You can kiss the store bought stuff goodbye because my homemade recipe for classic cheeseburger pasta is EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and made in ONE skillet! There's saucy cheesy pasta and juicy ground beef in every bite making this a family FAVORITE comfort food recipe. PERFECT for busy weeknights!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheeseburger hamburger helper, copycat hamburger helper, DIY hamburger helper, easy homemade hamburger helper, hamburger helper from scratch, hamburger helper recipe, homemade hamburger helper, how to make hamburger helper
Servings: 6
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1 to 2tablespoonsolive oil
1poundlean ground beefI recommend 90/10 or 93/7 so you don't have to drain excess fat
1small yellow oniondiced small (white onion may be substituted)
1teaspoonpaprikaor smoked paprika
½teaspoonsaltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
1teaspoongarlic powder OR about 2 finely minced garlic cloves
1teaspoonDijon mustardhoney mustard may be substituted; I don't care for yellow mustard here
1heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheeseand optionally 1/2 cup more for sprinkling on top
¼cupsweet pickle relish OR diced sweet gherkins OR 1 teaspoon granulated sugaroptional
2tablespoonsgreen onionssliced 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 the pasta (See Notes below for my suggestions and make sure to only add half of a 16 ounce box, or 2/3rds of a 12 ounce box), reduced sodium beef broth (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), 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.
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.