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.
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".
How to make Hamburger Helper (summary)
Start by browning the beef & onion in a pot and draining any excess fat, then stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. 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, then stir in the grated cheddar and season to taste. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
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.
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...
- Instant Pot Hamburger Mac and Cheese
- Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
- Macaroni Soup
- Ground Beef Gnocchi
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Easy Cheesy Taco Pasta
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. 🙂
Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
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
- 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.
- Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.
- 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.
- While it's cooking, grate the cheese (this saves prep time at the start of the recipe).
- 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.
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.
Sydney says
This recipe is so easy. I’m a teacher and this year has been tough, so this is a super easy dish to make when i’m exhausted. We eat it at least once a week. So good!
Natasha says
I'm so happy that this recipe helps make dinnertime easier for you, Sydney! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review.
Janelle says
SO EASY! And so so good! I’m really happy to have found another “go to” meal for my family on the busy days.
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Janelle! 🙂 Thank you!
Elise says
I saw this today on Instagram and happened to have everything I needed to make it, so we had it for dinner. It was DELICIOUS! I was afraid it was going to be too soupy, but after adding the cheese, it all came together perfectly! I did use packaged shredded cheddar and I’m not sure it made a difference. This is definitely going into the rotation! Thanks for posting 😋
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm glad you enjoyed it, Elise!
Alyssa says
Hi! Do you have any ideas for how to make this a little more leftover friendly? I love the recipe but I don’t cook for a lot of people and notice when I do one pot meals with pasta that the pasta becomes mushy the next day after sitting in the sauce in the fridge. Is it possible to make the noodles in a separate pot and then just mix in enough of the sauce with enough noodles in an additional bowl for that night- and save the rest separately? Or does the sauce need to cook with the noodles to get the pasta starch, etc.?
Thanks!!
Natasha says
Hi! I'm so glad you like this recipe! 🙂 That's the problem with one pot pasta recipes, unfortunately. The starch in this one does work to thicken the sauce, so cooking it separately wouldn't result in the exact same texture, and you'd have to play around with liquid measurements. Perhaps try halving the recipe and making it in a smaller pot? It may need some tweaks with timing, but that would at least give you fewer leftovers to worry about. With all that said, you definitely could try making the sauce separately, but yeah, you'd definitely need to tweak the measurements a fair bit to account for there not being any pasta to soak up the liquid as it cooks. I wonder if perhaps my creamy ground beef pasta could be a base if you want to experiment. You could add some chili powder and cheddar and it would taste very similar. Here's the link: https://bit.ly/3xfwmM8
Pat Chute says
Can this be frozen. I make my own frozen dinners. Always looking for a new recipe to try.
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested freezing it, but this type of meal isn't always great frozen/reheated, in my opinion. Leftover pasta in general gets a bit soggy, and reheating it might make it a bit gloopy. I mean it should still taste ok, but not sure about the texture. Let me know if you try, though!
Marg says
Making it now looks good 😋
Natasha says
Hope you enjoy it, Marg! 🙂 Let me know!
Melissa says
Very easy to make and we were surprised by how closely it tasted like boxed Hamburger Helper. Of course this is way more delicious 😋 Making it for a second time tonight!
Natasha says
Thrilled to hear that, Melissa! 😀 Thanks for reviewing the recipe.
Dina says
Great hearty meal, kids loved it too. I love the one pot cooking! Super easy.
Natasha says
Excellent! So glad it was a hit, Dina!
Kate says
I feel like I have to comment since I'm making this again tonight (for possibly the 100th time!) Family LOVES it!
Natasha says
Haha I appreciate you taking the time to comment!! So happy you like it! 🙂
Tiffany says
Soooooooo good. This is now a staple in our house. We always double the recipe and it is a crowd pleaser. The adults top with Franks or another hot sauce for a little kick- Thanks!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! 😀 Love the Frank's Red hot idea.
Kate says
Had my eye on this recipe saved in my Instagram for a while, and I'm so happy I finally made it! My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it, we're big burger people! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! You're my kinda people haha.
Melissa says
Wow this was so good! I upped the chili powder and garlic powder for my own tastes and used seasoned salt. I loved hamburger helper as a kid and this is just as good as I remember, minus all the preservatives!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that, Melissa! Thanks for taking the time to write me a review. 🙂
Melissa Mesko says
Can I use whole wheat pasta?
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested it with whole wheat pasta, so there's a chance liquid measurements/timing may differ a bit. You could try, just keep an eye on it and adjust if needed. Let me know if you try!
Kerri says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I'm hooked! I made it about a week ago. So good. I made it again tonite. I made it without the cheese and added a half cup sour cream. Delicious!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 So glad you like the recipe!
Danielle says
Excellent! My favourite macaroni recipe
Natasha says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Danielle says
This was delicious!! I had to change it up because my husband is a vegetarian. I used veggie broth and tofu crumbles and it came out perfect! Although I did add the crumbles about 3 minutes before the pasta was done.
I also added a drizzle or 2 of Worcestershire sauce.
Great recipe!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad that you were able to adapt it!! 🙂
Lis says
I feel obligated to review this recipe as it has become a favorite comfort food in our house! Just love it as is though I bet we add extra garlic as we do with every recipe ever. So easy and so delicious.
Natasha says
That's great!! 🙂 I add extra garlic to everything too haha. Thank you!
Rose says
I just made this dish for my Husband. He loves Hamburger Helper, but I never made it for him because it's the box version. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! It was delicious! He said it tastes just like HH, but 100 times better.
Since he has Celiac disease, I use GF beef broth and elbow pasta. An easy dish to make that delivers a great flavor that the whole family appreciates!
Rose in AZ
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that, Rose! 🙂 Thanks so much for your sweet comment!
Michelle says
Made this for my family & we loved it. Followed the recipe except didn't use chili powder. I've saved this one to make again!
Natasha says
Wonderful! So happy you liked it! 🙂
Bev says
I made this for the first time today and it was delicious. Great recipe!
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Sheveeta Jackson says
Made a vegan version with beyond ground, veggie broth and vegan cheese. It was delicious. Kid approved, husband approved. No leftovers. Thank you!
Natasha says
That's great! 😀
Jen says
I made this dish for my daughter who is a very picky eater. She asked for it again twice! It was delicious and simple. Thank you!
Natasha says
That's great to hear! So happy she likes it.
Melissa says
Hi I made this recipe two weeks ago and loved it! I want to make it again tonight but I don’t have tomato paste!:/ Do you think I can make this without the tomato paste?
Thank you!!!!
Natasha says
Hi! Hmmm... do you have a small can of tomato sauce maybe? I don't think it would be bad or anything without it, but the tomatoes do add some flavor.
Chris says
Family looked it, kid went back for seconds. I added a little dill
Natasha says
Great!!
Paula says
Just made this tonight following the recipe right on. All kids and teens loved it, and I looked it much more than I expected! I grew up during the hey day of hamburger helper and it was never a key dish in our house. This recipe is great. Served with steamed broccoli on the side for some green.
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 🙂
Nicole says
This was delicious, made it last night and my husband told me that, as a kid, hamburger helper was one of his all-time favorite things! Learned something new 🙂 I used fusilli pasta because that's what I had. Because it is a larger pasta, I used four cups of broth. I also bumped up the amount of tomato paste, chili powder and garlic powder and I seasoned the beef and onions with salt and pepper as they were cooking. We have a ridiculous amount of cheese in our house so I added in comte cheese, since it melts well, and topped it with some parmesan in addition to the cheddar. To add in something green, I added broccoli to the broth and pasta with about 4-5 minutes of cooking time left. It got just soft enough. I would absolutely make this again. It was wonderful comfort food to take the edge off of election night.
Natasha says
I'm so happy that it's a hit in your home and that it brought back good memories for your hubby! 🙂 Thanks for the tips w. the fusilli!
Melissa says
I made this last night and it turned out really disappointing. Too watery but worse the amount of cheese was waaaay to much and clumped in their bowls and the pan. 😐
Family liked flavor (bc I added more spices than your recipient required) but hated the cheese.
Natasha says
Hmmm that's not good. I'm sorry to hear that! This recipe has tons of good reviews, so I am perplexed what went wrong for you.
saraK says
Cheese clumped up becuz your main dish was too hot.
Roni says
Super simple, quick, definitely use fresh grated cheese. Only had to add salt and pepper.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!!
Terri says
This is great the kids will love this but we have a large family we would need a lb of pasta 🤣 how would you make with a lb.
thank you!
Natasha says
Hi Terri! I honestly can't say without testing because the liquid quantities really matter. I would start by doubling the recipe and then you could tweak from there.
Jade says
I think as for 1lb of pasta you would need about 20 cups of beef broth lol as for the rest I would just consider doing 4-5 times the regular amount (: and it should work out about the same, I didn’t follow the recipe perfectly we love extra onions and seasoning but it turned out really good! Definitely something I’d make again. And didn’t run into the cheese clumping problem either (:
Brittany Chavez says
This looks so yummy! I'm thankful to find recipes I can tweak due to dairy and gluten allergies. Im definitely going to try this with gluten free pasta and minus the cheese. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so happy that you're able to adapt it!
Jill says
I doubled it because I had a larger package of beef ...it was perfect when doubled! Thank you...great comfort meal 🙂
Natasha says
That's awesome! So glad it worked out for you, Jill!
Jen says
I am so grateful I came across this recipe - THANK YOU! I have made it 4x in the last several months - normally double or tripling it for my large family. Made only minor variations - used LARGE elbow macaroni (closer to the original) and used a blend of freshly grated sharp cheddar and Velveeta - yes, I know some find the later a bit less healthy - but it adds some extra creaminess that the people want :). Can’t thank you enough for comfort food like this - will NEVER buy the box version again.
Natasha says
Aww I love that. I'm so happy that it's a hit for your family! 😀
Armani Rodriguez says
This was the first time for me! I love how easy and how quick it takes to make this recipe! It came out so good! I actually used Veg broth as my own personal preference and it still came out super tasty! Thanks for this great recipe!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
G says
Made this because my boyfriend was craving hamburger helper, and this recipe absolutely delivered! The easiest cooking directions I've ever followed, and turned out to be exactly what I was expecting! I used baby shells instead of macaroni (I have weird pasta quirks) and highly recommend the freshly grated cheese suggestion- definitely adds to the flavor!
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy it worked out! 🙂
Richard Farmer says
I loved this! so I added some (Tianjin CAYENNE pepper power) and classic Tabasco to add some smoking kick and sour cream along with adding real Grated Parmesan along with Cheddar Cheese Powder this is so amazing the guys at the lodge eat it up , when we go camping or hunting this is the number one asked for dish! Comfort food you know!!! I call it (The Mac Hideaway Special ) my pot always runs out fast,
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Love your additions!
Todd B says
I made 2 slight changes, one I used some pre-shredded Colby Jack instead of cheddar because we had a bunch laying around, and 2 I used a bit more garlic, because I like garlic a lot 🙂
This was amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe, I have missed having Hamburger Helper since the kids moved out and this hit the spot.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Todd! 🙂
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.
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thanks for commenting!
Cheryl says
My family is in love with this. 💜
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
Anjeanette A Waddell says
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!
Natasha says
Aww I'm so happy to hear that hahaha. 🙂 Mom 1, Kids 0
Dahlia Jabro says
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!!
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.
Zai says
What if you don’t have any beef broth. What is the best substitute?i
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.
Anthony J Pisano says
added some sausage also. Awesome.
Natasha says
Great!! Thank you!
Rhea says
This recipe was so good! So easy to make and I love that it’s a one pot meal under 30 mins! M
Natasha says
Wonderful! You're very welcome!
Shelby says
So yummy & easy!
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
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!
Natasha says
You’re very welcome!! I’m so glad you liked it 🤗♥️
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.
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.
Sally says
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. 👏🏼👍🏻🙏🏼
Natasha says
That's great!! I'm always happy to bring a little nostalgia back haha.
Mama says
👍🏻 at our house, a family with 4 guys!
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Toni says
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
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Toni (and the soup as well)!! Hello from Canada! 🙂
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!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! And you're very welcome 🙂
Stephanie says
Made it this afternoon, it’s really delicious and took me back to my childhood!
Natasha says
That's great!! I'm happy to hear that!
Donna says
Made this exactly to recipe. It was AWESOME! I will be making this many times in the future. My husband loved it. Thank you!
Natasha says
Glad to hear that, Donna!! 🙂
Courtney says
Can I use real garlic to substitute for the garlic powder? Or will it be too over powering?
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).
Jessica says
I’m going to make this this week. What kind of veggies seem to work well in this? Thanks!!
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.
Patty says
Can I substitute tomato sauce for the paste? I have everything but the paste!!!! Thanks
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!
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?
Natasha says
Yes, that will work.
Kathleen Rayfield says
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!
Natasha says
Awesome! Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it!
Miranda says
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!!
Natasha says
Haha nothing wrong with packaged foods once in a while. 😉 So glad you enjoyed this recipe!! Thanks for your sweet comment. XO
Annie says
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!
Natasha says
That's awesome that it worked with the meat-free alternative!! Thanks for letting me know!
Georgeanne Katsuleas says
Absolutely awesome just as written!!
Natasha says
Aww so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Linda says
I tried this tonight, my grandson and I loved it.
Very easy too!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thanks for letting me know, Linda! 🙂
Shannon says
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!
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. 🙂
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!!!
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...
Jimi says
They must be on the wrong site or don't know how to measure ingredients. They didnt even have to buy your recipe.. We just made this and it was delicious. Thanks
Natasha says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Gergely says
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
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.
Tammy says
We loved it!!
Natasha says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know!
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
Natasha says
Hi Anna! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chicken recipe! 🙂 You can definitely sub another kind of cheese. I'd just pick something you can grate easily and will melt easily. Or, if you want something similar but without cheese, I just posted this recipe: https://www.saltandlavender.com/easy-creamy-beef-and-shells/
Emily Downey says
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!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! So glad it worked out! XO
JVH says
So satisfying! Incredibly easy...no need to alter the ingredients or measurements. Everything is calculated perfectly. Better than the box version.
Natasha says
I am so happy you liked it, thanks for the nice comment! XO
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!!!
Natasha says
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for all you do! XO
Jane says
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!
Natasha says
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Jane!! 🙂 Thanks for the sweet compliment!
Lindsay Norkus says
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.
Natasha says
Oooh that's quite the compliment! I hear they keep messing with the formula. So glad it's a keeper! 🙂 XO
Katie says
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!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! Thanks for leaving me a comment! 😀
Doug says
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.
Natasha says
Wonderful! You’re very welcome.
Tara says
Every salt and lavender recipe has been wonderful. We just made another tasty one with this homemade hamburger helper! Thank you again.
Natasha says
Aww so glad you enjoy my recipes! Thanks for the sweet comment! ♥️
Nina says
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!
Natasha says
Good idea! You could definitely add different kinds of veggies too. So glad it was enjoyed!
Liz says
Has anyone tried it with ground turkey? Would it greatly alter the taste?
Natasha says
It would definitely change the taste. I think if you like ground turkey, you could give it a try. Why not!
Liz says
So glad I went to the store to buy the ground beef. It definitely wouldn’t have came out as good with turkey. The kids loved it! Thank you !!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!!
Michelle says
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!
Natasha says
Yay!! Thanks for letting me know ♥️♥️♥️
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.
Natasha says
I’m soo happy it was a hit!! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🤗♥️
Mia says
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.
Natasha says
That’s awesome!! So glad it worked out. Thanks for following along and leaving me a comment! ☺️
Howard Perkins says
I added some gherkin juice (think you call them pickles), tastes like a big mac!, thank you.
Natasha says
That’s genius!! So glad you liked it!!