One-Pot Creamy Beef Pasta
Extra creamy, wildly delicious, and super easy is this one-pot creamy beef pasta. This dish is packed with ample flavor and two different kinds of cheeses…so comforting and weeknight friendly!

Do y’all remember that one signature store-bought boxed one pot pasta situation with hamburger? Yeah, you know: it even claimed to be a huge helper, HAHA. Listen, I use to live off of it when I was a kid and when Mom was out working and I had to fend for myself. There is something so cozy + comforting about it huh.
Given the current climate of the world, we’re all majorly relying on our pantry staples and easy but good homemade cooking. While going through my mess of a pantry/fridge; I put together this insanely delicious, super easy, and creamy one-pot beef pasta. It’s sort of an ode to that favorite I grew up on but homemade and 10x better. Yessss, this creamy beef pasta is outrageously disrespectful in the best kind of way!
Creamy Beef Pasta Ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)
- Pasta: I love using rigatoni pasta for my creamy beef pasta. Since thicker/wider, it holds up to the creamy sauce and meat perfectly. Use any kind of short-cut pasta: elbow, shells, penne, farfalle, orecchiette, etc.
- Chicken Broth: This helps to create a lovely saucy, flavorful, and creamy texture! You can also use beef broth as well.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I love this for some added creamy goodness.
- Ground Beef: A nice beautiful pound of ground beef.
- Butter: My favorite, this fat is used to sauté the ground beef.
- Shallot: One shallot, finely chopped, yields so much great flavor!
- Spices: Super simple: salt/pepper/garlic powder is all that you need.
- Cheese: Two kinds for ultimate deliciousness! One 8-ounce bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (you can use either orange or white cheddar or a mixed bag of both!) and one cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Other Recipes You May Also Like:
- Smoked Gouda Mac ‘N Cheese
- Pan Seared Salmon With Orzo + Asparagus
- One-Pot Casarecce Pasta
- Easy Chicken and Dumplings
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken
- Creamy Vegan Jerk Pasta
How To Make One-Pot Creamy Beef Pasta
This creamy beef pasta recipe is just so easy to make, y’all!
- In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and cook until browned completely. Then season the beef with salt/pepper- to taste, and garlic powder.
- Add in the chopped shallot and continue cooking along with the beef.
- Next, add the dried pasta into the same pot along with the chicken or beef broth, and stir. Cover the pot with a lid to let pasta cook until tender.
- Lastly, add in the cream and cheeses. Give everything a good stir to combine and allow pasta to sit in pot, covered, for a few minutes to meld.
FAQ’s On This Creamy Beef Pasta Recipe
Can I Use Other Meat?
Yes, you sure can: ground turkey or ground pork can + will also work well here!
Any Heavy Cream Alternatives?
Try using half and half or evaporated milk. Coconut milk would also work but know that it would alter the overall taste a bit.
Don’t Have A Shallot?
No biggie, my friends: just use a regular onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup!
What Can I Pair This Recipe With?
Serve up this creamy beef pasta with a light side salad and garlic bread for an ultimate meal. Maybe even pair with a ‘lil glass of wine for the adults, too! This also makes for a great date night situation as well, ha!
I am just absolutely smitten with this one-pot creamy beef pasta you guys! ☺️
I sure do hope y’all enjoy it as well and tag me in all your creations. This is most definitely an easy weeknight recipe that’ll hit the spot and have you going right back to the pot for seconds…maybe even thirds? Ha.
REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!
UNTIL NEXT TIME…LOVE AND BUTTER,
Q.
PrintOne-Pot Creamy Beef Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Extra creamy, wildly delicious, and super easy is this one-pot creamy beef pasta. This dish is packed with ample flavor and two different kinds of cheeses…so comforting and weeknight friendly!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lb ground beef (I use grass-fed)
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 lb dried short-cut pasta (I use rigatoni)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef and use a wooden utensil to break the beef into crumbles. Cook until browned completely, about 6-7 minutes. Then season the beef with salt/pepper- to taste, and garlic powder.
- Next, add in the shallot, stir together, and continue cooking along with the beef for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the dried pasta and broth. Stir to fully incorporate and place a lid on the pot and allow the pasta to cook through, about 10-12 minutes or until pasta is fully cooked, al dente.
- Turn off the heat and pour in the cream and both cheeses, stir to fully combine. Let the pasta sit, covered, for at least 10 minutes to allow the sauce and flavors to meld. Then serve and enjoy!
Keywords: dinner, pasta, one pot, beef, creamy
75 Comments on “One-Pot Creamy Beef Pasta”
Hello Sunshine
Due to the this time of ….. Finding simple items at my local market can be challenging. Can I substitute Penne pasta for rigatoni pasta when making your ” one pot creamy beef pasta” recipe?
Hi Robin, yes, you could absolutely use penne pasta as a substitute 🙂
My hubby went to three different markets to locate the right pasta, and it was so worth it! So cheesy,delicious, the ultimate comfort food! Cheese lovers make this recipe.?
★★★★★
Hi Robin! This comment makes me so happy…love that ya’ll enjoyed this dish 🙂
So good! I cant wait to make this. The ultimate comfy food.
★★★★★
This dish is perfection! I’ve made it so many times recently for some new mamas, for a family who lost a loved one, and for my husband’s hangover!! It’s the ultimate comfort food!!
★★★★★
God this pasta is good. The kind of good that makes you excited for leftovers because it reheats so nicely but mostly because this pasta is so damn good.
★★★★★
Hi Rocio, glad you loved this pasta recipe too! 🙂
Excellent recipe. Creamy and delicious. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Holly, glad you liked this creamy beef pasta 🙂
Soo Good. Did not want leftovers so made 1/2 recipe. Will not make that mistake again, want leftovers.
So delicious! Easy, filling, flavorful. My husband said “this is delicious, don’t change a thing” and my very picky 6 year ate her entire portion! Such a great recipe!
★★★★★
This was delicious!
★★★★★
I cooked it added fresh cooked spinach , oh my , it was so good.i am going to be cooking a lot of your recipes. Pam Wilson
★★★★★
Such great flavor for a simple easy to make meal! Definitely a KEEPER!!
★★★★★
Can you use beef broth instead
Hi there- yes, you could use beef broth too!
Hi, do you drain water and broth from the pasta before putting in then cheese and heavy cream? Thanks
Hi there- I recommend making this recipe exactly as it is written. There is no draining to be done as the pasta absorbs much of the liquid.
i made this with chicken as well it was sooooooo good
★★★★★
I made this today with ground bison for a non-traditional Easter meal with my son. It was soooo delicious and imagine the leftovers will be just as yummy! My son wanted a hamburger helper sort of dish so I searched and found your recipe. Thanks, Quin, for a great recipe!
This was delicious. Took longer for the pasta to cook and there was still a lot of liquid so I threw in 8 more oz. of a mexican blend cheese….well, that’s my excuse, anyway! It was so ultimately cheesy! Yum, yum! My husband liked it, too. I think I will add mushrooms and maybe even some diced up celery next time with the shallot. I think this just screams for mushrooms! But, then, I love mushrooms in recipes like this. Thanks so much for the wonderful dinner!
★★★★★
So good! It was a win with EVERYONE in my house and that’s saying a lot!!! (I have to admit… I did add parsley and I used minced garlic instead of garlic powder.)
★★★★★
This was the first one pot recipe I’ve ever tried and woweeee this is super tasty and so easy! Definitely will be adding this to my rotation of go-to recipes. Everyone loved and can’t wait for the leftover tomorrow 😋
★★★★★
Hi Corina! So glad you enjoyed this one pot pasta recipe 🙂
Adding this to my dinner rotation!! So easy to make and super delicious! As many others said in the comments, it’s the ultimate comforting dish 🙂 my husband loved it! Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Krystal! Love to hear this, glad you enjoyed! 🙂
This is delicious Quin! To make it healthier, I used whole wheat pasta and added mushroom, artichoke, and spinach. I also used fresh garlic and subbed the heavy cream with creamed cottage cheese. Excited for leftovers 🙂
5 stars for sure. I recommend using fresh garlic and adding mushroom and chopped frozen artichoke.
★★★★★
This recipe was quick and tasty. This was the perfect week night one pot meal.
★★★★★
Hey Dominek- so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for dropping this review 🙂
Big fan of this recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Note: I have made this recipe 7-8 times and continuously struggle to make the sauce think and creamy (as opposed to thin and runny). I follow the recipe! Any suggestions??
Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Kirsten- The major key is letting the finished pasta sit for a bit of time afterwards. This allows the pasta starches/cheese/sauce some time to mingle and thicken 🙂
Hi Butter Be Ready, I never leave reviews. Haha I’m one of those ppl, but I enjoyed this recipe and I did double the meat for my hubby. We both enjoyed it. Pasta is always tasty and I find very forgiving. I am also a UCF graduate and my family is from the islands of the Bahamas! Shout out to the Caribbean American heritage! Anyways I love that you’re a self taught chef. I think that’s amazing! Keep cooking and sharing! I plan to try a few more recipes 😁 Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Allie- What a small world, and yes, love when other Caribbean American folks find me! So glad you and yours enjoyed this recipe, thanks for leaving this review 🙂
My new go-to weeknight pasta. Simple and delicious. I am already imagining variations on this recipe like adding veggies (broccoli or Brussel sprouts) during the cooking process. Maybe using chorizo and corn, ground chicking and adding pesto, the possibilities are endless, so thank you.
★★★★★
Yum! Well done, Quin. Thank you.
★★★★★
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REHEAT THIS DISH? I HAVE A LOT OF LEFTOVERS, IT WAS A BIG HIT AND NEED TO REHEAT.
tHANKS
I recommend reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of liquid, if needed, to help loosen 🙂
Very tasty!! Didn’t have heavy cream so just substituted 2% milk and a little corn starch slurry to thicken it. Was delicious and more diet conscious.
★★★★
This recipe was amazing!! The flavours blended together so well. 10/10, would definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Amazingly delicious and so simple to make! Love cooking everything in one pot, and not having to drain the pasta!
So easy and so yummy. Even my son who is super picky loved it!
★★★★★
Do I drain the meat once cooked?
I didn’t drain it. Its so good! Sent the recipe to my friends.
★★★★★
My husband and I loved this recipe especially for me since it could be made in one pot. We tweeked it a little since all I had was lowfat milk. I added some of that with the cream cheese I had on hand. It worked beautifully! Also, added fresh spinach and Artichoke hearts I had in the pantry. Next time we make it, we will add some sautéed mushrooms to make it more delicious!
★★★★★
When my fiance requested hamburger helper for dinner I found myself groaning inside. I felt there had to be a more “grown up” version of something out there using mushrooms, creamy sauced hamburger helper stroganoff type of recipe. This hit the mark. I stumbled upon this recipe in a section of what to do with ground beef. We had excellent organic grass fed beef we didn’t want to go bad and I was tired of the usual meatballs, meatloaf, and ground beef casseroles. I sauteed giant portobellos, celery, red and sweet local onion, and added paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Also a dash of dried Italian herb blend he loves so much in anything. I was a bit skeptical of a whole carton of stock but with one cup cream and 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (important to do by weight in this recipe) and hand shredded then measured packed 1 cup parm. I found worked with each rigatoni and penne great. You could also do with any favorite pasta just stop cooking at al dente or slightly undercooked or you’ll get mushy noodles. I plan to experiment with a baked version topping with parm crumbled bread like croutons for crunch.
★★★★★
Hi Marlene- love this very thorough feedback, thanks for taking the time to leave your review and so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Your recipe was awesome, the second time I made it I use a cup of sour cream as well, it was a hit with the family to. I love to experiment with recipes. Thank you for sharing yours 😊
★★★★★
This was such a delicious dinner!! I strayed from the recipe a bit in that I didn’t have shredded cheese and I added a can of crushed tomatoes. Everything else was per your recipe and it was creamy, filling and a hit with everyone. Thank you for posting it.
★★★★★
Thank you so much it very simple and very delicious 😋
★★★★★
I know it’s a long shot that I’ll hear back in time, but to double this is everything just doubled? Wondering if the broth is too much if I double that. Thanks!
Hi there- Yes, if you opt for scaling the recipe, the recipe card will automatically scale-up the ingredient measurements. Although, it is good to use your own judgment and adjust the recipe as you see needed whenever scaling the original recipe 🙂
Made this last night and was surprised by the abundance of flavor and richness. Such a simple recipe! I halved the recipe. I prefer measurements for things like cheese and pasta to be in Cups, just makes things easier for me… but that’s what Google is for and my online conversions worked out well. Had salted butter and regular sharp cheddar on hand, so used those. Used an entire small shallot. Used about a scant 1/4 tsp each pepper and kosher salt. My beef was the 80/20 blend rather than lean. My broth was the Kirkland bone marrow kind from Costco. Noodle I had on hand was penne, so used that. Had to keep it on the stove (covered) for about 20 min after the noodles and liquids were added until the noodles actually cooked through… a bit longer than the recipe said, but I did use penne. Definitely printing this one, it’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Hi Laura- Love this review and so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
This recipe was so easy to follow and absolutely delicious!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for this recipe. So delicious! I was so tired of the usuals with ground beef. This is just perfect.
I have 4 boys that all like different things. It’s hard to find a new recipe that they all want again. This one nailed it! So delicious, rich and filling. Love, love, love! ♡
★★★★★
Hi Cassandra- Love hearing this, so glad you and your boys enjoyed! 🙂
Excellent thank you. I used Italian and Sage sausage in place of hamburger as the store was out. The best!!
★★★★★
Hi! Is there a way to make this in an Instant Pot? I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi there- I’m sure you could, although, I don’t have instructions for that specific cooking method. Let me know if you try! 🙂
Oh my gosh, so good! Great for a quick weeknight meal. I was sick of the usuals with ground beef- pasta with red sauce or taco salad- so I googled. This one is so easy and a good base for adding all kinds of things, if you want! I didn’t have MOST of the stuff on the ingredients list- so I used- salted butter- 85/15% beef, penne, 1 cup milk plus corn starch slurry, and 4 kinds of cheese. (4 oz cheddar, 5 oz mozz, 3/4 cup grated parm and 2 oz herbed goat cheese). Also added fresh spinach and canned mushrooms at the end. Will make as written, next time! But it still fed some hungry people and was FAST!!
Loved it! The only thing I did differently, is a I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour to the hot pot before I added the noodles and chicken broth and I got a really creamy sauce!
Will definitely do it again!
★★★★★
What can I use to substitute whipping cream. Would evaporated milk (1:1) ratio work?
Hi Sherry- I’d recommend using half and half or evaporated milk as a sub 🙂
Hello friend! I rarely leave comments but for this recipe I had to say something! I followed your directions and this 1 pot meal made our hearts and bellies full! This is the best internet recipe I’ve ever tried! Thank you for posting such a delicious dish! This is going into the rotation for weeknight meals! ❤️
★★★★★
Hello! I was wondering if it’s okay to cook the pasta separately and then adding it into the dish before putting the heavy cream and cheese? Looks delicious !!
★★★★★
Hi Andres- You could if you like, but the pasta cooking with the dish allows for the sauce to come together because the pasta releases its starches and thickens the sauce. Hope this helps! 🙂
This is probably the best pasta i’ve ever tasted. 9/10 overall. I wouldn’t say life changing but, it made my day instantly better so that’s something.
★★★★★
I never leave comments – but this dish was easy and delicious and we will make it again and again! Thank you!
★★★★★
Hey David- Well I’m certainly happy you decided to leave a comment, and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Was an easy recipe to follow and a very delicious meal.
★★★★★
I added mushrooms and used a regular onion as I don’t normally have shallots. At the end, I added some herb and garlic cream cheese to the recipe. I let it sit on the stove for about 20 minutes once everything was all mixed together, as I was worried about how cooked the pasta was going to be, and it was perfect. ( the author answered a comment saying the pasta would absorb the water, and they were right, I even added a little extra hot water as it was cooking because the water was boiling down /absorbing quickly – trust the process!)
It makes a lot! I have a couple containers for the freezer and enough food for several more meals.
I really enjoyed it! Definitely comfort food, and relatively quick and simple to put together. I’m actually thinking it might be something I could throw into a slow cooker, but it was done in about 30 minutes, so it’s even quick enough for a night when you have no energy / little time. I bet it would be good with broccoli ( for added veggie content) as well as some nicer cheeses to add more flavour
★★★★★
Hi J- I’m so glad you enjoyed this creamy pasta recipe, it’s one of my favorites on the site. This comment and overall review is super helpful and constructive…thanks so much for taking the time to leave these words, I appreciate it! 🙂