Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet Meal—one pan, budget-friendly, and ready in about 30 minutes.
🧀🍳 Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet Meal
Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet Meal
🛒 Ingredients
- 500g ground beef
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2–3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 bell pepper (optional, chopped)
- 1 cup small pasta (elbow, shells, or rotini) or cooked rice if preferred
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth or water
- 1 cup tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
- 1–2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp oil
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Brown the beef
Heat oil in a large skillet.
Add onion and cook until soft.
Add garlic, then ground beef.
Cook until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Build flavor
Stir in:
- paprika
- salt & pepper
- Italian seasoning
- chili flakes (if using)
Cook for 1 minute to bloom spices.
3. Add liquids & pasta
Add:
- tomato sauce
- beef broth
- uncooked pasta (or cooked rice if using)
Stir well, bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and sauce thickens.
4. Make it cheesy
Turn heat low.
Stir in shredded cheddar until melted and creamy.
5. Serve
Top with extra cheese or fresh parsley and serve hot straight from the skillet.
🍽️ Serving ideas
- Garlic bread
- Simple cucumber salad
- Pickles or hot sauce for extra kick
💡 Tips
- Don’t overcook pasta—keep it slightly saucy for best texture
- Add corn or peas for sweetness
- Swap cheddar with mozzarella for extra melt
- For a creamier version, add 2–3 tbsp cream cheese at the end
If you want, I can turn this into:
- 🌮 Taco-style skillet (Mexican flavors)
- 🥔 Potato version instead of pasta
- 🥬 Low-carb keto skillet (no pasta/rice)
