Homemade Burger Buddy

Ingredients

• 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
• 454g lean ground beef
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
• ½ teaspoon chili powder, divided
• Pepper
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus more, if needed
• 200–225g rotini or fusilli
• ¼–½ half & half cream or sour cream
• 1 ½–2 cups grated orange cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Place a large high-sided sauté pan or saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add in the oil along with the ground beef and season with ¼ teaspoon each of the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder along with some pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan and set aside.
3. Turn the heat under the pan down to medium and add in the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly golden and softened. Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Toast the spices for 30 seconds then stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the tomato paste then slowly add in the beef broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the pasta, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a low boil, and cook, stirring every couple of minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through. If the broth starts to reduce too much, just add another splash or two.
5. Turn the heat down to low and stir through the cream and cheddar cheese. Add the beef back in and simmer for a minute or two to reheat the beef.