This one-pot cheeseburger pasta recipe boasts everything you love about burgers--beef, cheese, tomato, and mustard--and comes together with the convenience and minimal effort of a one-pot pasta meal that's ready in under 25 minutes.
One-pot camping meals are ideal, as they involve minimal dishes to clean and are generally pretty satiating. Like my Dutch oven macaroni and cheese recipe, this cheeseburger tortellini ticks both of those boxes.
To make it simpler for camping than traditional cheeseburger pasta, which uses lean ground beef and requires the pasta to be cooked separately, I swapped in store-bought beef tortellini, which quickly gets steamed in the Dutch oven before being mixed with the rest of the ingredients to create an easy camping dinner that can be made over your campfire or on your camp stove and requires only one pot to clean.
Why This Recipe is Great for Camping
- It only requires one pot and is ready in less than 25 minutes. No colander required.
- You can make it on your camp stove or over your campfire.
- It's creamy, comforting, satisfying and kid-friendly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tortellini--Beef tortellini can be found in the refrigerated section of most large supermarkets. I don't recommend using frozen, as it will change the cooking time.
- Cheddar cheese--Use full-fat cheese for best results and always grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt well.
- Cream--This will give you a luxuriously creamy pasta sauce. You can substitute half and half, if you prefer, but you will have a thinner sauce.
- Tomatoes--Be sure to drain your can of diced tomatoes before adding them to the sauce.
How to Make Dutch Oven Cheeseburger Pasta
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, stirring frequently.
- Add the tortellini, then pour in the water.
- Cover and let the tortellini steam until the pasta is tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomatoes, cream, cheese, and mustard. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
FAQs
This is a hearty meal all on its own, but you could serve a green salad or tangy coleslaw on the side.
No. The water added is just enough to steam and be absorbed by the pasta, so there's no need to drain it.
Cheese sauce can split and become grainy if it's overheated. To avoid this, add the cheese over low heat, or remove the Dutch oven from the heat when adding the cheese, then gently warm it.
Place the leftover pasta in a pot or your Dutch oven and set over low heat. Rewarm gently, stirring occasionally. If the pasta is too thick or has clumped together, add a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce as it heats.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- To make this over a campfire, set your Dutch oven above a bed of hot coals. Depending on the distance from the coals, the cooking times may be slightly different.
- Use caution when removing the lid of your Dutch oven after steaming the tortellini as there may be a rush of hot steam.
- Store leftover pasta in a sealed container in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days.
More Dutch Oven Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
One-Pot Cheeseburger Tortellini
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound beef tortellini
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Stir in the onion and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and water, then quickly cover with a lid. Let the tortellini steam for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the Dutch oven and stir in the cream, tomatoes, and mustard.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted, everything is combined, and the sauce is thick, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
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- Cook it over a campfire--To make this over a campfire, set your Dutch oven above a bed of hot coals. Depending on the distance from the coals, the cooking times may be slightly different.
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- Be careful!--Use caution when removing the lid of your Dutch oven after steaming the tortellini as there may be a rush of hot steam.
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- Storage--Store leftover pasta in a sealed container in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days.
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