Cheeseburger Pasta
- Sasha Smolkin
- Aug 8, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: May 3, 2024
This easy-to-follow recipe is a fun twist on an American classic!
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?
"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
Fun fact: Did you know that there are over a thousand types of cheese made in the world?
Some historians think that cheese dates back to around 8000 BCE, making it over 10,000 years old! Some early cheeses were made from sheep's milk. Cheese was accidentally discovered by shepherds, who, when leaving stored milk for a long time, noticed curdling happening at the bottom of their storage containers. Once humans started exploring the process of producing cheese, many cultures began adopting the food, creating delicious varieties of cheese. Cheese was very popular in ancient Greece and Rome. During the middle ages, a lot of interesting cheese varieties were created by Christian monks. Eventually, the process of pasteurization (heating food to a specific temperature to kill bacteria) was created, cheese became a lot safer to eat and took its modern form.
Cheese has so many variations in color, texture, and flavor!
Paprika
Fun fact: Did you know that Hungary is the biggest seller of paprika?
Despite originating in Central America, paprika spread across the world during the era of Columbus' voyages. Known for its vivid red color, the spice was used in many different cuisines to add flavor and color. The Hungarian version of paprika is actually sweeter and less spicy, because the pepper plants were genetically modified to be less intense in flavor. To produce paprika, you need peppers. Once the peppers are fully grown, they are either dried in the sun or smoked. Once the peppers have fully dried out, they are ground into a fine powder, which is the form we buy at the store. When you heat up paprika, it activates certain compounds, infusing the flavor of the peppers into whatever dish you are cooking!
Paprika in bulk – notice the beautiful red and yellow hues!
Egg Noodles
Fun fact: Did you know that egg noodles were invented in China almost 2000 years ago?
Legend states that Marco Polo first brought noodles and pasta to Italy during the 1200s. Over time, the recipe for noodles have shifted, bringing about different textures, shapes, and flavors. The dried egg noodles you get at the store are made of a mixture of flour and egg. While it is true that fresh pasta also uses egg, egg noodles have a higher percentage of egg in the recipe. Also, dry pasta, like spaghetti and rotini, do not contain egg. Egg noodles are used in a wide range of cuisines, from China, Poland, Turkey, and Germany.
With their soft, slightly chewy, and bouncy texture, egg noodles provide a great base for many different meals!
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
Get your ingredients ready
Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, adding oil.
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.
Add the peppers and onions and cook until they begin to soften
Add all of the dry seasonings, stirring and cooking for 2 minutes
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!
Bring everything to a rapid boil
Add the egg noodles and bring it down to a gentle boil
Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally
When the noodles are tender and the broth has thickened, turn off the heat
Stir in the cheddar cheese, serve and enjoy!
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