Bacon Cheeseburger Spaghetti
I run a daycare center and it's hard to find a variety of foods that the kids will actually eat. I spruced up a variation of this simple and quick recipe to my tastes, and now the kids and my husband request it all the time!
I run a daycare center and it's hard to find a variety of foods that the kids will actually eat. I spruced up a variation of this simple and quick recipe to my tastes, and now the kids and my husband request it all the time!
- Carbohydrate 42.0525319706878 g
- Cholesterol 36.8543800625 mg
- Fat 7.56794770853324 g
- Fiber 2.59777260910311 g
- Protein 17.4676106838238 g
- Saturated Fat 2.48179752066184 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (172g)
- Sodium 439.899668580767 mg
- Sugar 39.4547593615847 g
- Trans Fat 0.958548490531883 g
- Calories 310 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the bacon, ketchup, pickles, barbecue sauce and mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain spaghetti, stir into meat mixture.
- Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve immediately, or cool before placing in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.
Ketchup acts as the primary driver in this dish, supplying both the pectin needed for viscosity and the acetic acid that cuts through the rich, rendered fat of the beef. When combined with barbecue sauce, which introduces molasses and often smoke compounds like guaiacol, the tomato base mimics the char and sweetness of a backyard grill. This sweet-and-sour foundation requires careful management in a narrow skillet, where overcrowding can trap moisture and prevent the Maillard reaction from properly browning the 90 percent lean ground beef.
- Drain the cooked ground beef thoroughly in a metal colander after browning it over medium heat to prevent excess grease from diluting the sauce emulsion.
- Simmer the meat and condiment mixture uncovered for exactly five minutes to drive off excess water content, which concentrates the tomato sugars and prevents a watery final texture.
- Cover the skillet off the heat for three minutes after adding the shredded cheddar cheese to trap residual steam and promote even melting without scorching the dairy solids.
- Substitute fresh brined dill pickles with sweet pickle relish at a one-to-one ratio if you prefer a sharper contrast to the smoky barbecue sauce.
- Store portions in an airtight freezer container for up to three months, ensuring the pasta is cooled completely before freezing to prevent structural degradation of the starch.
Balancing high-acid condiments with fat requires precise heat control during the reduction phase to avoid scorching the sugars. Utilizing prepared mustard alongside chopped pickles bridges the gap between the dairy fats and the concentrated tomato base.
