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.
Lisa Myers says
Kids love it!!!
Natasha says
Fantastic! 😀
Emily Croce says
This is one of the only dinners our extremely picky 6 year old would eat. Turns out he has Celiac Disease! We now make a double batch with 12 oz gluten free elbows and it’s still delicious! Thanks for this keeper!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's wonderful! So glad you are able to adapt the recipe for your son!
ClancyCat says
I admit it, I loved this and I now make it near-weekly, so thanks for it, Natasha! Couldn't be easier--a brand-new, never-been-in-a-kitchen cook could make this one fly. Here's what I do:
Doubled the meat (2.25lbs, typically); quadrupled the broth, and the seasonings. Actually upped the Chili Powder (I use Adobo, lots of flavor, less overt heat). Did 2-3x the pasta--I have happily used Penne, but any pasta or macaroni will do. I find that the original recipe needs more pasta than called for, so I'm constantly doing a pasta-juggling act, getting the measures right, but you can judge it, throw more in and add 10 minutes and it won't hurt it.
The flavor combo of the sauce--the broth/stock, the tomato paste and the garlic+chili powder--is TDF. That's the reason I increased those portions, to allow that to nicely soak into the pasta.
I actually use less cheese than called for (heresy, I know!), and I use the typical "Fiesta-style cheese" sold in groceries, that 4-cheese blend that's shredded. Works perfectly. My other half doesn't care for the sharpness or tang of real cheddar, so I split the baby by using that.
This recipe is endlessly forgiving and endlessly fungible. It is easy as dirt, truly. Other than nuking something in the microwave or opening a can, there is nothing simpler and easier than this recipe. Absolutely a keeper. I refrigerate it and reheat it without any issues. Is it as silky as the first day? NO, but the flavor is actually better, so I "suffer" with the less-silkiness. (Also recommend putting a few drops of water on the portions being reheated, helps quite a bit with the silky factor.)
HIGHLY recommended.
Natasha says
So happy you like it!! 😀 Thanks for your detailed review.
Genevieve says
Ok so no judgement please, but I made this with HEB brand boxed Mac and cheese. The cheese powder replaced the cheddar as I didn’t have any on hand. It actually worked great! I jazzed it up a little with a heaping spoon of sour cream, and though it isn’t the most photogenic meal, it is certainly comforting and delicious. I can’t wait to try again when I have real cheese, but this was a totally respectable alternative 🙂
Natasha says
Haha it's all good!! I'm glad you were able to improvise. 🙂
Alyse says
The only change I made is that I added one cup of Monterey Jack and one cup of Smoked Cheddar Habanero. It was great. I'm adding this one to my recipe book.
Alyse says
Oops, I also didn't add onion because I didn't have one, but it wasn't missed.
Natasha says
Excellent! Glad you liked it!
Bella says
Hi
The brand I use is Spice Trends. That brand has good fresh spices in the smaller jars. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Liked how the pasta cooked in the broth.
Next time,I will try the Bacon Cheeseburger pasta. Looks so good. I’ve made many of your recipes and loved them. Thanks for getting back to me. Appreciate it.
Natasha says
You're welcome, Bella! I wonder if it's a bit stronger than the McCormick I use. Thank you for letting me know. Yes... let me know if you try that other one. I hope you like it. Thank you for following along and making my recipes - I really appreciate it! 🙂
Bella says
Hi thanks for responding. That might be the reason? Hard to say.
Planning on making the creamy garlic chicken tonight.
Take care
Natasha says
Enjoy!! Yes, it's also possible of course that you just plain didn't like it haha.
Bella says
I made this tonight and it was nothing like the hamburger helper I grew up on. This has such a sharp bite to it. Assuming it’s from the chili powder? Won’t be making this again.
Natasha says
Strange... I'm sorry you didn't like it! 🙁 I think you're the first one to have commented on the chili powder having a sharp bite. What brand do you use?
ClancyCat says
If you're not at all accustomed to chili powder, or you used a really hot variety, it could be a bit spicy, but I've actually added some to "jazz" it up a bit for my other half.
I also use Adobe Chili Powder, and I find that imparts a ton of flavor and not so much heat. You might try that, if you venture this recipe again.
ClancyCat says
DUH, ADOBO, not Adobe. Thanks a lot, autocorrect!
Natasha says
lol
Jill says
If I wanted to double this, do I double everything? Even the beef broth?
Natasha says
Hi! I would say yes (since that'll be a lot of pasta and it will soak up the liquid fast), but I haven't tested it. Let me know if you try. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Chelsey Ellison says
When I double I only add one extra cup of beef broth. I found when I doubled the broth completely it was too soupy.
Jeff DiMarco says
Just wanted to say this is me and my girlfriends FAVORITE Hamburger helper!! We love to squeeze 2-3 garlic cloves and chili flakes at the very to amp it up. Please keep up the beautiful content and marketing you do, you are in our top 3 for dinner ideas 👏🏼💯🤤
Natasha says
Excellent!! Thank you. I'm so happy you two like it and are enjoying my other recipes too! 🙂
Amelia says
Wanted to try hamburger helper as I saw it on an American Facebook Post and it looked yummy and different. However being in the UK couldn't get the box, I was surprised Betty Crocker did anything other than cake mix!
I tried your recipe after converting the cups to grams! It was amazing, I use your recipe almost weekly! Kids love it, its one of their favourites now! Thank you 😁
Natasha says
That's fantastic!!! I'm so pleased that you gave it a try and your kids love it. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Carol K says
This was really good! I tried it after a very busy day of traveling, so I was exhausted. I had to use bagged shreds of sharp cheddar and ground turkey, because I had it on hand. I also used some seasoned salt, and hot and black combo pepper, because turkey tends to be a bit bland. I’ll be making it again, for sure! Thanks for a recipe as easy to prepare as a mix!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it hit the spot, Carol!
Tina says
I have a lot of food sensitivities and allergies so I was pleased to see something I haven’t had in such a long time. I substituted gluten free macaroni and I use A2 cheese. This was even better than I remembered it. Thank you so much - it’s nice to eat like everyone else every once in a while.
Natasha says
Well that's so good to hear, Tina! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
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 (: