Cheeseburger Pasta

This easy-to-follow recipe is a fun twist on an American classic!

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History and Facts

Fun fact: Did you know that cheeseburgers were invented by a teenager?

In 1924, Lionel Sternberger, a 16-year-old fry cook at his father's restaurant, created the cheese-and-burger combo that has become so popular today!

Origins

Even though the hamburger gets its name from the German city of Hamburg, food historians actually don't think the sandwich originated from there. There are many stories about how the hamburger originated, some saying that it started as something called a "Hamburgh sausage", or that the sandwich was created on a passenger ship from Hamburg to New York. The earliest mention of this recipe was actually the "Hamburgh sausage" as describe above. That recipe was published by Hannah Glasse in 1758 in her book The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. For centuries, the hamburger remained a classic street food dish, gaining popularity in the United States during fairs. Because of how simple the recipe is, it's super difficult to pinpoint the first place the burger came from – it was probably created in multiple places around the same time.

The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse

First published in 1747, this was one of the most popular English cookbooks in history. It was a bestseller for a century. Inside, it had many novel recipes, and included the first mention of an early Hamburger recipe. Hannah Glasse was famed for her cookbook, making her one of the first celebrity chefs!

Ingredient Highlight

Cattle

Fun fact: Did you know that a cow's stomach is 250 times larger than its brain?

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"My eyes were bigger than my stomach" is a saying that cows easily flip around! With a huge digestive system, they can eat through hard-to-digest foods like grass without effort. Their digestive system slowly breaks down their food and filters out indigestible objects. Cows also produce a lot of gas in the form of methane, which is released by the cows when they burp. Unfortunately, methane has a really high global warming potential, meaning that cows add a lot to climate change. Cows also require a lot of water to raise. This means that reducing the amount of beef we eat each year can help improve climate change.

Cheese

Paprika

Egg Noodles

Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 pound ground beef

• 12 oz package of wide egg noodles

• 1/2 cup red bell pepper (diced)

• 1/2 cup onion (diced)

• 1/2 cup tomatoes (diced)

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 cups (16oz) cheddar cheese (shredded)

• 4 cups (32oz) cup container of beef broth

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 1/2 tbsp salt

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 1 tbsp parsley flakes

• 2 tbsp mustard powder (can sub with 1 tbsp yellow mustard)

Instructions

1. Get your ingredients ready

2. Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, adding oil.

3. Add ground beef to your pot, leaving in large chunks. Flip the chunks until the outsides are browned, then break the chunks up fully and stir constantly until no pink remains.

4. Add the peppers and onions and cook until they begin to soften

5. Add all of the dry seasonings, stirring and cooking for 2 minutes

6. Next, add the tomatoes, garlic, and beef broth. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan once you add the beef broth, there's tons of flavor there!

7. Bring everything to a rapid boil

8. Add the egg noodles and bring it down to a gentle boil

9. Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally

10. When the noodles are tender and the broth has thickened, turn off the heat

11. Stir in the cheddar cheese, serve and enjoy!