Hamburger Helper

By Snejana Andreeva

on Sep 20, 2024, Updated Jan 22, 2025

4.63 from 8 reviews
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As any immigrant can tell you, our families prioritize home cooking over everything else. This is why I made my own version of Hamburger Helper which bridges the gap between homemade and classic American. Although this recipe contains no processed ingredients, it still comes together in just ⏲️ 30 minutes and has all those classic flavors that we all grew up with. It’s comforting and hearty, so I know your family will love it. This dish feels like one giant hug in a bowl!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Hamburger Helper

My Hamburger Helper recipe has all the comforting textures and flavors of pasta, ground beef, and 🧀 cheese but with a little upgrade. Let’s face it: my ancestors would haunt me if I didn’t throw in some earthy paprika, sweet 🍅 tomato paste, and flavorful beef broth to make it taste like it’s been slow-cooking for hours. This dish is perfect for a weeknight meal and freezes beautifully, so you can make a big batch and have some for another night. This is cold-weather cooking at its best: hearty, warm, and satisfying for the whole family.

A white bowl filled with cooked elbow macaroni mixed with a meaty tomato sauce. A few fresh basil leaves garnish the dish. A spoon is partially visible, resting in the macaroni, which looks flavorful and hearty.

How to Prepare

🔥 To a big pot on medium-high heat, add the oil and let it get hot.

🥩 Once it shimmers, add in the ground meat, breaking it apart and cooking until the water evaporates. Once the water evaporates, the meat will start to brown.

🧅 Once browned, add in the onions and stir.

🧄 Next, add in the minced garlic and stir.

🍅 Now, add the seasonings tomato paste, and stir again.

💧 Add in the water, broth, and any small pasta shape of choice.

🌡️ Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir every few minutes so the pasta doesn’t stick.

🧀 Once the pasta is cooked, add in grated cheddar of choice and enjoy!

Nonna’s Tip 🍝

Once you add the pasta, make sure to continuously stir to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

A white bowl filled with creamy macaroni beef pasta garnished with fresh basil leaves. The pasta is coated in a rich, savory sauce and chunks of ground beef are mixed throughout. A silver fork rests on the side of the bowl.

Variations and Substitutions for Hamburger Helper

  1. My favorite pasta to use in this Hamburger Helper is small shells or elbow macaroni, but you can certainly use any pasta shape you like or have in the pantry.
  2. You can use 🥕 vegetable broth, beef broth, or chicken broth instead of bone broth in this recipe. I suggest using a good quality, unsalted (or low in sodium) broth with minimal ingredients.
  3. Instead of 🧀 Cheddar cheese, you can also use Parmesan, mozzarella, or Manchego. Anything melty would work!
  4. Make this recipe dairy-free by using your favorite non-dairy melting cheese.
  5. You can use ground 🍗 turkey, beef, pork, veal, or chicken and they’ll all be delicious.

Similar Recipes

Best Served With

  • Serve this Hamburger Helper recipe with some buttery garlic bread.
  • Serve this hearty dish alongside a fresh 🥗 Simple Green Salad or my Lemon Parmesan Salad.
  • Serve this with any simple veggie: steamed 🥦 broccoli or beans, roasted carrots, or sauteed mushrooms.

Common Questions

What other pasta shape can I use in this hamburger helper?

My favorite is small shells or elbow, but you can absolutely use any pasta shape you like or have in the pantry.

what can I use instead of bone broth?

You can certainly use vegetable broth, beef broth, or chicken broth instead of bone broth in this recipe. I suggest using a good quality, unsalted (or low in sodium) broth with minimal ingredients.

What other cheese would be good in this hamburger helper?

Cheddar cheese is classic but Parmesan, mozzarella, or Manchego would be delicious, too. Any melty cheese of choice or a combination you love.

What type of ground meat can I use in this recipe?

This Hamburger Helper recipe is so versatile. You can use ground turkey, beef, pork, veal, or chicken and they’ll all be delicious.

can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Make this Hamburger Helper recipe gluten-free by using any gluten-free pasta of choice instead.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes! You can absolutely use your favorite non-dairy cheese instead of cheddar. Just make sure it melts nicely.

can I make this recipe vegetarian?

I haven’t personally tried it, but I think this Hamburger Helper would definitely work using a plant-based ground or even crumbled tofu.

can I freeze this dish?

Yes, you definitely can freeze a portion of this for another quick meal!

5 from 8 reviews

Hamburger Helper

A close-up of macaroni pasta mixed with ground meat in a tomato-based sauce, reminiscent of classic Hamburger Helper, garnished with fresh basil leaves and served in a white bowl with a spoon.
My Hamburger Helper recipe has all the comforting textures and flavors of pasta, ground beef, and cheese but tastes like it's been slow-cooking for hours.
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Makes: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 400 grams lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • ½ tsp pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp paprika, to taste
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef bone broth, unsalted
  • 1 cup water
  • 1.5 cups elbow pasta
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , grated

Instructions

  • To a big pot on medium-high heat, add the oil and let it get hot. Once it shimmers, add in the ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or chicken to lighten this recipe up.
  • Break the meat apart, and cook until the water evaporates. Once the water evaporates, the meat will start to brown.
  • Once browned, add in the onions and stir. Add in the minced garlic and stir. Now, add the seasonings tomato paste, and stir again.
  • Add in the water, broth, and any small pasta shape of choice. My favourite pasta is small shells or elbow pasta but you can use any of choice.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir every few minutes so the pasta doesn’t stick. Once the pasta is cooked, add in grated cheddar of choice and enjoy!

My Notes

Add your personal notes here!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Hamburger Helper
Amount per Serving
Calories
501
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
8
g
50
%
Trans Fat
 
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
6
g
Cholesterol
 
90
mg
30
%
Sodium
 
1416
mg
62
%
Potassium
 
780
mg
22
%
Carbohydrates
 
47
g
16
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
5
g
6
%
Protein
 
37
g
74
%
Vitamin A
 
781
IU
16
%
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
248
mg
25
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

4.63 from 8 votes

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18 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Omg this is soooo good. It’s on repeat once a week and everytime I make it, my daughter tells us to save some for her to bring to school for lunch.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. We loved it. My picky kids really loved it too. It has that boxed hamburger helper flavor but better. So easy to make. I doubled it because we’re a family of 6.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Another delicious recipe by TMN. Made it today and loved it. One pot. Fast and easy. Tiny adjustments were 500 grams beef ( more protein ) and no cheese added into the recipe for less fat/calories. We can add cheese if we chose when we are eating it. Excellent for meal prepping.

    Reply

  5. 2 stars
    My noodles also came out gummy. Maybe I’ll try once more with cooking my noodles separately then stirring them into the sauce. Besides that, the recipe was fine and I still enjoyed trying out something new.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your honest feedback, Sara! I’m so happy you enjoyed trying the recipe and I hope it comes out perfect next time! 😘

      Reply

    1. Hi Kelly, In this case, I would add less liquid to start off with or let it cook off more before adding in the pasta.

      Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Tasted good. Needed more tomato paste than called for. Also, it’s hard to get the noodles just right when cooking in a sauce. They came out a tad gummy. Husband requested I make this meal again 🙌

    Reply

    1. So glad you enjoyed it and made the recipe work for you, Melissa! Sounds like hubs has good taste 😉

      Reply