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Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

Published / Updated / 92 Comments

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This easy homemade Hamburger Helper recipe has ground beef, macaroni, and a flavorful cheesy cheddar sauce that kids and adults will love! Total comfort food that's ready in about 30 minutes.

close-up of homemade Hamburger Helper in a bowl

When I was little, my mom made everything from scratch. I do remember a few things from visiting my friends' houses in the '90s, though. One was Kraft Dinner (the boxed mac and cheese), another was Kool-Aid, and the other was Hamburger Helper. I got lost in the Hamburger Helper internet vortex when I was reading about it the other day, and it brought back memories. 

This beef Hamburger Helper is very simple to make, it's done in one pot (fewer dishes!), and it's a lot healthier than the packaged version. Of course, there's nothing wrong with eating packaged foods every now and then, but a LOT of people Google "homemade Hamburger Helper"... so I am here to help. 😉

I wanted to keep this super simple. I used ingredients that I always have in my pantry. Some versions call for milk, but I didn't have any, and I wanted to see if I could make it without. In my opinion, the two cups of cheddar are more than enough dairy, and the starch released by the pasta while it cooks makes the dish plenty "creamy". 

close-up of DIY Hamburger Helper in a yellow Le Creuset pot

How to make Hamburger Helper

  1. Brown the beef & onion and drain any excess fat;
  2. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder;
  3. Add in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil;
  4. Once it's boiling, add in the uncooked macaroni. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is soaked up;
  5. Stir in the grated cheddar and season to taste.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • I recommend grating your own cheddar for best results.
  • I would use a pot vs. a skillet for this recipe.
  • One pot recipes can vary depending on your particular stove and ingredients, so if you seem to be running out of liquid with a lot of time still left, feel free to add in a bit more (try 1/2 cup at a time). 
  • This recipe, like others with plenty of pasta, soaks up the liquid the longer you leave it. Leftovers will definitely be more dry (but still tasty) than when it's freshly made.
  • As with any recipe, feel free to tweak seasonings to your taste. You can always up the chili powder, add some hot sauce, add more garlic etc. to make it perfect for your taste buds. I wanted to make this a good, crowd-pleasing base recipe that can be dressed up if need be.

Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni in two bowls

What to serve with Hamburger Helper

It's definitely a meal in and of itself, but it would go great with a salad on the side. Or garlic bread... mmm.

You may also like...

cheeseburger Hamburger Helper in a pot

Let me know if you give this DIY Hamburger Helper a go! 

Questions? Made this recipe? As always, I love it when you leave me comments. 🙂

close-up of homemade Hamburger Helper in a bowl
4.83 from 28 votes
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Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

This homemade Hamburger Helper recipe has ground beef, macaroni, and a flavorful cheesy cheddar sauce that kids and adults will love! Total comfort food that's ready in about 30 minutes.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword cheeseburger macaroni, homemade Hamburger Helper recipe, how to make hamburger helper
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 501 kcal
Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Add the beef and onions to a soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along. If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.

  2. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.

  3. Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.

  4. Reduce the heat so it's not furiously boiling (a rapid simmer is good). I ended up cooking mine over medium heat. Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes). I stir it every couple of minutes.

  5. While it's cooking, grate the cheese (this saves prep time at the start of the recipe).

  6. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt & pepper as needed. I let it sit for a couple minutes prior to serving (soaks up the sauce and flavors more), but you can serve it right away.

Recipe Notes

  • Serves 4-6 depending on the portion size.
  • As with any one pot meal, ingredients and stoves vary. If you're running out of liquid (like it's in danger of sticking and burning) when you still have a while to go before the pasta is done, feel free to add in more liquid, 1/2 cup at a time. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 1106mg48%
Potassium 624mg18%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 44g88%
Vitamin A 640IU13%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 437mg44%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Scott Carroll says

    Aug. 7th, 2020
    I followed your recipe and it was delicious! I used ingredients that you said to and it turned
    out to be a success. I did add four hot dogs, cut up and fried before i put them in,Thank You.
    Scott C. Fairfax, Ca.

    Reply

  3. Anjeanette A Waddell says

    5 stars
    Wow! This recipe is perfection. My childten now think I am the coolest mom to have cracked the code to their all time favorite dish! They skeptical, suspicious, and critical as they watched me prepare your recipe. They Tnever watch me cook. They even argued ingredients, "What? There is no chilli powder in the REAL one!" In the end i got cheers. Now i just need to figure a way to hide veggies in this recipe! (Okay fine! my kids are suspicious when i cook for a reason...lol! ) Thank you for this gem!

    Reply

  4. Dahlia Jabro says

    5 stars
    My son made this because we had some ground beef. It was so good!! Way better than hamburger helper. My only complaint is portion size. I do think this feeds closer to 3 for portion size as a main entree. But it tasted great!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy it was a hit!! Yeah, it can be tricky to describe portion sizes since it's so subjective. I try to be closer to recommended serving size (like as suggested on nutrition guides and such), which tend to be smaller than some people realize.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Do you have bouillon cubes? You could use water or chicken broth but it won’t be as flavorful. Just be sure to salt it well.

      Reply

  9. Brooke Levanway says

    Wow, I haven’t eaten the boxed hamburger helper since I was a kid and eating this brought me right back to that memory! I even added a little sour cream and minced a cup of mushrooms and added shredded zucchini (kids didn’t even notice) and it went with it beautifully! Still tasted like the original flavor too, only far better of course 🥳. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  10. Dan C says

    This has become part of our regular rotation but after making it a few times, I feel the original recipe is a little bland. What I do is I use an entire onion, and in addition to the garlic powder, I add 1/2 tsp of onion powder, 1/2 a tsp of cumin, and double the chile powder. I use an entire 12 oz package of elbow macaroni, 4 cups of beef broth, and around 3 cups of cheese.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I try not to over-season my recipes because a lot of people would be turned off by that, but glad you were able to build on the flavors to suit your personal tastes. I add more garlic and lots of extra salt to pretty much everything I make haha.

      Reply

  11. Sally says

    4 stars
    Yum!! And so easy. My husband loves boxed Hamburger Helper (childhood comfort food), and he thought this was better. Duh! Haha! Keeping this one in rotation. I used fresh garlic instead of powder, and added some fresh herbs from the garden. Delish. 👏🏼👍🏻🙏🏼

    Reply

  13. Toni says

    5 stars
    Very delicious!! This is among my favorite dishes and it’s easy to make!

    Your other recipes are also very good e.g. the Thai Green curry soup! 5/5

    Greetings from Germany!

    Toni

    Reply

  14. nancy says

    Made this for the 2nd time last night and it’s always a hit with the whole family and with two little ones that’s a big win! The adults topped it off with a little dollop of sour cream for extra richness. Thank you so much for all your recipes during this time when we all must spend more time in the kitchen!

    Reply

  16. Donna says

    5 stars
    Made this exactly to recipe. It was AWESOME! I will be making this many times in the future. My husband loved it. Thank you!

    Reply

  17. Courtney says

    4 stars
    Can I use real garlic to substitute for the garlic powder? Or will it be too over powering?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      You could use it for sure. I'd probably stick to a couple cloves max for this particular recipe unless you do want it very garlicky (which is fine too... it just may not taste like a copycat recipe as much).

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I would just do veggies on the side. I haven't tested it with veggies. It's a one pot pasta so the liquid ratios really matter, and vegetables can throw that off.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      I think that will be ok. I mean tomato paste is a lot more concentrated so the flavor won’t be exactly the same. But should be fine. Let me know!

      Reply

  20. Angelica says

    I want to make this and am out of broth and can’t make it to store. Can I use water? And add beef bouillon cubes?

    Reply

  21. Kathleen Rayfield says

    5 stars
    I added a chopped red pepper and some Worcestershire sauce when browning the beef and this is a great meal for all ages! Thank you for using kitchen staples!

    Reply

  22. Miranda says

    5 stars
    So delicious! One of my dirty little secrets is that I LOVE the “helper” meals (the ones that come in a box and you add beef or chicken or tuna...). My friends/family would give me such a hard time about how unhealthy and loaded with sodium they are, that I would sneak them into the house to cook when no one was home! Well, not only am I proud to cook this version in front of people, it tastes much better too and it feels healthier! Thank you, I love your recipes!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Haha nothing wrong with packaged foods once in a while. 😉 So glad you enjoyed this recipe!! Thanks for your sweet comment. XO

      Reply

  23. Annie says

    5 stars
    This recipe is great! I’ve been looking for a fairly simple Hamburger Helper knockoff and this was on point. I would say it was better — tasted less processed. I actually made it with Trader Joe’s meatless ground beef and it was great. I added a bit of olive oil while cooking the “beef” and onions as is typically needed when using fake meat but other than that followed the recipe and it was great. Thanks!

    Reply

  26. Shannon says

    3 stars
    My mother cooked homemade meals only, growing up, which I do, as well, for my children, so I'm unfamiliar with the taste of the original Hamburger Helper. I made this recipe last night, because it was easy and I had everything on hand, and it looked like something my kids would enjoy. My husband did eat HH growing up, and said that the flavor is pretty much a direct hit, based on memory, so it seems the recipe is a success at replicating the original. It wasn't my favorite dish, nor did my husbands, but my kids LOVED it, and they ate the leftovers for lunch today, which was a great help (it reheated well, too). I added 50% more noodles (and broth, tomato paste, and spices to support the extra noodles), and I think it could take at least double the noodles to go with the pound of beef. I like the idea of switching up the cheese and adding more vegetables, as other commenters have noted. I look forward to trying more of your recipes, and thank you for being creative and sharing your recipes with the world!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Glad the kids liked it! Yeah, I am not sure if you read the blog post or not, but my mom also made everything from scratch so I can definitely relate! Let me know if you do end up trying some of my other recipes. 🙂

      Reply

  27. Peggy Adcox says

    I have made the hamburger helper meal so many times---Just now I made one it was terrible-- no flavor at all. Total waste of mine and my husband's time.

    Will definitely never buy another one of yours. Will try another vendor that knows how to make good stuff!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi... I am so confused right now. Are you leaving your comment on the right website? You realize that I don't sell products, right? This is a recipe (with many good reviews) that you make yourself...

      Reply

  28. Gergely says

    5 stars
    Just great, made today, with much more pasta (500 gr) and different cheese (smoked one found only, a bit less fat than cheddar). Turned out GREAT! Just wonder about the nem ... helper? Why is that? Thanks for sharing. Gergely

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi!! I'm so glad it worked out for you. I'm not sure about the name haha. I think it was invented in the '80s and it was a way to "help" hamburger taste better maybe? I guess it's catchy and stuck since it's still around.

      Reply

  30. Anna says

    Hi! I have not tried this recipe yet. Today I made the garlic creamy chicken. It was wonderful!!
    Can I use some other kind of cheese instead of the cheddar for the homemade hamburger helper? I am not a fan of it. Thank you

    Reply

  31. Emily Downey says

    5 stars
    Loved this! Made it tonight. My twin 12 year old boys and 15 year old daughter all liked it. Only subs I made were using no onion and using chicken broth, based on what I had on hand. Will definitely make again! Thanks!

    Reply

  32. JVH says

    5 stars
    So satisfying! Incredibly easy...no need to alter the ingredients or measurements. Everything is calculated perfectly. Better than the box version.

    Reply

  33. C Smith says

    This recipe is amazing as is. I am an ER RN and will be busy for the next few weeks. This recipe is amazing as is, today I doubled all the ingredients except the hamburger and added a pound of mushrooms simply because I am trying to bulk up my freezer meals for work while being responsible with my food stores at home. It worked really well. Thank you for your recipes!!!

    Reply

  34. Jane says

    5 stars
    I made this exactly as written, and OMG, it's so good!! I made it on Sunday and have been taking it for lunch this week, and it's just getting better-tasting every day. This recipe is so simple, and so much better than commercial Hamburger Helper in every way. I'm going to make this a lot, I can tell. Delicious!

    Reply

  35. Lindsay Norkus says

    5 stars
    I made this last week, and it was a huge hit! My husband claimed it was better than the OG hamburger helper! He's already asking if we can have it again this week! Love your amazing, easy to follow and always spiced perfectly recipes.

    Reply

  36. Katie says

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! It was so easy and seriously so good. I doubled my macaroni and all the other ingredients except for the meat, added 2 cups of milk in addition to the beef broth, and thew in some extra spices. My boyfriend immediately high-fived me on the first bite. I already want it again. Success!

    Reply

  37. Doug says

    5 stars
    I made this last night and everyone loved it. I am going to make it again next week, it’s so easy, just perfect for a mid-week dinner. Thank you Natasha, yet another success.

    Reply

  38. Tara says

    5 stars
    Every salt and lavender recipe has been wonderful. We just made another tasty one with this homemade hamburger helper! Thank you again.

    Reply

  39. Nina says

    5 stars
    This is such a cozy recipe for the cold weather. My kids devoured it! I even snuck in a veggie boost by dicing up a carrot and throwing it in while I sautéd the meat. So good! I look forward to the leftovers .thank you!

    Reply

  41. Michelle says

    4 stars
    I always love a good one-pot meal and this was no exception. It was quick and easy and the whole fam liked it, including two wee ones (1.5 and 4.5). Minimal mess/clean up and used ingredients we normally have on hand. Will definitely make again!

    Reply

  42. Mandy says

    I made this for supper the same day this was posted and it was freaking delish!! My husband, and 3 sons loved it. They all asked for me to make this again. All 3 boys had hockey tonight, but I was easily able to get this tasty meal whipped up before all of us were running out the door. Thanks for the recipe. This will be a regular.

    Reply

    • Mia says

      5 stars
      I made this last night after seeing it on your instagram feed. I ended up added a few extra veggies to sneak them into the kids and it was delicious. Definitely going to be a keeper.

      Reply