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You guys I kind of think I’m a genius for thinking of this recipe. Like honestly what could be better than the combination of pasta and burgers. This Cheeseburger Pasta Salad is two of the ultimate comfort foods combined into one pretty healthy and easy dish! It’s got all the burger fixings and toppings, which is honestly mostly veggies, mixed in with some whole wheat pasta and a spin on a classic burger sauce on top. It is absolutely delicious and the batch i made is long gone in my house!

a dressing pour shot of the cheeseburger pasta salad

What you need for this Cheeseburger Pasta Salad!

  • olive oil
  • whole wheat pasta (or pasta of choice)
  • ground beef
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • red onion
  • cherry tomatoes
  • pickles
  • romaine lettuce
  • cheddar cheese
  • ketchup
  • mayo (I love this kind for a healthier option!)
  • salt
  • pepper
close up of the ingredients for the pasta salad

The base of this pasta salad is obviously pasta! I used whole wheat pasta, but you can totally use any pasta you like. I also love chickpea pasta or the good old classic pasta. Just use whatever is your favorite or whatever you have on hand! Then is the ground beef. You could also totally swap this for ground turkey or ground chicken if read meat isn’t your thing. I however used ground beef because I have been honestly loving red meat lately and when I think cheeseburger thats what comes to mind for me!

Then we got all the mix ins that traditionally go on a burger. I’m talking all the goods … red onion, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and of course some cheddar cheese! These add ins make for a colorful pasta salad, loaded with veggies and deliciousness. Lastly is the burger sauce dressing thing that goes on top! It is really just mayo and ketchup mixed together, but that is basically the secret sauce from most burger joints. I also made this a little healthier by using no sugar added ketchup and a mayo made with minimal, better-for-you ingredients. But as always use what you like and have on hand!

cheeseburger pasta salad

How to make this Cheeseburger Pasta Salad!

  1. Start by boiling the pasta.
  2. While the water is boiling chop the yellow onion and garlic.
  3. Pour the olive oil into a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with salt and pepper until soft and fragrant.
  4. Add in the ground beef and cook through. Add some more salt and pepper.
  5. Drain the pasta and add to a large bowl to set aside. I recommend adding a splash of olive oil to the pasta and mixing, to avoid sticking.
  6. Drain any excess oil from the ground beef and set aside in another bowl.
  7. Chop the tomatoes, red onion, pickles, and lettuce.
  8. Combine the ketchup and mayo until smooth in a small bowl.
  9. Once the pasta and ground beef have cooled, add 1 1/2 cups of the ground beef mixture to the pasta. Or add more or less, totally up to you.
  10. Then add in the tomatoes, red onion, pickles, lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Combine everything.
  11. Pour on desired amount of the burger sauce dressing. The batch pictured uses all of it.
  12. Store in the fridge and enjoy!
a close up of the cheeseburger pasta salad all mixed together

Check out some of my other recipes!

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If you make this Cheeseburger Pasta Salad or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on instagram so I can see and share your recreations!

a shot of pouring the dressing on the cheeseburger pasta salad
close up of the ingredients for the pasta salad
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Cheeseburger Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Kayla Berman
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 3–4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Pasta Salad
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Cheeseburger Pasta Salad is a delicious and pretty healthy combination of two of the best comfort foods!  It makes for a colorful, veggie filled, and fun summer side dish or even a main course.  A total crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta Salad

  • 8 oz whole wheat pasta
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped pickles
  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
  • salt
  • pepper

Burger Sauce Dressing

  • 2 tbsp mayo (read rest of post for the one i like!)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ketchup

Instructions

  1. Start by boiling the pasta.
  2. While the water is boiling chop the yellow onion and garlic.
  3. Pour the olive oil into a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with salt and pepper until soft and fragrant.
  4. Add in the ground beef and cook through. Add some more salt and pepper.
  5. Drain the pasta and add to a large bowl to set aside. I recommend adding a splash of olive oil to the pasta and mixing, to avoid sticking.
  6. Drain any excess oil from the ground beef and set aside in another bowl.
  7. Chop the tomatoes, red onion, pickles, and lettuce.
  8. Combine the ketchup and mayo until smooth in a small bowl.
  9. Once the pasta and ground beef have cooled, add 1 1/2 cups of the ground beef mixture to the pasta. Or add more or less, totally up to you.
  10. Then add in the tomatoes, red onion, pickles, lettuce, and cheddar cheese. Combine everything.
  11. Pour on desired amount of the burger sauce dressing. The batch pictured uses all of it.
  12. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Notes

  • You will have leftover ground beef with these measurements!  If you don’t want leftover ground beef I would recommend adding a serving or two of pasta or only cooking 3/4 of the ground beef.

Keywords: pasta salad, cheeseburger, cheeseburger pasta salad, pasta, healthy pasta salad, side dish, healthy side dish, summer pasta salad