Most of my Tetrazzini experience has been with using up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving (like this one) but Tetrazzini doesn’t need to begin and end with poultry. We can bring its creamy, comforting goodness to join other flavors… like the cheeseburger! This Cheeseburger Tetrazzini pairs ground beef and cheddar with pasta and a delectably flavorful cream sauce for a burger experience in casserole form. It’s comforting, it’s easy to make, and it’s a sure crowd-pleaser.
What Ingredients Are in Cheeseburger Tetrazzini?
The list is a little longer than what you’d need for an actual cheeseburger but not too long. You’ll need:
Spaghetti.
Ground beef.
Butter.
Onion and garlic.
Flour.
Half and Half. (Or you can use half milk and half heavy cream.)
Chicken or beef broth.
Worcestershire.
Mustard powder.
Cheddar cheese. Sharp, please.
How Do You Make Cheeseburger Tetrazzini?
It’s definitely easy enough for a weeknight meal.
The first step is to get your water boiling for the pasta so you can work on cooking the beef and the sauce while that cooks. (And luckily those last two come together in one pan.)
While your pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a skillet and once it’s cooked through, remove it from the pan and set it aside. (You’ll add it back in later.) In that same skillet, melt down some butter and soften onion and garlic before you stir in some flour and finally your liquids — half and half and broth. Once it comes to a bubble, it should thicken up a bit.
The sauce is seasoned with mustard powder and Worcestershire, which gives it more of a hearty flavor. Stir that beef back in along with half of the cheese and toss it with the pasta. Get it into a 9×13, top it with more cheese, and all that’s left to bake! And enjoy, of course, but that’s even easier to do than making it.
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti, fettuccine, or other long pasta
1 lb lean ground beef
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups half and half (or use half milk and half heavy cream)
2 cups beef broth or chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions indicate. Drain and set aside.
While pasta boils, brown the beef:
To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, melt the butter, then add the garlic and onion and cook until starting to soften, 3-4 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour of the top and stir for just 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add half and half (or milk and cream), while stirring constantly. Continue stirring frequently, and once mixture starts to bubble and thicken, stir in broth.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, stirring frequently.
Turn off heat and stir in half of the cheese until melted. Add pasta and beef and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Turn off heat and stir in half of the cheese until melted. Add pasta and beef and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Transfer into prepared pan, top with remaining cheese, and bake until top is golden brown and bubbly, 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!
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