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My whole family gets excited when they see this Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe on the menu for the week! All the flavors of the popular box mix, but made from scratch!
You know, my kids get awfully bossy around lunch time every day.
Everything is fine, they’re doing school (we’re homeschoolers), they’re leaving me alone, I’m getting some work done. Life is good.
And then they both come barging into my office and, before they even say a word, I know what they want. Food. Lots of it. Right this minute.
I can only fend them off for so long before I’m forced to come up with some sort of lunch plan. We do my Dorito chicken casserole more than I should admit. My pizza rolls are a total staple. This chili mac recipe is always a hit. Of course, I always try to have some homemade brownies on hand for dessert.
Of course, this Homemade Hamburger Helper is high up there on their list of demands. 😉
This is a one pan meal, which means that there aren’t a ton of dirty dishes to clean up and prep work is minimal. You’re going to love this one!
Ingredient Notes:
Ground Beef – We prefer lean ground beef, but ground chicken or turkey would also work fine.
Macaroni – We like large elbows, but regular sized are also acceptable.
Tomato Paste – We buy this in a tube and keep it in the fridge. It’s very handy and packs in loads of flavor.
Seasoning – You’ll need a mix of salt, black pepper, sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and mustard powder.
Liquids – Some hot water, two cups of milk, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. The liquid will reduce as it cooks, leaving lots of flavor!
Cheese – A whole cup of shredded cheddar cheese will add just the right amount of cheesiness to this hamburger helper recipe.
Corn Starch – It’ll help to thicken up the liquids and coat the macaroni and ground beef in all the cheesy goodness!
What Readers are Saying!
“Wow! Just made this and it’s absolutely wonderful! It’s nice to have a new ground beef recipe, and I’m glad I found yours! Thank you.” – Carol B.
How to Make Hamburger Helper:
Hamburger: Brown the beef and drain off excess fat.
Macaroni: Add the hot water, milk, and vinegar to the pan with the macaroni.
Season: Add in the tomato paste and the seasoning. Stir to combine.
Cook: When the hamburger helper seasoning is mixed up well with the other ingredients you can bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let it cook and the liquid reduce for 12 minutes.
Helpful Tip!
If it seems like the sauce is too thin or watery you may need to either cook it a little longer with the lid off. Also keep in mind that it will thicken up nicely when you add the cheese.
Cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat and then stir in the cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet back up after adding in the cheese and let it melt for a couple of minutes.
Serve: Finally after the cheese has melted, give it a stri and sprinkle with some fresh parsley and then dish it up.
Homemade Hamburger Helper Seasoning:
We’ve based this recipe off the Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor. It’s the most popular Hamburger Helper flavor and the one we love most. Our seasoning blend does a nice job of mimicking those flavors.
FAQs:
Keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
If you’ve never had the store bought boxed mix, you’ve been missing out! It’s pretty much just a seasoned, cheesy mixture that you cook with macaroni and hamburger. This homemade hamburger helper is a great copycat recipe!
While this is beef, pasta, and cheese, our version of Hamburger Helper does contain less sodium and preservatives than the boxed mix, so we consider this to be a healthier option.
MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT DINNER RECIPES!
- One Pot Spaghetti Recipe
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Fried Tacos
- Baked Chicken Legs
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3/4 cup dry macaroni
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain grease.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to the skillet with the beef, except for the cheese. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the cheddar cheese, and cover for 2 minutes.
- Stir well, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This post was updated in May 2022. Original photo below:
Jennifer says
Is that really supposed to be a tablespoon of paprika? Or should it be teaspoon?
Karly says
Yep, I use a full tablespoon.
Marilyn Wallis says
I was about to question the 1 tbsp. paprika as well. I made this the other night and added fresh mushrooms and green onions which had to be used up. Sauteed these ahead of time and set aside to add in later. I found the paprika a little overwhelming so I think I will add less next time. But hubby and I loved it. 🙂
Joyce says
I like pasta sandwiches of all kinds, usually on onion buns. My favorite ones are spaghetti sandwiches (my own recipe for the sauce, of course), and then it’s mac and cheese. I’ve been making homemade HH for decades, my son having been allergic to all the chemicals in the boxed form. We made sandwiches on the onion buns, rarely ate the pasta straight up 🙂
Karly says
Pasta sandwiches are the best!
OverEd says
Elementary school cafeteria in the 60s. Industrial grade spaghetti on those awesome yeast rolls.
The heart wants what the heart wants.
Karly says
Hahaha! Sounds delicious!
Bridgett says
Hamburger Helper Sandwiches are the best! I thought I was the only who did this!! Cannot wait to try this as I have tried for years to recreate this! I am not above the box but LOVE homemade!! Hot dog bun is genius, nothing falls out!!
Karly says
Hope you love this!! 🙂
Jake says
I made this last it was fantastic thank you
Karly says
Glad to hear that! 🙂
Whitney says
Do you add the noodles uncooked?
Karly says
Yep!
Tee says
Making this now. Added mushrooms. I needed to use them up. Used 1 tsp season salt also. Smells fantastic. Doubled the recipe so I can take it for lunch a few times. Thank you.
Karly says
Sounds like great additions!
Emmie says
Hello Karly! This version of Hamburger Helper looks delicious. However, I have never heard of mustard powder before. Do you know if I can substitute it using dijon mustard? Please let me know. Thanks.
Karly says
I think adding a couple teaspoons or so of dijon would be fine here!
Pam says
It is used for canning and I also use it in baking beans
Jessi M says
Have made this twice now and family LOVES it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jocelyn says
I made this for lunch today, and my kids loved it! I loved how fast it went together. Next time I think I will add a full cup of noodles (4 oz.). Thanks for sharing this yummy dish!
Karly says
Glad everyone liked it! 🙂
Dawn W says
I don’t have mustard powder . Can I use regular mustard?
Karly says
I’ve never tried adding in regular mustard, but I imagine it would work just fine. Just don’t overdo it. 😉
Cassie says
1tbsp of yellow mustard is equal to 1tsp of dry mustard.
OverEd says
Sorry, the taste of dry mustard/mustard powder is a lot zippier than yellow mustard. It might not be a bad sub but it’s definitely different.
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
My family would seriously gobble this up. It sounds heavenly! Pinned to try!
Karly says
Thanks, Allison! Hope you give it a try.
Sheryl says
I want to try that on toasted white bread. Yum! My kid loves macaroni, I’ll try this the next time we’ll have pasta for dinner.
Liz says
I love this dish and so simple. Thanks Karly
Karly says
Hope you give it a try, Liz!
Julie Evink says
We always used to have Grands Biscuits with Hamburger Helper and eat it on those! Ahhhh good old comfort food! This brings me back to my childhood 🙂
Karly says
Ooh, I bet it’s good with biscuits too! Then again, what isn’t good with biscuits?
cookbook queen says
Ok so where have Hamburger Helper sandwiches been my whole life???
I love Hamburger Helper (total guilty pleasure) and I can’t WAIT to try your version!!
Karly says
Get yourself a HH sandwich, stat!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I love the boxed hamburger helper…reminds me of my childhood! But now that I’ve seen this homemade version, I definitely need to try it. I think I would devour this in no time! Yum!
Karly says
I love it too! No shame! 🙂