Homemade Hamburger Helper

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This Homemade Hamburger Helper is easy to make, requires no fancy ingredients, is ready in 30 minutes, and is a meal the whole family will love!

A plate piled high with hamburger helper and garnished with parlsey.

This is probably one of my kid’s favorite meals. I mean they could eat this for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.

Along with pancakes, pizza, and pb&j. My kids are normal right??

This is also a reader favorite! It’s one of the top recipes on Countryside Cravings! One reader, Michelle, says “I had my doubts as I was making this, but it was a big hit with my picky husband and toddler. This is going in the weekly rotation.”

Another reader, Rob says “Whole family loved this meal. It was so quick and easy to make and even my fussiest eater cleared his plate!”

Some other reader favorites are these Homemade Chewy Brownies, Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Thighs, and Irish Soda Bread.

Why You Will Love It:

  • Only takes 30 minutes to make
  • Homemade so you control what goes into it
  • Budget friendly
  • Uses easy to find ingredients you probably already have on hand
  • Will take you back to your childhood
  • Can add in additional veggies for extra nutrition
  • It’s a true one pot meal which is great for clean up
Ingredients needed to make homemade hamburger helper.

Ingredients:

Ground beef: can also substitute with ground turkey

Onion

Spices: paprika, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne pepper

Milk: feel free to use broth if you don’t have milk on hand

Beef broth: can also use chicken broth if you prefer

Elbow macaroni: or substitute in a similar pasta.

Tomato sauce

Cheddar cheese: it’s best to grate your own cheese. The pre-shredded is coated in anti-caking agents and doesn’t melt as well. I’m a Tillamook cheese fan and it’s perfect for this dish!

Pictures of browned ground beef and adding in the pasta.
Adding shredded cheddar.

How To Make Hamburger Helper:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef, onion, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt, and pepper. If using ground beef with a higher fat content add in the seasonings after draining the grease.

Stir in the milk, broth, macaroni, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

Top down view of Homemade Hamburger Helper in a cast iron skillet.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Feel free to add in extra vegetables! Grated zucchini, grated carrot, peas, spinach, and tomatoes are all great options.
  • Change up the flavor using different spices or add more. Also, if you don’t like some of the spices listed in the ingredients feel free to leave them out.
  • Don’t like cheddar cheese?? No problem, this recipe works great with pepper jack, monterey jack, or any easy to melt cheese.
  • Readers have used other shapes of pasta without needing to change the liquids.
  • This recipe also works great with ground turkey instead of beef. One reader even used lentils!
Holding a plate with hamburger helper.

FAQs

CAN I FREEZE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER?

No, it is not recommended to freeze this dish as the pasta gets too mushy.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER HAMBURGER HELPER?

Store cooled hamburger helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

HOW TO REHEAT HAMBURGER HELPER?

While this tastes best fresh reheat on the stovetop and add a little broth. Reheat over low heat stirring constantly to prevent burning. Can also reheat in a microwave if preferred.

Close up of pasta in skillet.

What to serve with Homemade Hamburger Helper

This meal is a great stand alone especially if you have added in extra vegetables. However, it is great with a simple side salad and these Buttermilk Biscuits too!

I have also served it with these Simple Roasted Green Beans which are one of my kid’s favorite vegetables.

And if you are looking for something sweet to add alongside this retro dish this Creamy Key Lime Fruit Salad is perfect.

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4.72 from 134 votes
A plate piled high with hamburger helper and garnished with parlsey.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

This Homemade Hamburger Helper is just as easy as the store bought stuff but a whole lot healthier! An easy ground beef recipe that both adults and kids love!

Course: Main Dish, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy hamburger helper, hamburger helper, healthier hamburger helper
Servings: 6
Calories: 479 kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (500g) lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch to ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cups (355ml) milk
  • cups (355ml) beef broth
  • 2 cups (260g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • 1 (8oz) (227g) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups (225g) shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef, onion, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt and pepper. If using a ground beef with a higher fat content add in the seasonings after draining the grease.
  2. Stir in the milk, broth, macaroni and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  3. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes
  1. If using whole wheat elbow pasta you may need to add more liquid while cooking.  
  2. STORAGE: Store cooled hamburger helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
  3. Nutrition Facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.

What to serve with this Homemade Hamburger Helper:

  • Steamed vegetable of choice
  • Simple side salad
  • Fresh fruit of choice
  • Or buttered bread
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Amount Per Serving (1.25 cup (about))
Calories 479 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 92mg31%
Sodium 538mg23%
Potassium 555mg16%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 640IU13%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 365mg37%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.

464 thoughts on “Homemade Hamburger Helper”

  1. 5 stars
    This was great – an easy meal on a busy day. I made it with ground turkey, which I happened to have on hand, and my own frozen roasted tomato puree from last summer. I also added a little frozen corn in the final cooking stages. Next time I will try adding some frozen crushed kale from the garden freezer bounty! It’s very easy to modify the recipe to include more veggies. Would be great with mushrooms too. As another person mentioned, the milk does separate (curdle) a bit when you add it (likely due to tomato and onion acidity), but this does not matter one bit. Once it cooks down to the point that the macaroni is done, and then you add the cheese, you would not know it. I also added a mix of half cheddar and half mozzarella.

    Reply
      • 5 stars
        This recipe is great, just as it is. I’ve made it so many times in the last few months. Sometimes I add diced tomatoes because my family loves them. But this is a fantastic take on cheeseburger Mac Hamburger Helper. No clue what that other commenter is saying. It’s delicious! ♥️

        Reply
    • It will bring up the print page where you can choose whether you want to include the recipe photo, nutrition, etc. Then you can click print. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  2. 5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe and so does my family who constantly ask me to make it. I usually add spinach, 1 can of diced petite tomatoes, half paprika and half smoked and tiger seasoning. I always add fresh garlic and green peppers as well. I have not made the boxed stuff in years. It is really gross to me now that I have this.

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    I have to say, this was fabulous. My Wife and I do a lot of cooking and it was nice not to invent tonite. We used our own ground beef. I’m super impressed.

    Reply
  4. 3 stars
    Hearty and delicious but I doubled the spices and added 2 cloves garlic and can of diced tomatoes
    Glad I did it would have been bland

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    I had my doubts as I was making this, but it was a big hit with my picky husband and toddler. This is going in the weekly rotation.

    Reply
  6. 5 stars
    This is one of our go to meals, even our picky 5 year old loves it! I’ve recently gone gluten free, have you tried it with gluten free noodles?

    Reply
    • Hi, Jennifer! I am so sorry no one has responded to your comments. I know some readers have used gluten free pasta with this recipe but they didn’t specify if they made any changes. I am sorry I couldn’t be of more help!!

      Reply
  7. Like most recipes, prep time is much longer…. by the time I pull out all ingredients, chop, measure, etc. Much longer More like 15 minutes prep time.Also too much liquid. I even reduced by 1/4 cup for each

    Reply
  8. Love hamburger helper but this is better for you. I use low salt to no salt ingredients and throw what vegetables I have. I so glad I stubble on this recipe

    Reply

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