Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
Cheeseburger Pasta Salad has everything you love about classic cheeseburgers - hearty beef, crisp lettuce, cheese, pickles, tomato, and bacon all smothered in a creamy burger sauce - but instead of a burger, we're making it into a pasta salad.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces rotini pasta (2 cups dry uncooked pasta)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced hamburger pickles
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbles (I use real bacon bits)
- 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
Creamy Burger Dressing
- 1/2 cup full-fat mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente or softer (depending on preference). Drain the pasta in a colander when it's done boiling and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to allow it to cool while you prepare the rest.8 ounces rotini pasta
- In a skillet pan, over medium high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef, salt, and pepper until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat from the pan, remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the rest.1 pound lean ground beef, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper until smooth and combined.1/2 cup full-fat mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon pickle relish, 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cooked ground beef, chopped iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, halved cherry tomatoes, diced dill pickles, bacon, and finely diced onion. Toss to combine everything together.2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced hamburger pickles, 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbles, 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
- Pour the creamy burger dressing over top the salt and gently stir to combine, ensuring all the ingredients are mixed evenly and coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill for a short time. Serve chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you prefer a crispier lettuce, I recommend adding it right before serving, rather than mixing it in with the other ingredients before the 30 minute chill time. The 30 minute chill time won't soften the lettuce, but it will give it a slightly less crisp bite.
- This pasta salad is best served after the short chill time. As it sits in the fridge, the lettuce will soften, and the pasta will soak up the burger sauce, which will give the salad a different texture. Leftovers are good, but the salad is best when served immediately after the 30 minute chill time. I would not recommend chilling the salad for longer than 1-2 hours before serving.
- I cook the pasta and ground beef, and while those are cooling I make the dressing and chop the lettuce, shred the cheese, cut the tomatoes, pickles, and onions. That way the pasta and ground beef have more time to cool before adding it into the bowl.
- Use any cheese you want; Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Medium Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack, etc.
- Any ground meat can be substituted such as ground chicken, ground turkey, or even ground tofu crumbles or other plant-based crumbles can be used.
Nutrition
Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 825mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 428IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 2mg
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