Homemade Hamburger Helper

Some may think this Homemade Hamburger Helper is nothing spectacular, but even I, a Chef, sometimes want something comforting from childhood.

I like to serve this with my Cheesy Garlic Bread to really solidify that comforting feeling! I know it probably needs a vegetable next to it, but we'll save that for another day, haha.

This is my slightly chef'ed-up version but it still calls back to the original, without all the junk that comes along with making it from a box. And did I mention it is a SUPER easy one-pot wonder, just as it should be!

That is one thing I like about recreating childhood favorites, while it may not still be the healthiest thing you ever ate, you can get rid of some of the preservatives and other bad stuff that comes from prepackaged foods.

Ingredients

One of the biggest notes that I want to make about this ingredient list is about the cheddar cheese. You want to be sure to use freshly grated cheese so that you end up with a velvety smooth sauce. Preshredded cheese has gunk on it so it doesn't clump up, and will give you a broken sauce.

Everything else is pretty straightforward, and feel free to use any pasta you like. I picked up the fun medley you see in the photo below at Trader Joe's and I thought this was a perfectly fitting recipe to use it for.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Method

This homemade hamburger helper recipe starts by layering flavors and making the sauce. First, cook the onions until they are translucent, then add the beef to the pan and cook, breaking into small pieces as you do, till no pink remains.

Then stir in the tomato paste and chicken stock, along with some seasoning, and bring the mixture to a simmer until a smooth sauce forms.

While the sauce cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir in some of the cheese and the pasta, along with some pasta water, and the dish is DONE.

Whipping this up should take no longer than 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta in the sauce till it thickens a little and begins clinging to the pasta. Top with more cheese and some parsley for color and it is ready to enjoy.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Some may think this Homemade Hamburger Helper is nothing spectacular, but even I, a Chef, sometimes want something comforting from childhood.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pasta or Macaroni, cooked to package directions
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 pound Ground Beef, lean or extra lean
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, Morton’s
• ½ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1, 6-ounce can Tomato Paste
• 2 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
• Parsley, finely chopped - for garnish

Instructions

1. Set a 4-quart pot on the stove, full of water, and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water to the package directions for al dente.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, begin cooking the sauce.
3. In a large 12-13-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to become translucent.
4. Add the beef to the pan, along with the salt, pepper, and red pepper, and cook, breaking into smaller pieces until no pink remains in the pan. 
5. Stir in the garlic and cook 3-4 minutes longer. If a lot of fat remains, drain it off.
6. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir into the beef until it warms through.
7. Stir the chicken stock and cream into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer.
8. When the mixture has rapid bubbles, stir in the cheese with ½ cup pasta water. Then stir in the cooked pasta.
9. Give everything a nice stir to combine and coat, turn off the heat, and dust with parsley. 
10. Serve immediately.

Notes

Notes & Tips

Some may call this a stroganoff or a goulash, depending on what part of the country you are from. But I remember, not often, but having from a box, and that is what I was emulating here.

Store any leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container for 3-5 days. I don't suggest freezing, the sauce doesn't really come back together very well. But it can be done if needed.

Reheat leftovers, stirring often, over medium-low heat on the stove for best results. If the sauce soaks heavily into the pasta, add a splash of more water (as needed) to the pan when warming to bring it back to life.

Substitutions

The classic pasta used for Cheeseburger Macaroni is elbow noodles. But you can really use anything you have on hand or prefer. I picked up this really fun mulit-shaped pasta at Trader Joe's and I was so fun in this recipe.

With the namesake being hamburger, I always go with beef. But you could swap the ground beef for ground turkey or even chicken if you wanted a really lean protein.

If you'd like to take the final flavor of the meal in a bit of a different direction, you can swap the tomato paste for 1 cup of salsa. It would make it a little more festive and Mexican, but it totally works!

Most of the ingredients are pretty basic, but the one that can really change things up a lot is the cheese. If you go the Mexican route, stir in pepper jack. Colby Jack or Provolone would also be great.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 677Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 721mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 47g

This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.

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