Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (2024)

Home Beef Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

By Natasha

Aug 03, 2022, Updated Feb 22, 2024

4.91

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This easy homemade Hamburger Helper recipe has ground beef, macaroni, and a flavorful cheesy cheddar sauce! It’s total comfort food that’s inexpensive and ready in about 30 minutes.

Try my Simple Ground Beef Casserole or Simple Chili Mac next.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (2)

Why you’ll love it

When I was little, my mom made everything from scratch. I do fondly remember a few boxed meals from visiting friends’ houses in the ’90s, though. One was Hamburger Helper, and that brings up all the nostalgia. Naturally, I had to recreate an even better Hamburger Helper from scratch! I like mine because you have total control over the seasonings and know exactly what goes into it.

This ground beef recipe is super simple to make with affordable pantry ingredients, doesn’t take much longer than the packaged kind, and it’s cooked all in one pot for fewer dishes. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with eating packaged foods every now and then, but a LOT of people crave homemade Hamburger Helper, so I am here to bring you the best version.

What you’ll need

  • Ground beef – I like to use extra lean ground beef, at least 90%
  • Onion – our kitchen prefers Vidalia (sweet) onions
  • Tomato paste – it’s an easy, economical way to get concentrated tomato flavor
  • Garlic powder and chili powder – our simple seasoning blend to infuse savory flavor, and they’re ingredients I always keep in my pantry
  • Elbow macaroni – the classic pasta shape for this
  • Beef broth – for a deeper, richer flavor to the sauce
  • Sharp cheddar cheese – my version of Hamburger Helper has no milk to make it that much easier, and the cheddar makes the dish creamy enough all on its own!
Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (3)

Pro tip

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.

How to make Hamburger Helper

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (4)

Start by browning the beef and onion in a large 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, stir in the uncooked macaroni.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (5)

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is soaked up. Grate the cheddar while it’s simmering away. Stir in the cheese, and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

Substitutions and variations

  • Feel free to tweak seasonings to your tastes. You can always increase the chili powder, add some hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes, more garlic, and so on to make it perfect for your taste buds!
  • Some readers like to sneak in a bit of spinach. Just add it in near the end of the cooking time until it wilts. Finely chopped bell peppers would work great as well.
  • If you want to jazz it up, change up the cheese variety. Monterey Jack, smoked cheddar, etc. make some fun variations.
  • You can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead if that’s more your thing.
  • If you want to use another pasta shape (e.g. shells), you may need to adjust liquid measurements and/or cooking time (this has only been tested with macaroni).

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. Try one with my Simple Homemade Ranch Dressing or Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
  • Making Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread at home is another fantastic pairing everyone will devour.
  • Want to serve it with some veggies? These Easy Roasted Green Beans are a cinch to make and caramelized to perfection.

Leftovers and storage

  • Leftovers of this Hamburger Helper will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, but keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb the broth over time. It’ll still be tasty, though.
  • Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat for best results, giving it the occasional stir, and warm it through. Add in a splash of beef broth to thin it if desired.
  • I don’t recommend freezing leftovers. Cooked pasta doesn’t have the same texture once thawed.

More family friendly recipes

  • Instant Pot Hamburger Mac and Cheese
  • Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe
  • Tater Tot Casserole
  • Easy Cheesy Taco Pasta
  • Cheeseburger Soup
Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (6)

Let me know if you give this cheesy Hamburger Helper recipe a go!Questions? Made it? As always, I love it when you leave me comments.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (7)

4.91 from 316 votes

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

By Natasha Bull

This easy homemade Hamburger Helper recipe has ground beef, macaroni, and a flavorful cheesy cheddar sauce! It's total comfort food that's inexpensive and ready in about 30 minutes.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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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.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 44g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 1106mg, Potassium: 624mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 640IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 437mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

This recipe was originally published on January 17, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!

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Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (8)

Hi! I’m Natasha.

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703 Comments

  1. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (9)
    This is the one of the only recipes my boys (husband&son) regularly ask for! We use a little less cheese than called for but absolutely love having this on repeat. Thanks for simple tasty dish we can enjoy.

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad it’s a favorite!! Thanks, Amanda!!

      Reply

  2. I do love the taste of this recipe, but definitely note that you need to add more pasta and broth for 4 people—or double the recipe. First time I made this, I used 1 cup of pasta as the recipe calls for and basically served my two kids and husband as there wasn’t enough for me.

    Reply

    1. Hi! Yes some people will eat more than others, but definitely easy to double the recipe next time. Glad you liked the flavor!

      Reply

  3. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (10)
    Love love this recipe . It’s perfect . You loved hamburger helper as a kid . This is the recipe for you .

    Reply

    1. Yay!! Thanks, Dina!

      Reply

  4. i love this recipe! i didn’t have beef broth on hand so i used water with chicken broth and it still tasted pretty convincing! i can imagine how even better it will taste when i actually can get some beef both. thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    1. You are very welcome, Kris!!

      Reply

  5. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (11)
    Made this for dinner and it was delicious!! Used white cheddar and Colby jack and added some red pepper and garlic with the onion. Even my son – my worst critic- liked it 🙂

    Reply

    1. That’s great!! 😀 Thank you, Karen!

      Reply

  6. I Made this exactly but only thing is I used 1/4 onion and onion soup mix half package and whole can tomato paste and fresh garlic one fresh carrot stick celery and 1/4 green pepper and 1/2 cup more macaroni omg yummy to die for was excellent recipe will b making this again me and Girl friend just loved it ! Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    1. You’re very welcome!

      Reply

  7. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (12)
    Absolutely perfect. I felt like a kid at the dinner table again, even served canned green beans with it like my dad did. It tasted exactly like I remember, but better.
    I only had egg noodles on hand and Colby Jack cheese, they worked out just fine, but I’d love to try the suggested noodles and cheese next time.
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe, my family and I loved it and I’ll be making it again!

    Reply

    1. You are very welcome, Susan!! Your review makes me so happy!! 😀

      Reply

  8. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (13)
    I made it with spiral noodles and added carrots and kale! Soooo yummy!

    Reply

    1. Yay! Thank you!!

      Reply

  9. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (14)
    I used Banza noodles (gluten free made out of chickpeas) and was worried it wouldn’t absorb the liquid as well. It was not an issue and the dish turned out great! For my husband’s portion I used vegan shredded cheese. It melted easily into this dish and he loved it!

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad it worked out!

      Reply

  10. Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (15)
    I love this recipe and have made it several times but one cup of macaroni only feeds two people in my house. It was enough meat for 4 people but not enough pasta. I added more liquid and doubled the noodles the second time and it was perfect. I looked online and it even said to estimate a half cup dry pasta per person so 1 cup would be for two people. Sometimes I add a poblano and some taco seasoning for a southwest twist. Overall easy and delicious!

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad you were able to tweak it, Jay!! 😀

      Reply

    2. I did this too! I added 2 cups of noodles and 3.5 cups of beef broth. Turned out perfect!

      Reply

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I use beef broth instead of water in Hamburger Helper? ›

Easy Hamburger Helper ingredients

Water: or you can use beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth to add extra flavor. Milk: adds to the creaminess along with the cheddar cheese. You could sub sour cream if you were feeling like experimenting in the kitchen.

How to make Hamburger Helper more flavorful? ›

Almost any of the “helpers” benefit from the addition of sautéed diced onion and minced or grated garlic. This adds another layer of flavor. Or try adding diced red sweet peppers. If it is a cheesy mix add a half cup of freshly grated parmesan and a handful of minced fresh flat leaf parsley.

What are the ingredients in Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni? ›

Elbow wheat macaroni, Corn starch, Salt, Modified milk ingredients, Enriched wheat flour, Sugar, Tomato powder, Onion powder, High monounsaturated vegetable oil (canola, soybean and/or sunflower oil), Citric acid, Garlic powder, Black pepper, Dried cheddar cheese, Maltodextrin, Monoglycerides, Autolyzed yeast extract, ...

What is the original Hamburger Helper? ›

The first Hamburger Helper flavors

The first flavors sounded more palatable than the original dinner mixes, including Chili Tomato, Potato Stroganoff, Rice Oriental, Beef Noodle, and Hash. Each box was a different color, and the chili tomato was the only original one that featured macaroni pasta.

How many cups of water and milk for Hamburger Helper? ›

Add 2 1/4 cups of milk and 2 2/3 cups of hot water to the pan, along with the pasta and seasoning mix from the Hamburger Helper package. Stir everything well and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes.

What happens if you use water instead of milk in Hamburger Helper? ›

Water: If you're looking for a simple substitute, water can be used in place of milk. While it won't provide the same creaminess, it will still work well in the recipe [2]. Shredded Cheese: Adding shredded cheese to your Hamburger Helper can help thicken the sauce and add extra flavor.

Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of milk for Hamburger Helper? ›

If you only have heavy cream on hand, then use a mixture of 50 percent heavy cream and 50 percent pasta water to make up the amount of milk in the recipe. I would still add the butter, because butter = flavor. If your sauce is still too thick, just add more water.

Is Hamburger Helper better with milk or water? ›

Milk adds a creamy texure and lends its flavor to the sauce in Hamburger Helper. You may not enjoy the results made with only water.

What thickens Hamburger Helper? ›

Cheese: Medium cheddar cheese gives it that classic hamburger helper taste, but you could substitute other melty cheese like monterey or pepperjack for something different. Cornstarch: This both thickens the sauce slightly and gives it a silky texture.

What should you season Hamburger Helper with? ›

The best seasonings to use for Hamburger Helper are salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.

What makes Hamburger Helper thicker? ›

How do you thicken up Hamburger Helper? If your Hamburger Helper is too runny or juicy, the best way to thicken it up is to put the lid on the pan and let the mixture steam for at least five minutes. The macaroni will continue to absorb the liquid and the mixture will become thicker.

Why does Hamburger Helper taste different? ›

The manufacturer conducted taste tests and concluded that American consumers prefer milder flavors than they used to, and it changed the recipe accordingly. If this is the case, it is unlikely that the recipe will be changed back. As we get older, our senses of taste and smell fade.

What are McDonald's hamburgers made of? ›

McDonald's burgers are made of 100% ground beef, formed into hamburger patties, and then quickly frozen at our suppliers to seal in great fresh flavor. We add salt and pepper to our burgers when they are cooked on the grill at our restaurants to bring out all that great beef taste. * Weight before cooking 4 oz.

How to jazz up cheeseburger Hamburger Helper? ›

Some ideas that you can try in small batches instead of the whole dish:
  1. Mix in some chopped tomatoes (canned and drained or fresh) and maybe sour cream, ricotta or plain yogurt. ...
  2. I love to mix in frozen peas when I cook my hamburger helper.
Jan 14, 2022

What do you add to Hamburger Helper? ›

Add-ins:
  1. 1/2 to 1 whole white onion (dice and add to the raw meat, brown together)
  2. 1 can diced tomatoes (I use the kind with Italian herbs added. ...
  3. 1 can black olives, whole or sliced (drain, add when you add the liquid and pasta)
  4. 1-2 tbsp fresh minced garlic (add to browning meat) or garlic powder to taste.
Apr 17, 2016

Do you use water or milk for Hamburger Helper? ›

Since milk adds a creamy texture to the Hamburger Helper sauce, it or its substitutes are recommended as a major ingredient to flavorful Hamburger Helper meals. For best results, choose plant milk or a milk substitute that is sweet or savory, depending on the meal type.

Do you use water and milk for Hamburger Helper? ›

Water can be used as a substitute for milk in Hamburger Helper. Keep in mind that using water will result in a more basic flavor profile compared to using milk, as milk adds creaminess and richness. However, it can still produce a tasty and satisfying dish.

How to make Hamburger Helper with water? ›

Crumble 1½ pounds hamburger meat into 3-quart microwavable casserole or bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up beef after 3 minutes, until brown; drain. Stir in both packets Sauce mix, 2-3/4 cups boiling water, 2¼ cups milk and uncooked Pasta.

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