American
Cheesy Beef Noodle Skillet
Ground beef, egg noodles, tomato, and cheddar cook in one skillet with cumin, not Italian herbs. It is a salty one-pot dinner, and the noodles drink up the tomato liquid as the cheese melts in.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Cumin and chili powder keep the skillet out of Italian seasoning.
- The noodles cook in the tomato broth, so there is no second pot.
- Cheddar finishes the sauce instead of a cream soup.
- The beef is cooked to 160°F before the noodles go in.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Brown the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F.
- 2
Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and cook until the spices smell toasty and the paste darkens.
- 3
Pour in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring the liquid to a simmer with small bubbles across the surface.
- 4
Stir in the egg noodles, cover, and cook until the noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 5
If the pan looks dry before the noodles are tender, add a splash of water and keep simmering until they give easily.
- 6
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the cheddar until it melts into a creamy sauce.
Pro tips
- Wide egg noodles are more forgiving; very thin ones overcook before the liquid reduces.
- Taste the broth before the cheese goes in, because cheddar adds salt.
- Pull the pan off the heat before the cheddar so it melts instead of separating.
Easy substitutions
- Egg noodles
- Rotini
- Cheddar
- Colby jack
- Diced tomatoes
- Crushed tomatoes
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth until steaming and the noodles loosen.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 640
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Stovetop, One Pan · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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