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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!!