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My Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe is the one-pot dinner you've been waiting for! Inspired by the delicious flavor of taco pasta and the ease of classic Hamburger Helper, this one-pot dinner is easy, fast, and mess-free. Ready in 30 minutes!
Jump to:
- What is Hamburger Helper?
- Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
- Cheeseburger Helper Ingredients
- How to Make Hamburger Helper
- Cheeseburger Helper Recipe Tips
- Leftover Taco Meat Recipes
- Hamburger Helper Homemade FAQ
- Storing Leftover Hamburger Helper
- Recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper Varieties
- Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
- Hamburger Helper
- Reviews
What is Hamburger Helper?
Typically sold in boxes at the store, hamburger helper is a packaged mix of pasta and seasonings. The pasta and seasonings are then mixed with ground beef and water for an easy one-pot meal. This recipe is inspired by those mixes, with even more flavor and a creamy texture for a comfort food worth craving!
Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
Being a parent with a job is a lot of work! When my kids were little, I lost track of the number of nights where I was exhausted by the time dinner rolled around. With dishes still waiting to be cleaned in the sink, the last thing I ever wanted to do was made an even bigger mess for dinner!
For a long time, the answer I found was boxed Hamburger Helper. It was easy, tasty, filling, and only required one pot to be cleaned. What more could I ask for? Sure, it was a little bland, but it served its purposes. Then I decided to make my own, and everything changed.
Homemade Hamburger Helper has everything the boxed version does, with much more flavor. It's perfect for picky eaters! The best part is it's still all made in just one pot. With a recipe this simple and delicious, you'll never go back to boxed!
Cheeseburger Helper Ingredients
- Ground meat; chicken, pork, beef, or turkey
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil, unless using beef
- Chicken broth; or beef or vegetable
- Tomatoes with Green Chiles, undrained
- Milk
- Tomato paste
- Taco seasoning
- Pasta shells or elbows
- Cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack
- Parsley or Cilantro; optional, for garnish
- Sour cream; optional, for garnish
How to Make Hamburger Helper
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, combine the ground meat, diced onion, olive oil, and minced garlic over medium heat. If using ground beef, skip the olive oil.
- Brown the meat in one large chunk to get a nice crisp on the bottom, then break it up and brown the rest of the meat. If using ground beef, drain excess grease.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, milk, tomato paste, and taco seasoning to the meat, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add in the pasta and mix, then cover the pan and simmer over medium low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- As the pasta cooks, grate the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Once the pasta is tender, take the pot off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until fully melted.
- Serve hot with cilantro and sour cream garnish if desired, and enjoy!
Cheeseburger Helper Recipe Tips
- Not all ground meats cook the same! If using ground turkey, make sure to cook it for longer than other ground meats. For beef, it will need to be drained.
- You can use any ground meat in this recipe, including plant-based alternatives or even chorizo for a spicy twist!
- You can use pre-shredded cheese, but shredding your own results in a creamier and more evenly melted texture.
- You can kick up the spice by using chili-prep canned tomatoes such as Rotel's "Chili Fixins", or adding extra cayenne and red pepper flakes to the taco seasoning!
- I use low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth. I find it's plenty salty as-is, but be sure to taste the dish and add salt to your taste!
Leftover Taco Meat Recipes
Transform your taco leftovers with my list of leftover taco meat recipes!
Hamburger Helper Homemade FAQ
Hamburger helper benefits from added vegetables like canned tomatoes, as well as swapping out water for your favorite broth. When making your own homemade hamburger helper, you can adjust the seasonings and sauce as you see fit, making for a more flavorful dinner!
Hamburger helper is incredibly easy to make, as it's all done in one pot with few steps! Even my homemade recipe is very simple. It's done in under thirty minutes, with little to no cleanup!
Yes, you can double this recipe for hamburger helper! Use a larger pot if necessary and double all the ingredients. Follow the instructions as given, adjusting for time if necessary.
Storing Leftover Hamburger Helper
- Refrigerator: Homemade taco pasta can be stored in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 3-5 days.
- Freezer: This recipe is great for freezing! Pack it into airtight containers large enough for 1-2 servings each, then freeze for up to 4 months.
- Reheating: To reheat chilled leftovers, add a little extra milk or broth to the bowl with the leftovers and reheat in the microwave, stirring often. For frozen, reheat with extra milk or broth in a pot on the stove until bubbly and fully thawed.
Recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper Varieties
- Gluten Free: Easily make this homemade version of Hamburger Helper gluten-free by swapping the pasta out for a quality rice pasta. Just be careful while stirring, as gluten free pasta is more fragile and can break up if stirred too much. Important: Check the taco seasoning packets! They often contain hidden flour. Use the taco seasoning in our slow cooker taco meat for a simple gluten-free homemade taco seasoning.
- Vegetarian: Swap the ground meat out for a plant-based ground meat replacement and use vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef broth.
Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
- One-pot Spaghetti
- One-pot Chicken Orzo
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
- Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Try even more of my best Sunday Dinner Ideas!
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- Large skillet or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef - or other ground meat
- ¼ cup Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 cups Chicken broth - or other broth
- 10 oz Tomatoes with green chiles - canned, undrained
- 1 cup Whole milk - at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1 oz Taco seasoning - packet
- ½ lb Pasta shells - or elbow macaroni
- 1 cup Cheddar - shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack - shredded
- Cilantro - for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, combine the ground meat, diced onion, olive oil, and minced garlic over medium heat. If using ground beef, skip the olive oil.1 lb Ground beef,¼ cup Onion,2 cloves Garlic,2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- Brown the meat in one large chunk to get a nice crisp on the bottom, then break it up and brown the rest of the meat. If using ground beef, drain excess grease.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, milk, tomato paste, and taco seasoning to the meat, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.2 cups Chicken broth,10 oz Tomatoes with green chiles,1 cup Whole milk,2 Tablespoons Tomato paste,1 oz Taco seasoning
- Add in the pasta and mix, then cover the pan and simmer over medium low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.½ lb Pasta shells
- As the pasta cooks, grate the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and set them aside. Check the pasta by tasting it to make sure it's done before continuing.1 cup Cheddar,1 cup Monterey Jack
- Once the pasta is tender, take the pot off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until fully melted.
- Serve hot with cilantro and sour cream garnish if desired, and enjoy!Cilantro
Notes
- Not all ground meats cook the same! If using ground turkey, make sure to cook it for longer than other ground meats.
- You can use any ground meat in this recipe, including plant-based alternatives or even chorizo for a spicy twist!
- You can use pre-shredded cheese, but shredding your own results in a creamier and more evenly melted texture.
- You can kick up the spice by using chili-prep canned tomatoes such as Rotel's "Chili Fixins", or adding extra cayenne and red pepper flakes to the taco seasoning!
- I use low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth. I find it's plenty salty as-is, but be sure to taste the dish and add salt to your taste!
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