Homemade Hamburger Helper 🍔🧀 is an EASY 30 minute dinner made in ONE skillet with saucy, cheesy pasta and juicy ground beef in every bite. It’s hearty, comforting, and a family FAVORITE that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Once you make this homemade version, you may never go back to the store bought stuff!
Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
- If you’re not familiar with the store-bought version, allow me to explain in a nutshell. After browning ground beef, you add dry pasta that comes out of the Hamburger Helper box, a seasoning packet, milk, water, and simmer.
- It’s basically a store-bought shortcut that quickly lets you make hamburger pasta in a jiffy! But homemade is so much better and just as easy to make when you use my recipe!
- The days of relying on a box containing dry pasta and a seasoning packet are officially over. Enter this fast and easy homemade version of Hamburger Helper.
- This scratch recipe is a one-pot meal that’s ready in 30 minutes and seriously just as easy as the store-bought stuff.
- You won’t miss the box when you’re devouring this cheesy, saucy pasta with ground beef, onions, garlic, tomato puree, and seasonings for loads of flavor.
- This DIY Hamburger Helper recipe is a huge hit with kids (and grown-up kids), as you may have guessed. It’s hard to say no to warm, cheesy pasta and ground beef. It’s a family favorite comfort food in a flash, making this an awesome recipe to whip up on busy weeknights.
Ingredients in Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Olive oil: Used to sauté the onion and brown the beef.
- Lean ground beef: I like using at least 90% lean ground beef so this one-skillet dinner stays easy, without needing to stop and drain excess grease. Ground beef gives this dish the most classic Hamburger Helper flavor, but ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork can also be used if you’re trying to shave off some excess fat. Once everything is seasoned and mixed with the saucy pasta and cheese, you may not notice a huge difference.
- White or yellow onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and black pepper: These add savory flavor to the beef. Fresh garlic is great, but garlic powder works well too, and smoked paprika can be used if you want a smokier flavor.
- All-purpose flour, beef broth, tomato puree, and Dijon mustard: These create the sauce. Use reduced-sodium beef broth if possible so you can better control the salt level. Chicken or vegetable broth can work in a pinch, and tomato sauce can be used instead of tomato puree, but do not use tomato paste because it is too thick.
- Small-shaped pasta: Cavatappi gives this dish a fun, nostalgic Hamburger Helper feel, but small elbow macaroni, shells, penne, ziti, rigatoni, rotini, small wheels, or ditalini will all work.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Medium sharp or sharp cheddar gives the dish its classic cheesy flavor. For the smoothest melting, grate the cheese yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
- Optional sweet pickle relish and green onions: Sweet pickle relish adds tangy-sweet flavor, but you can skip it or add a little sugar instead to balance the tomato and savory flavors. Green onions or fresh parsley make a nice garnish.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper from Scratch
- Brown the beef with the onion, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large skillet , then add the garlic once the beef is cooked through.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef mixture, stir it in, then add the broth, tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, and dry pasta.
- Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the cheese until it melts into the sauce. Add the relish too, if you’re using it.
- Garnish with green onions and serve right away while it’s hot, saucy, and extra cheesy.
What to Serve with Hamburger Helper
Homemade Hamburger Helper (Creamy, Easy & Better Than the Box) 🍝
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, I recommend 90/10 or 93/7 so you don’t have to drain excess fat
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small (white onion may be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder OR about 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces small-shaped dry uncooked pasta*, See Notes
- 2 ½ cups reduced sodium beef broth
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, honey mustard may be substituted; I don’t care for yellow mustard here
- 1 heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and optionally 1/2 cup more for sprinkling on top
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish OR diced sweet gherkins OR 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional
- 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thin; optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large high-sided skillet, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion, evenly season with the paprika, salt, pepper, and saute over medium-high heat to cook the beef and soften the onion. Stir, flip, and crumble the beef frequently as it cooks to ensure even cooking; about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; stir nearly constantly.
- Evenly sprinkle with the flour, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute; stir nearly constantly. Tip – Flour is used to thicken the sauce a bit later on.
- Add tomato puree. Tip – Tomato puree is different from tomato sauce which is a bit thinner although would still work, but do not use tomato paste because it's too thick), Dijon mustard, stir to combine, and cover with a lid.
- Add the pasta (My suggestion is to only add half of a 16 ounce box, or 2/3rds of a 12 ounce box), Tip – You may substitute with reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth, or even water as a last resort but make sure to add more salt and extra seasonings if using water)
- Bring it to a boil, and once boiling, remove the lid, and stir well.
- Cover it again, reduce the heat to low (or as needed so mixture is simmering gently), and allow mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to al dente and all liquid has been absorbed, or absorbed to your liking and pasta is done. For those who want a saucier final dish, cut the simmering time short by a couple minutes (or add an extra 1/3 cup broth or extra tomato puree). Tips for Liquid Level – Please read the FAQ section in the blog post about what to do if your skillet still has excess liquid (in short, remove the lid, bring it up to a faster boil, and let it boil away rapidly for 2-5 minutes, or as needed until the excess liquid volume evaporates). Or if your pasta isn't fully cooked and is still hard and/or the mixture is dry looking at any time add extra broth or water, starting with about 1/3 cup, and continue to simmer until the pasta is soft and done.
- Add the heaping cup of shredded cheese (tip – shred your cheese by hand for optimal melting) and the optional sweet pickle relish (or diced gherkins or teaspoon of sugar) and stir to combine. Flavor Tips – I love the sweet-and-tangy dimension but if you don't, simply omit the relish or diced gherkins. If you are omiting you may consider adding 1 teaspoon granulated sugar to help balance the acidity of the tomato puree and overall savory aspect of the dish, however the sugar is also optional and to taste. Make sure to check for seasoning balance and if desired, add more salt, pepper, paprika, garlic or onion powder, etc.
- Optionally, for those who want a cheesier final dish, evenly sprinkle an additional 1/2 cup or so of shredded cheese over the top, and cover with the lid for a couple minutes to help encourage the cheese to melt.
- Optionally garnish with green onions and serve immediately. Leftovers will keep airgith in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Notes
- cavatappi (what I used)
- small elbow macaroni (the next most logical choice because it’s common and easy to find)
- small shells (the next logical choice because it’s common and easy to find)
- penne
- ziti
- rigatoni
- rotini
- small wheels
- ditali
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe FAQs
Of course you can! Just make sure to use a very large high-sided skillet or in this case, a Dutch oven would be ideal.
I find that I don’t miss the dairy in this homemade copycat recipe and that the beef broth works perfectly well, especially with the cup of cheese stirred in for creaminess.
However, if you’d like to replace 1 cup of the beef broth with 1 cup milk, half-and-half or cream (or 1/2 cup broth with 1/2 cup milk or cream) and see what you think, feel free.
I’m sure you definitely could. However, I haven’t tested it so really can’t say what the exact specifics are.
My guess is that I would brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, then transfer that to the slow cooker with everything else, and simmer for a couple hours on low, or until the pasta is tender. Stir every 30 minutes or so and check on it. Stir in the cheese at the end, garnish, and serve.
Yes and it’s very easy to do! To make the recipe creamier, add 1/3 to 1/2 full fat sour cream (Greek yogurt will work but sour cream is better). Stir it in with the 1 cup of cheese at the end.
To make this homemade hamburger helper even cheesier, in addition to the 1 cup shredded cheese stirred in, sprinkle 1/2 cup or so on top (or a bit more!) Place the lid on for a minute or two to encourage the cheese to melt.
Any time you’re cooking pasta with other ingredients and don’t have the luxury to boil it on its own, there are times where the pasta simply needs a bit more liquid than the recipe calls for.
That could be based on the type of pasta you use, the other ingredients you use, your climate, the temperature and rate of your simmer, etc.
If things are looking a little dry, simply add additional beef broth or a few splashes of water, as needed. Easy-peasy.
After simmering the pasta with all the other ingredients, and the pasta is done, but there’s more liquid left in your skillet than you’d like, there’s a solution.
Remove the lid, turn up the heat to medium, and allow the mixture to come to a fast simmer with plenty of steam. Stir the uncovered skillet with it bubbling away like this for 2-3 minutes, or until the liquid level evaporates and reduces to your liking.
Of course, everyone’s definition of healthy is different. However, this homemade cheeseburger helper is made with real ingredients, meaning you won’t find any powdered cheese or unnecessary additives. It packs in protein, vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and carbs, making it a healthier option in my book!
If your hamburger helper becomes too thick for your liking, try adding an extra splash of broth after cooking.
My family doesn’t like their ground beef pasta skillet overly saucy (they’re crazy because I love it very saucy!) which you may notice in the photos. It’s easier to make your pasta more saucy – either add another 1/3 cup or so of broth (and a bit more tomato puree) or just simmer for slightly less time, a minute or two.
Also, note that pasta always continues to absorb whatever sauce it’s mixed with so it will appear dryer 45 minutes after you make it and leftovers the next day, even more so.
More Easy Beef Pasta Recipes:
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One-Skillet Beef Taco Pasta — An EASY recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors! A family favorite that’s great for busy weeknights!
Easy 30-Minute Southwestern Beef Skillet – EASY, family friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and COMFORT FOOD at its best! Ground beef, PASTA, black beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and CHEESE for a Southwestern flair!
Healthier 20-Minute Skillet Lasagna — A fast, EASY, healthier way to enjoy lasagna — in skillet form! Warm pasta and beef topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan is IRRESISTIBLE!
Cheesy Beef Ravioli – EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and it’s pure cheesy COMFORT FOOD in every bite! Makes a big batch and it’s perfect for meal prep and planned freezer meals!
Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole — Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly!
Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta!! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd!
One-Pot Pasta and Ground Beef Soup — EASY, hearty, comfort food that’s full of flavor!! A FAST and tasty soup the whole family will LOVE! It will keep your warm on chilly winter nights!
Yum! A delicious and easy meal. We loved this homemade hamburger helper recipe. I upped the portion of noddles and then increased the beef broth and tomato purée as well. I’ll definitely make this again.
Thanks Tamara for the 5 star review and I’m so happy to hear this was a winner for you – easy, delicious, you could scale it up easily, and that you’ll definitely make it again!
Better than the stuff out of the box.
It most definitely is and easy too!
Looks delicious. Will have to try it !
Looks delicious. Will have to try it !
Yes it is! Hope you enjoy it!