Homemade Hamburger Helper

5 from 1 rating

from kristineskitchenblog.com

This homemade hamburger helper is cheesy, saucy and flavorful, made with ground beef, pasta and a delicious mix of seasonings. It's a family-friendly one pot meal that's perfect for busy days!

Prep Time18

Cook Time12

Total Time30

Servings: servings

Calories: 600kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef*
1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups low sodium beef broth
1 ½ cups elbow macaroni pasta uncooked, 8 ounces by weight
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven, large skillet or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, crumbling the beef, until beef is browned. Drain excess grease as needed.
Add the tomato paste, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir. Then stir in the beef broth.
Stir in the pasta. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to keep the pot at a moderate simmer and cover the pot. Cook, stirring every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until pasta is cooked through, about 9-12 minutes. It will still be a bit brothy/saucy.
Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Serve.

Video

Notes

I recommend using 80 or 85% lean ground beef. The extra fat will make a more flavorful homemade hamburger helper than 93% lean ground beef.
You can add extra vegetables to the dish to boost the nutrition. Sauté finely chopped carrot, bell pepper or celery in the pot before browning the beef, or stir in frozen peas or chopped fresh spinach during the last few minutes of cook time.
For less rich, beefy flavor, substitute half of the beef broth with water.
Make it creamy by substituting 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the broth with whole milk.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.