you're going to love this cheesesteak version!
Elbow macaroni, crumbled ground beef, onions, and bell pepper are coated in a flavorful sauce made with sour cream and shredded monterey jack cheese. This recipe has flavors similar to my reader favorite recipe for cheesesteak style sloppy joes.
The best part is that this recipe comes together in a single sauté pan in about 30 minutes. All you need are some simple pantry ingredients to get started.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with olive oil.
- Onion - Adds flavor to the skillet meal. I don't recommend omitting it.
- Bell pepper - Any color of bell pepper works in this recipe. Substitute with 2-3 chopped jalapenos for a little heat.
- Ground beef - 85/15 ground beef works well in this recipe. If using a fattier ground beef, some grease may want to be drained from the pan before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and garlic powder add mild savory flavor. If you have fresh garlic on hand, substitute the garlic powder with two cloves of minced garlic.
- Worcestershire sauce - Can be substituted with soy sauce or steak sauce if needed. Worcestershire adds a savory, umami flavor to your skillet meal.
- Beef broth - Can be substituted with chicken or vegetable broth if needed, but beef broth adds the most complementary savory flavor. I don't recommend low sodium broth unless you must for dietary reasons. If using low sodium broth, I recommend adding additional seasoning, like ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme, to make up for the lost flavor.
- Macaroni - Can be substituted with your favorite medium sized pasta, like cavatappi, penne, or farfalle. Remember to follow your pasta's package directions for al dente pasta.
- Sour cream - Can be substituted with heavy cream.
- Monterey jack cheese - Can be substituted with any freshly shredded melty cheese, like cheddar, pepper jack, or American cheese. I recommend using cheese freshly shredded from a block for best flavor and creamy, smooth texture. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-clumping powders that get grainy when melted.
Tips and tricks
Food sticking? - Add a bit of liquid and turn the heat down - your stove is too hot. Stoves all run at slightly different temperatures, even if they're turned to the same setting.
Sauce look thin? If your sauce looks thin when you're done cooking, allow the pan to sit uncovered for 5 minutes. The pasta continues to absorb liquid as it stands.
Properly measure liquids and pasta - Everything is cooked in a single pan, so you'll need an exact amount of liquid to cook your pasta. Improper measuring can lead to a runny sauce.
Shredded cheese - Use fresh shredded monterey jack cheese from a block instead of pre-shredded cheese in a bag. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-clumping powder that can make your sauce grainy as it melts.
Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms make a great addition to this meal and will add a flavor similar to a ground beef stroganoff. Add diced mushrooms along with the onion and bell peper.
Leftover pasta will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Add a splash of milk or heavy cream to help thin the sauce while reheating.
You are correct, this is not a recipe for a cheesesteak. This recipe is for cheesesteak pasta, a skillet meal made with the flavors of a cheesesteak - beef, onion, carbs, and cheese. In parts of the world other than Philadelphia, peppers are also a common topping on cheesesteaks. I also recommend adding mushrooms if you like them!
Sure, any ground meat will work in this recipe. You may want to do a taste test and adjust your seasonings when using lower fat meats because fat enhances other flavors in the dish.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Cheesesteak Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 16 ounces ground beef
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 20 ounces beef broth
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
- ½ cup sour cream, *
- 4 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly shredded
Instructions
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter. When melted, add diced onion and pepper to pan. Cook until veggies begin to turn brown around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Crumble ground beef into the pan and use a spatula to break beef into small pieces. Allow to cook, undisturbed, until you see brown, crisp edges on the ground beef. Flip over and redistribute, allowing the other side to brown. (Optionally, drain any excess grease from the pan at this time).
- Add salt, garlic powder, pepper, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and pasta to pan. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook your pasta to "al dente" according to your pasta's package directions.
- Remove lid. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Add sour cream and shredded cheese to pan. Stir until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and allow to set for five minutes to allow sauce to thicken (pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it stands).
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- *Sour cream can be doubled, or substituted with heavy cream, for a richer sauce.
- Cheese should be freshly grated. Bagged, pre-shredded cheese is coated in a powder to prevent clumping, which can cause your sauce to be grainy.
- 20 ounces beef broth = 2.5 liquid cups
- It is important to accurately measure your broth and pasta for this recipe. As written, you'll have just enough liquid to cook your pasta, without leaving excess liquid in the pan.
When do you add the noodles
Hi Vic, you add the pasta in step two: "Add worcestershire sauce, beef broth, water, and pasta to pan."
I made this and it was delicious. I did add 2 tsp of garlic and some sour cream. Will be making this again.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ruth!
Made this for the second time tonight! I used egg noodles and added 2 spoons of sour cream to make it even more rich! Super yum!
Glad you enjoyed it Elizabeth, sour cream sounds like a great addition!