HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER (2024)

This homemade hamburger helper is made with seasoned ground beef and macaroni cooked in a flavorful cheese sauce all in one pot.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Homemade hamburger helper is the ultimate comfort food.

I remember eating hamburger helper this as a kid and absolutely loving it.

It was such an easy dinner for my mom to make for my siblings and I, too.

One pot meals are so convenient for busy weekday dinners when you need to serve a crowd.

As I got older and had kids of my own, I realized that recreating this myself was just as easy as following the directions on the box.

Not only that, but it was also so much better. Homemade food always is though.

My family loves when I make this recipe for them and my kids request it often.

I hope you give this recipe a try, I know if you do that you’ll love it just as much as my family and I do.

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

Did you know that I have a cookbook calledFast Simple Delicious?

It’s 60 no fuss no fail comfort food recipes perfect for busy weekday dinners.

ClickHEREto order your copy or click the 3 lines in the top right corner and click “Book”. Thank you for the support.

Homemade hamburger helper variations

• Ground meat- feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
• Seasoning- add some spice to this recipe by adding hot sauce or chili powder/ flakes.
• Cheese- instead of cheddar, choose whatever cheese you’d like or create your own blend. Just be sure to shred the cheese yourself.

Do I really have to shred the cheese myself?

This is the one thing that I’d really urge you not to take a shortcut on.

Pre-shredded bagged cheese has chemicals in it likecellulose.

This keeps the cheese from clumping but it also prevents it from melting properly.

Shred the cheese off the block and this one pot hamburger helper dinner will turn out much creamier.

Homemade hamburger helper cooking tip

Sometimes, depending on the heat and intensity of your stove, the pasta may absorb more liquid than you’d like.

In that case, you may need to add more beef broth to the pot.

Keep an eye on it and a little more at each time as needed.

What should I server this homemade hamburger helper with?

This recipe is a meal all in itself. You really don’t need to serve it with anything if you’d prefer not to.

Some homemade garlic bread would be nice!

If you’d like to add a vegetable, here are some great recipes.

• Frozen roasted green beans
• Roasted garlic parmesan broccoli
• Easy creamed spinach

Other family favorite recipes

If you like comfort food recipes like this one, here are a few other recipes that I’m sure you’ll love, too.

• Homemade SpaghettiOs
• Cheddar Bay Biscuit Pot Pie
• White Chicken Enchiladas
• Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers

Homemade hamburger helper ingredients

• Macaroni pasta
• Ground beef
• Minced garlic
• Crushed tomatoes
• Beef broth
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder

Instructions

First, in a large pot add the ground beef and cook it over medium high heat. Be sure to break it into small pieces while it’s cooking and drain any extra fat from the pot if it needs it.

Then, stir in the minced garlic and season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning.

After that, add in the can of crushed tomatoes and beef broth.

Now let it come to a soft boil and add in the macaroni.

Next, let the pasta boil until it’s cooked stirring occasionally. Feel free to to add more beef broth to the pot if the pasta is absorbing too much.

After that, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and reseason with salt, pepper and garlic powder if needed.

Finally, serve warm and enjoy!