The 3-tiered hamburger skillet with lots of cheese is super nostalgic.

One hamburger bento was the first meal I ever made for myself as a child, and the combination of pasta, creamy tomato and cheese sauce, and beef has always had a nostalgic appeal for me.

Now that my kids are older, I wanted to introduce them to this classic meal from my childhood. I knew my interpretation of this nostalgic dish had to be as simple as a box and include a pound of ground beef. This one-skillet cheesy hamburger pasta recipe has become one of my family’s favorite recipes.

This recipe comes from years of experience making one-pot, minimal-ingredient pasta. The base is ground beef and pasta, but you only need a few other ingredients: canned tomatoes, soup, cheese, and a little cream.

You can cook everything in one frying pan, so it takes less than 20 minutes. The result is a super creamy pasta that balances the tangy tomato and beef flavors.

simple replacement

After all, this is a dinner built on pantry basics and pantry essentials, so here are some alternatives to customize this dinner with what you already have in your fridge and cupboard.

• beef: Lean ground meat, such as ground sirloin, is a great choice here because it has a beefy flavor. Plus, the cheese and cream give this skillet plenty of richness. You can use ground turkey or chicken. I’ve even used bulk Italian sausage as a base in an emergency.
• pasta: Small shells are best for this dish, but any other short, dry pasta will work just as well. Macaroni elbows are an excellent second choice. If you are using fusilli, orecchiette, or cavatappi noodles, they will take a few more minutes to cook.
• Canned tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce are all interchangeable here. There is no need to drain the diced tomatoes. You can also use bottled marinara sauce. Just add less salt to taste.
• Seasoned salt: Your favorite seasoned salt will work here. I love Beautiful Briny Sea’s Magic Unicorn Salt, but Lawry’s is also perfect. If you don’t have any on hand, you can also add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder.
• cheese: This recipe calls for a whole 8-ounce block, or about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. If you don’t have the energy to grate a block yourself, a high-quality shredded cheese like Tillamook or Cabot will do the trick. You can also swap out the cheddar cheese for a melty cheese like Monterey Jack or provolone.