Homemade Hamburger Helper

Aimee — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 14:00:40 +0000

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:

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