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Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

Name: Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
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)

Published January 17, 2020 / Updated April 28, 2020 / 150 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.

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

Brown the beef & onion and drain any excess fat;
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;
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.

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.