Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta is easy to make and always a hit with the family!

Busy days and chilly nights call for hot and hearty main dishes like this deliciously cheesy pasta dish. Simple ingredients like ground beef, pasta, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, chicken broth and Velveeta cheese make this easy one pot meal a real time saver!

Double up on this recipe for tasty leftovers all week, or take it to a party or potluck!

Prepared Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta in a pot

Cheesy Beef Pasta

  • Kids absolutely love this recipe! Have the gang over for movie night and serve cheesy beef pasta with some grilled cheese roll-ups for dipping or some fun bacon cream cheese biscuits. Don’t forget the monster magic cookie bars for dessert!
  • Prepare on the stovetop or as a casserole in the oven! Either way, this cheesy pasta comes out rich and creamy every time!
  • No need to pre-cook the pasta, either. It cooks as it simmers in the tomato cheese sauce.  
  • Don’t forget to add a crunchy tomato salad along with some of the best cheesy bread ever to round out the meal.

Beef Pasta Ingredients

GROUND BEEF – Ground beef makes this a hearty dish, but a combination of ground beef and pork sausage or turkey adds extra flavor. Sprinkle bacon bits on top as a garnish. Use seasoned ground beef to make this recipe even quicker.

SAUCE – This quick and easy sauce has so many variations. The chicken broth, diced tomatoes and pasta sauce provide enough liquid to cook the pasta, and for a super creamy sauce, stir in some heavy cream. Make it a bit more spicy with a few tablespoons of chili sauce or a couple dashes of Tabasco!

PASTA – This is the fun part! Use any kind of pasta that’s available. Elbow macaroni, shells, penne, even bowtie pasta gives the dish a new look every time.

ADD-INS – Sliced mushrooms, healthy fresh vegetables, sliced black olives, even a bag of frozen mixed veggies, add more flavor and texture to the dish. It’s a great recipe for using up leftovers, too.

Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta ingredients in a pot.

How to Make Pasta with Ground Beef

This one pot meal is perfect to make on busy weeknights, and it’s ready in minutes:

  1. Cook ground beef, drain.
  2. Stir in the remaining ingredients (as per the recipe below) to a large pot.
  3. Boil, then simmer until the pasta is al dente. Serve immediately.

As a Casserole

  1. Cook ground beef, drain.
  2. Place the beef and remaining ingredients (found in the recipe below) in a casserole dish.
  3. Bake until the pasta is al dente. Serve immediately.

Time saving Tips

  • Skip the Spices: Use Italian-style diced tomatoes or Italian sausage and skip the additional seasonings.
  • Skip the browning: Skip the step of browning the meat and use leftover meat instead. Leftover taco meat is perfect in this recipe.
  • Make Ahead: This dish is great for freezing extra batches! Once it’s cooled, scoop it into gallon-sized or individual-sized zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside for up to 4 weeks. Thaw portions in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop.
  • Make it Fancy: Make this cheesy pasta extra fancy with some additional cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese on top of the finished dish. Place it under the broiler until the cheese is browned and bubbly, and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta being served with a silver spoon

Make Quick Ground Beef Pasta Recipes

Here are some more time-saving recipes combining pasta and beef!

Prepared Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta in a pot
4.85 from 82 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta

All you need is one pot and a few simple ingredients for this cheesy pasta dinner. And it can go from stovetop to table in 30 minutes or less!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Holly

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2-3 cups chicken broth or beef broth
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
  • 1 ½ cups pasta sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 cups medium pasta shells or rotini
  • 4 ounces Velveeta

Instructions 

  • Brown ground beef until fully cooked. Drain fat.
  • Combine all ingredients, except Velveeta, in a 12 inch skillet and bring to a simmer.
  • Cook for 14-16 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
  • Add Velveeta and stir through until fully melted.

Notes

Note: Recipe updated July 2022 for improved flavor.
  • Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in covered containers. Or freeze cooled portion in airtight containers or zippered bags for up to 4 weeks. 
4.85 from 82 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1534mg | Potassium: 1191mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 904IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American

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  1. 4 stars
    I made the revised recipe and used the whole 8 oz Velveeta bar. I diced onions, removed the beef, and sautéed with the Italian seasoning until translucent. I also used garlic powder in place of onion powder. I then sprinkled a small amount of garlic salt. I used a larger can of diced tomatoes to offset the additional cheese. I stuck with low sodium beef broth.

    1. We have updated the recipe to pasta sauce and Velveeta, it no longer calls for a can of cheese soup.

      1. 5 stars
        The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and it was was good. The next time I subbed a jar of salsa that I wanted to use up, and I left out the pasta sauce and the Italian seasoning. The salsa turned a really good dish into a fantastic one! I now make this every couple of weeks. Thanks!

  2. I’m not showing condensed cheese soup in the ingredients….am I blind? By pasta sauce, do you mean pre-made marinara sauce (like spaghetti sauce)?

    1. We have updated the recipe to pasta sauce and Velveeta. But yes, by pasta sauce we use a standard marinara sauce.

  3. 5 stars
    I just made this recipe & I have to say it came out so very good my family enjoyed it they were kind of iffy about the cheese in it but it gave this meal such a great flavor, I would definitely make this again & again & again etc…… great recipe love it, ❤❤‍♀️‍♀️Dee

  4. 1 star
    Terrible! I’m a good cook but this was a big fail. Tasted terrible! Added fresh cheddar to fix the taste but husband wouldn’t eat it! I think it was the the canned cheese soup that ruined it!

    1. I make a version of this with a box of velveeta shells and cheese, and I season the ground beef with taco seasoning. I think the canned cheese soup is just not as good.

  5. 1 star
    I won’t make this again. The beef broth watered the cheese soup down so much, I couldn’t taste it at all. Maybe precook the pasta and only use a little bit of broth for flavor? Adding extra cheese on top didn’t really help. Don’t add mixed vegetables like they suggested, it just wasn’t very good.

    1. Sorry to hear that, Heather. We didn’t find it watered down the pasta but you could reduce the amount of beef broth to your preference.

    2. 1 star
      I had the same problem, Heather. The cheese soup disappeared in that much broth. It was not at all like the picture. I have no idea how they got it to look so cheesy.

      1. We recommend starting with the 2 cups of broth and adding more only if necessary. It should help keep it from becoming too liquidy. Hope that helps, Fran!

    1. Sorry to hear that Katie, 2 2/3 cups is correct did you also add a cup of water with the condensed soup? That could be why it is thinner.