Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

This bacon cheeseburger pasta combines smoky bacon, juicy ground beef, and a rich tomato-cheddar sauce for a hearty meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 933kcal

½ pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained according to package directions
½ pound center cut smoked bacon, cut into ½ inch diced pieces (approximately 6-7 slices)
1 pound lean ground beef, 93%-7% fat
21.50 ounces condensed tomato soup (two 10.75-ounce cans)
2 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese blend, Sargento brand

Cook the elbow pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
To a large skillet (10-12 inches) over medium heat, add the diced bacon pieces and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Stir often to ensure the bacon does not burn.
Using a large slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon from the skillet and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat. Discard the excess rendered fat from the skillet, but do not clean it.
Increase the heat to the skillet to medium-high. Add the lean ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink.
Add the condensed tomato soup, cooked bacon pieces, and drained elbow pasta to the skillet with the ground beef. Stir to combine.
Top the bacon cheeseburger pasta mixture with the shredded cheddar-jack cheese (do not stir the cheese into the mixture yet) and cover the skillet with a lid. Allow the mixture to heat through, and melt the shredded cheese, for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the lid to the skillet, stir the melted cheese into the rest of the mixture and remove from the heat.

Be sure to use a good quality brand of condensed tomato soup for this recipe as you are getting most of your flavor from the soup. You can taste the mixture before adding the shredded cheese to the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Cheddar jack cheese is a wonderful cheese to you for its melting quality and flavor it adds to a recipe. A great alternative would be colby-jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese.
Any short pasta can be used as a substitute for the elbow macaroni noodles.
Be sure to use a very lean ground beef, or a ground sirloin, to avoid having too much excess fat in the skillet when cooked. If you are using a higher fat blend of ground beef, and have a good amount of rendered fat in the skillet when cooked, you will want to drain off most of the excess fat before adding the remaining ingredients to the skillet.