Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

Here's a speedy post for a speedy dinner at the end of a busy week.

Ready. Set. GO!

Bacon.

Cheese.(Okay, okay. Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product. Whatever...)

"Burger" (with onion).

Pasta.(I used up the pasta from a couple of near-empty boxes taking up room in my pantry, hence the combination of bowtie and rigatoni seen below.)

Fry up a pound of hamburger with a medium chopped onion. Remove from the skillet and drain. Fry 6 slices of bacon in the same skillet. Remove from the skillet and drain, then crumble. Return the hamburger and bacon to the skillet. Add in the cheese and a can of condensed tomato soup. Stir over medium heat until the cheese melts and all is combined. Thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of pasta water (see below).

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the "bacon cheeseburger" mixture. Toss to coat.

Top with barbecue sauce, if you like, and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar. I didn't have any, but I also think that this would have been excellent topped with some of those french fried onions that are often found on top of green bean casserole.

Really, this dish is nothing more than glorified Hamburger Helper. I'm aware that it's not the least bit healthy. But it was a speedy dish in the midst of a busy week that used ingredients that I had on hand and everyone liked it. So there.

TGIF!

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta based on a recipe that I found in Taste of Home: Busy Family Cookbook: 370 Recipes for Weeknight Dinners

Prep time: 20 minutes Serves: 4-6

8 ounces uncooked pasta such as penne, bowtie, or rigatoni
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
6 bacon strips, diced
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
4-8 oz. processed cheese (such as Velveeta)cut into cubes
Barbecue sauce, shredded cheddar, and french fried onions (for topping)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard drippings. Stir in the soup, cheese, beef and bacon; heat through. Add pasta water as needed to thin the mixture into a sauce. Add pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Serve with barbecue sauce, shredded cheese, and french fried onions. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!