This homemade hamburger helper is so much better than the box kind we grew up on as kids. It’s still so easy to make, all in one pot, and is so flavorful, cheesy, and delicious! Kids and adults will love it!
This homemade hamburger helper is so much better than what we grew up with as kids. Made with real ingredients, all in one pot, you can have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less. And the whole family will gobble it up!
It’s like a delicious cheeseburger pasta with a delicious beefy, cheesy flavor in every bite! It’s a delicious cheesy pasta dish packed full of seasoned ground beef, and all coated in a cheesy, creamy, tomato-y sauce.
Why make Hamburger Helper Homemade?
This homemade version is practically just as easy as making it from the box, but with more flavor, more freshness, and without all the preservatives.
Real cream, real cheese, real ingredients.
What ingredients do you need to make homemade Hamburger Helper?
- Ground Beef
- Salt and Pepper
- Beef Broth
- Heavy Cream
- Tomato Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Beef Bouillon
- Dijon Mustard
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- Paprika
- Elbow Macaroni
- Cheddar Cheese
How to make Homemade Hamburger Helper?
This is one of the easiest dishes to make!
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Make sure to break the meat into fine crumbles. And once it’s cooked drain out the extra grease.
- Add in all the ingredients to make the sauce. Beef broth, heavy cream, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika and stir it all together. Let the mixture come to a boil.
- Add in the pasta noodles once the sauce is boiling and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked al dente. Don’t over cook them!
- Stir in some of the cheese and let it melt into the pasta. Then add the rest of the cheese on top of the pasta and let it melt too. Enjoy it hot!
Tips for making Hamburger Helper:
- You can substitute the ground beef for ground turkey if you want it to be a little lighter. You could also substitute ground sausage.
- You can use any medium sized pasta noodles. Some other great options would be rotini, shells, penne, or fusilli.
- If you want to use fresh onion and garlic instead of powders you can dice up one yellow onion and add it to the dish with the ground beef. Once the meat is cooked add in about 1.5 TBS of minced garlic and cook for one minute before continuing to add in the sauce ingredients.
- You could also add in some veggies to the dish if desired. Some good choices would be carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms. Add the diced carrots or bell pepper when you add the ground beef to make sure they full cook. Zucchini or mushrooms can be added a few minutes before the dish is done since they cook faster.
- You could even make the dish vegetarian by loading it up with vegetables and substituting vegetable broth for the beef broth. Leave out the beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and of course ground beef.
How to store homemade hamburger helper?
If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 5 days.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top until hot. If the mixture has soaked up the sauce and is a bit dry then you can add in more broth, cream, or some milk.
The leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Heat it from frozen in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until hot, or let it thaw in the fridge, then heat it up in the microwave or on the stove.
This homemade hamburger helper is the perfect cheesy, meaty, saucy pasta dish. It’s delicious, easy, and perfect for any day of the year!
More one pot pasta recipes:
- One Pot Chicken Alfredo
- One Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta
- One Pan Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
- One Pot Taco Pasta
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Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp beef bouillon
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated)
Instructions
- Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper to a large Dutch oven or pot. Cook the meat until it is cooked through. Make sure to break it into small pieces with no lumps. Drain out the excess fat.
- Add the broth, cream, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon, dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika to the pot and stir it all together.
- Let the liquid come to a boil over medium high heat.
- Stir in the pasta noodles and simmer, uncovered until the pasta is cooked to al dente. (About 10 minutes, don't over cook)
- Stir in 2 cups of the cheese and allow it to melt into the sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and let it melt for serving. (Put a lid on the top to help it melt quicker, if desired).
Nutrition
Ellen says
This was so good and so easy to make. I loved that it was one pot. I made a double batch, our family ate one and I shared with a friend. Loved this recipe.
Aimee says
Yay! So glad you loved it!
Promocodesub says
Thank you for sharing best home made recipes and I really enjoyed this post.