Description
Make a hearty Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet dinner tonight! This one-pan meal is packed with flavor and comes together quick.
Ingredients
Scale
- Base Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 recommended)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup beef broth
- Flavor Boosters:
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- Cheesy Goodness:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Finishing Touches:
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef, Build the Base:: Okay, first things first! Grab your biggest skillet – a cast iron one works wonders here, if you’ve got it. Heat a little oil over medium-high heat. Toss in your ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Let it brown up nicely, getting some of those lovely caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. This is where all the flavor starts, so don’t rush it! Drain off any excess fat, because we want flavor, not grease. Your kitchen should already be smelling amazing, honestly.
- Sauté Aromatics, Add Depth:: Next, push that browned beef to one side of the skillet, or scoop it out if your pan is a bit crowded. Add your chopped yellow onion to the empty side and let it soften, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes. Once it’s translucent and fragrant, toss in your minced garlic. Stir it around for just a minute until you can really smell that beautiful garlic aroma – don’t let it burn, though, or it’ll get bitter, and we don’t want that! I’ve burned garlic before, and it was such a bummer.
- Tomato Power & Spices:: Now for the good stuff! Stir in your tomato paste with the onions and garlic, letting it cook for a minute or two. This deepens its flavor, trust me. Then, pour in the diced tomatoes (undrained, please!) and the beef broth. Sprinkle in your Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – that’s pure flavor right there! It should start to look like a proper sauce.
- Simmer & Thicken:: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes. This allows all those flavors to meld together beautifully and the sauce to thicken up a bit. You want it bubbly but not aggressively boiling. While it simmers, the whole house will smell incredible; it’s one of my favorite parts of making this Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet.
- Creamy Dreaminess:: Uncover the skillet and stir in your softened cream cheese until it’s completely melted and incorporated into the sauce. This is where the magic happens, transforming it into that luscious, creamy texture we’re aiming for. Make sure there are no little lumps of cream cheese left; a whisk helps if it’s being stubborn. I’ve had battles with cold cream cheese, so make sure yours is soft!
- Cheesy Finish & Serve:: Finally, sprinkle your shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the skillet. Cover it again for a few minutes, just until the cheese is gloriously melted and bubbly. You can also pop it under the broiler for a minute or two if you like a golden, slightly browned crust on your cheese, but watch it like a hawk! Garnish with fresh parsley, and there you have it – your Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Skillet is ready to devour!