Homemade Hamburger Helper

This creamy one-skillet homemade hamburger patty is made with ground beef, macaroni and cheese—real ingredients you can feel good about feeding your family for dinner!

Homemade burger helper

This homemade burger, made with ground beef and macaroni, is creamy and delicious. It’s a real comfort food and it’s not just suitable for children: it’s also rich in protein and easy to prepare! I surveyed my Instagram community and many of you asked for more one pot recipes. I love cooking this way so much that I have an entire cookbook dedicated to one-pot recipes, Skinnytaste One and donewhich is one of my most popular cookbooks. My husband and kids loved this recipe and asked me to include it in my regular dinner rotation. Other one-pot pasta recipes you should also try include this One-Pot Chicken and Orzo, Instant Pot Baked Ziti, and One-Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce.

You’ll love this healthier burger helper recipe

Truth be told, I never had a burger helper growing up, but I like the concept and convenience of taking hamburger meat and adding it to macaroni with a little cheese for an easy weeknight meal. After playing with the ingredients, we really liked the result! Tommy calls it Beef-A-Roni and goes back for seconds!

I tried it with high protein pasta, but found that it tastes better with good quality regular pasta, e.g. DeLallo corkscrew OR fusilli. If you use elbows, the pasta cooking time may be too short, resulting in a doughier pasta. Here are some reasons to love this meal:

• One pot meal: This beef pasta cooks all in one pot, which means you don’t have to scrub a lot of dishes.
• High protein content: Milk, beef, and cheese give this pasta dish over 35 grams of protein per serving.
• Great way to use up a packet of ground beef if you’re looking for something other than burgers and meatballs.
• Dietary Restrictions: It is weight watcher friendly and high in protein. It’s also easy to make dairy-free and gluten-free.
• Convenient Ingredients: Ground beef costs less than other cuts of meat, making it a more economical way to eat meat. The rest of the ingredients are quite cheap.
• Suitable for families: If you have picky eaters at home, this is a great kid-friendly recipe.

If you make this healthy homemade burger, I’d love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTokOR Facebook!

How to make a homemade hamburger patty

Here’s how to make hamburger helper step by step. My favorite part is that it cooks in one pot. The recipe card contains complete instructions.

1. Brown the meat in a large, deep skillet or large pot over medium-high heat. Season it with salt and paprika and cook until golden.
2. Aromatics and Sauces: Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce and Worcestershire. Reduce the heat and cook until the sauces have reduced and are caramelised.
3. Cook the Pasta: Add the broth and pasta to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook until the pasta is almost tender and the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
4. Milk: Add the milk, cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and most of the milk has been absorbed.
5. Cheese: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Variations

• Minced meat: Replace ground beef with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground bison.
• Dairy-free: The burger helper is best with milk as it gives it a creamy texture, but you can substitute a dairy-free alternative, such as unsweetened rice milk, and use a dairy-free cheese such as Violife, which is what I find yes dissolve better.
• Without soy: If you have a soy allergy, you can omit the Worcestershire sauce or replace it with coconut aminos.
• Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
• Cheese: Swap the cheddar for shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
• Cheeseburger Pasta: Chop the tomato, pickles and onion, mix them in a bowl with a little pickle juice and put them on top.
• Macaroni and Cheese: If you want it cheesier, like macaroni and cheese, add more cheddar cheese.
• Add vegetables: Diced peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli or mushrooms would be great.
• Spices: Play with different spices, for a smoky flavor use smoked paprika. For chili flavor add chili powder or simply add garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.

Frequently asked questions

Which ground beef is best for the burger helper?

It is better to use lean ground meat because it contains less saturated fat and does not make the dish greasy.

What can you replace ground meat?

Any ground meat like ground turkey or even a vegan meat substitute will work here.

Is Hamburger Helper unhealthy?

This homemade burger helper is much better than the store-bought one. If you grew up packing “Hamburger Helper” as a kid, I think you’ll love this healthier, lower-sodium, real-food version.

Serving Tips

Here are some ideas for vegetable side dishes if you want to add some color and complete your meal.

Warehousing

• Refrigerator: Store leftover Burger Helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
• Freeze the pasta for 3 months in containers suitable for the freezer.
• Thaw place the dish in the refrigerator the day before and place it in the microwave or cook until hot.

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