Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper – Better Than the Box!

Homemade Hamburger Helper
Kevin loves homemade hamburger helper and this recipe tasted way better than any boxed hamburger helper out there. Hamburger helper is nostalgic for me though. Growing up in the 90's, I do remember having it every once in awhile. Homemade is always a better choice, though. This recipe is easy to whip up in one pan, making cleanup simple and dinner fast.

This homemade hamburger helper combined creamy cheese, with tender pasta, and had great seasoning choices which included onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder for a little kick. It was flavorful, and really good, with Jace and I both rating it an 8/10 and wanting to make it again. 

• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Serving size: 5
• Total cook time: 20-25 minutes
• Family friendly: Yes, all three of us enjoyed it and we had leftovers!

Why You Will Love This Homemade Hamburger Helper
Not only is it nostalgic for us Millennials, but it's a really easy weekday meal and the entire family will love it. We love pasta and we love meat, so this combined everything we needed to make an easy, simple, yet delicious meal. 

What makes this recipe different?
Jace does not like tomato sauce or marinara/spaghetti sauce at all. This recipe used a little bit of tomato paste, I told him after he cleared his bowl, and he had no idea. It might seem like an odd ingredient to add to hamburger helper, but it does enrich the flavor and thickens the sauce.  

I also used milk instead of heavy cream. If you have heavy cream and want to replace it with that, feel free to do that.

Inspiration
This recipe was inspired by Cooking with Cocktail Rings. Kevin was looking for a homemade hamburger helper recipe that was simple, and had most, or all of the ingredients that we had in our pantry. This recipe stood out - easy to make, looked delicious, and was rated 5-stars. 

We always make recipes our own so I did use 3 cups of beef broth instead of 3.5 cups and used 1 1/4 cups of cheese instead of 2 cups. We eliminated salt, used onion powder instead of diced onions, garlic powder instead of chopped garlic, milk in place of heavy cream, and penne pasta. We also removed the chives.

If You Enjoy Pasta Recipes, You May Also Want to Try These Recipes
Beef Tips and Egg Noodles
TikTok Ramen
Easy Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Protein-Packed Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Cottage Cheese

How to Store and Reheat Homemade Hamburger Helper
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or until warm.

Adjust to Your Liking
• Top with sesame seeds, more shredded cheese, Italian seasoning, dried seasonings, or chives
• For a healthier alternative, you can replace the ground beef with ground turkey 
• For a spicier pasta, you can add more chili powder or you can add crushed red pepper flakes

Ingredients for Homemade Hamburger Helper
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• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 pound ground beef (I use 90% lean, 10% fat)
• Ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• *3 cups beef broth
• 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 pound (8 oz) your choice of pasta, we used Penne Rigate (or you can use Authentic Penne Pasta)
• 1/3 cup milk

How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper (Step-by-Step)
✓ Step #1 Cook the ground beef
Add the olive oil to a medium-sized frying pan. Add the ground beef, onion powder and garlic powder, and cook on medium heat. Break up the ground beef until the meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Season with pepper. 

✓ Step #2 Add tomato paste and chili powder
Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder.

✓ Step #3 Add the broth and pasta noodles

Add the beef broth, bring to a boil, add the pasta and stir occasionally, about 8-10 minutes (until the pasta is cooked). 

✓ Step #4 Remove from heat

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, remove from heat and stir in the milk and cheddar cheese until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately. 

What Did You Think?
Did you make this hamburger helper? Was it nostalgic for you? Let me know in the comments below!

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