Cheesy Ground Beef Penne with Golden Cheddar Crust Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before turning on the stovetop, take a few minutes to organize your workspace and measure out all the ingredients. Fill a large pot with water for cooking the pasta and set it ready on the stove.

Shred the sharp cheddar cheese from the block and divide it into two portions: one and a half cups for the sauce and a half cup for the top crust. Measure the heavy cream and have your beef seasoning close at hand. Having everything ready ensures a smooth, stress-free cooking process.

Instructions

Pasta Preparation

1. 1Boil the Penne Pasta
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente, which is usually about 9 to 11 minutes. Drain the pasta thoroughly in a colander, but do not rinse it. Set the drained pasta aside while preparing the beef and cheese sauce.
   Look for The pasta should be tender but still have a slight bite in the center.
   Tip Using a large pot of boiling water is crucial as it allows the pasta to cook evenly without sticking.

At the end of this phase, the penne pasta should be cooked to an al dente texture, meaning it is tender but still retains a firm bite in the center. The pasta will smell clean and wheaty. Once drained in the colander, it should look moist and slightly glossy, but not sticky. Ensure all excess water has drained off completely so that it does not dilute the rich cheese sauce later in the recipe.

Beef and Cheese Sauce Creation

2. 2Brown and Season the Ground Beef
   Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season the beef with the beef seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully browned and no pink remains, which takes about 6 to 8 minutes. Ensure the internal temperature of the beef reaches at least 160°F (71°C) to guarantee food safety. Drain any excess grease from the skillet if necessary.
   Look for The meat should be nicely browned with no visible pink areas and a safe internal temperature.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Using a wooden spoon to break the beef into small, uniform crumbles helps it cook evenly.
3. 3Create the Creamy Cheddar Sauce
   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the heavy cream directly into the skillet with the seasoned ground beef, stirring to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the cream to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir in one and a half cups of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, reserving the remaining half cup for topping. Stir constantly until the cheese is completely melted and a smooth, rich sauce forms.
   Look for The sauce should look glossy, thick, and uniformly blended without any clumps of cheese.
   Tip Adding the cheese gradually over lower heat prevents the sauce from breaking or becoming grainy.

By the end of this phase, the ground beef is fully browned, fragrant with seasoning, and sizzling gently in the skillet. The addition of heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese transforms the pan contents into a thick, uniform, and glossy orange sauce.

You should hear a soft bubbling sound, and the aroma of savory beef and sharp cheese will fill the kitchen. The cheese must be fully melted with no separate oil pools.

Assembly and Final Bake

4. 4Toss Pasta and Top with Cheese
   Add the cooked and drained penne pasta directly into the skillet with the beef and cheddar sauce. Toss gently with a large spoon or spatula until every piece of pasta is thoroughly coated in the creamy sauce. Spread the mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Sprinkle the reserved half cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
   Look for The pasta should be completely submerged in sauce and covered with an even layer of cheese.
   Tip If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the tossed mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish before topping.
5. 5Bake Until Bubbly and Golden
   Transfer the skillet into an oven preheated to 400°F (204°C). Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese on top is completely melted, bubbly, and starting to develop golden-brown spots around the edges. Remove the skillet carefully from the oven using oven mitts and let it cool slightly for a couple of minutes before serving.
   Look for The top cheese layer should be bubbly and beautifully golden with a slight crust.
   Tip For an extra crispy top, turn on the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes of baking.

At the conclusion of this final phase, the skillet emerges from the oven with a spectacular golden-brown cheese crust on top. You will hear a loud, satisfying bubbling around the edges of the pan. The cheese should be completely melted, stretched, and slightly blistered in spots. The internal temperature of the dish is piping hot, and the entire kitchen will smell of rich, baked pasta and toasted cheese.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is using pre-shredded cheese, which contains starch that prevents a smooth melt, resulting in a grainy sauce. Another error is overcooking the penne pasta during the initial boiling stage.

Since the pasta undergoes a second cooking process in the oven, starting with overcooked pasta will lead to a mushy, soft final dish. Finally, avoid boiling the cream and cheese mixture on high heat; excessive heat will cause the dairy to split and become greasy rather than creamy.

How to tell it’s done

To determine if this dish is perfectly cooked, look for a bubbly, golden-brown cheese crust across the entire surface of the skillet. The edges should be sizzling actively.

For food safety, the ground beef must reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) during the browning phase, which you should verify using a digital meat thermometer. When you lift a spoon of the baked pasta, the cheese should pull away in long, elastic, stretchy strands, indicating optimal melt and doneness.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part