This is the best Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe. Easy, healthy and delicious – this is a quick meal your family will love! This post is sponsored by our friends at ButcherBox.
If you love easy one pan dinners – this Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper is for you!
Many of us grew up eating the delicious cheesy pasta dish but I’m here to tell you it’s so much better when you make it from scratch!
Done in under a half hour, this cheesy hamburger helper is the perfect quick dinner that everyone will love! For more quick recipes, check out these Quick Healthy Dinners!
One pan, 30 minutes, simple ingredients.. there’s a lot to love about this easy hamburger helper recipe- but you might be wondering.. what’s the difference between store bought and this homemade hamburger helper recipe?
What is the difference between store bought and homemade hamburger helper recipes?
Homemade hamburger helper is so much better than store bought hamburger helper. Here’s why we love it:
- Way less sodium– 1 cup of cooked hamburger helper has over 1200 mg of sodium. Our homemade hamburger helper has under 400 mg of sodium for a 1.5 cup serving
- No preservatives- Hamburger helper is loaded with preservatives, added colors, and anti-caking agents. While these aren’t bad in small quantities, they’re totally unnecessary
- Better for you – Our homemade hamburger helper recipe is made with real ground beef, dry pasta, some spices and cheese – unlike the packaged kind that is made with dried cheese and preservatives
Ingredients
To make healthy homemade hamburger helper you’ll need:
- ButcherBox ground beef
- onions
- rotini pasta
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt, pepper
- chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika
- beef broth, water
- cheddar cheese
Substitutions
Pasta: For pasta you can use rotini, penne or medium shells (cook time is all similar). We don’t recommend gluten free pasta for this recipe. This recipe is a one pan pasta recipe and gluten free pasta can get very mushy. Use at your own risk!
Ground Beef: We highly recommend using ButcherBox ground beef in this recipe. You can use ground turkey in this recipe if you’d like, but we really recommend ground beef! (ButcherBox also has an amazing free-range ground turkey)
Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce isn’t easy to substitute. If you don’t have it, use 1/2 a tablespoon of soy sauce.
Salt: You can cut the amount of salt in half if you’d like and add to taste.
Beef Broth: We recommend using homemade bone broth in this recipe but any broth will work. Chicken or vegetable broth/stock can be used interchangeably. We recommend using a low or no salt broth.
Cheddar Cheese: You can omit the cheese from this recipe to make it dairy free if you’d like. We haven’t tried this recipe with other types of cheeses. We recommend using a block of cheddar cheese and grating it yourself as pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt as well.
ButcherBox‘s grass fed, grass finished ground beef is seriously what makes this recipe so great.
Their beef is an 85/15 mix, which is in our opinion- the perfect amount of fat to give recipes flavor!
We’ve been ButcherBox customers for years and absolutely love the convenience of it, along with the super high quality meat!
Want free ground beef? Right Now when you join ButcherBox you can get free ground beef for a year and $10 off! That’s up to 24 pounds of ground beef for free!
You can learn more about ButcherBox in this ButcherBox Reviews post!
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper
Making hamburger helper is easy! Here’s how we made it:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Brown ground beef and onion in the pan until cooked through-about 10 minutes.
- Add in the seasonings, pasta, broth and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 12-14 minutes.
- Move the pan off the heat and add in shredded cheese.
What is the best pasta to use?
Pretty much any pasta will work in homemade hamburger helper but rotini, penne or medium shells are recommended as cook time is all similar.
We don’t recommend gluten free pasta for this recipe. This recipe is a one pan pasta recipe and gluten free pasta can get very mushy. Use at your own risk!
Searching for the best pan for your one pan meals? We LOVE this pan! It’s non toxic, non stick, and cleans up in seconds with just a little soap and water (seriously, food does NOT stick to it!)
What to serve with easy Homemade Hamburger Helper?
This homemade hamburger helper is a complete meal in itself. We recommend serving it with some bread on the side and parmesan cheese on top!
If you’re looking for some veggies you can serve this recipe alongside:
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Buffalo Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Green Beans Almondine
- Roasted Asparagus
What can you add to Hamburger Helper?
This hamburger helper is delicious on it’s own but you can add other things to it. Here are our suggestions:
- Pickles: Pickles are delicious when stirred into hamburger helper!
- Extra Veggies: You can add sautéed veggies to this recipe. Zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers are all great additions to this recipe
- Cheese: Extra cheese is always a good addition to this recipe.
Storage Options
How long can homemade hamburger helper be stored? You can store homemade hamburger helper in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
We haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Freezing pasta can lead to a mushy mess!
Is Hamburger Helper healthy to eat?
Yes, hamburger helper is healthy to eat when you make it from scratch! Regular hamburger helper has a lot of sodium and preservatives. Making it from scratch is a much healthier option.
How to reheat hamburger helper?
Microwave: You can reheat this hamburger helper in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Stove: You can heat this hamburger helper on the stove in a sauce pan. We recommend adding a little bit of broth if you’re going to heat it over the stove as it might get dry.
Other healthy one pan recipes:
Here are some of our favorite dinners that only require one pan. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Want free ground beef? Right Now when you join ButcherBox you can get free ground beef for a year and $10 off! That’s up to 24 pounds of ground beef for free!
Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ButcherBox Ground Beef
- 1/2 onion chopped finely
- 3 cups rotini pasta sub penne or medium shells (10 oz)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Spray the pan with olive oil cooking spray.
- Brown ground beef and onion in the pan until cooked through- about 10 minutes.
- Add in the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, raw uncooked pasta, broth, tomato paste and water. Stir, cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove cover and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 12-14 minutes or until pasta is done and liquid is reduced by 3/4.
- Move the pan off the heat and add in shredded cheese.
- Stir until combined, taste for salt and pepper and add more as desired.
Jamie Reeder says
This is my first recipe from your site and it was delicious. I think next time I will try adding mushrooms. It is definitely a keeper!
Lucy J says
I made this for my son, who can be a picky eater, and he loved it. This dish is now one of our go to meals.
Ali says
So easy and instantly became a weekly staple in our home!!! I shared the recipe with a neighbor and now they make it all the time too! Thank you for the great recipe!!
Sydney says
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and it’s been great both times. It also is super quick and easy and all the ingredients are common household items. Highly recommend!
Danielle M. says
Loved it and teenager approved. Excellent!
Reva says
My son LOVES boxed hamburger helper, with a healthy lifestyle change, I was so glad to see this recipe! It was so good and son approved!
Sandy Studebaker says
My husband and I love this recipe. It is our new go-to recipe when we want a hamburger helper type of meal.
Jess Lahti says
I enjoyed this. Very easy to make. Tasted good the next day, would recommend draining off the grease from the beef. I did use a cheaper, more fatty percentage of beef though. Definitely needed salt and pepper before serving. Would make again, bet it’s good for kids too.
Sabrina Rolli says
I just made this and it’s amazing!!! I made a few changes… ground turkey instead of beef, gluten-free pasta, and I added peas. YUM!
Ella Reece says
Oh my goodness, I can’t even begin to describe the flavor! It was beyond what I expected!
After working in the yard all day I came in and made this quick and easy dinner. I served it with a salad and rolls. The hubby asked for seconds! I definitely will be making this again! 😋😋
De says
This was soooooooo good. I had leftover pork sausage so I used that. I also used the whole can of tomato past cuz I didn’t wanna save the rest. So easy and so delicious! It turned out so creamy and we loved the taste of the worstershire sauce. (I never would have thought to add that on my own).I will definately make again!
De says
This turned out so yummy. Inhad about 1/2 lb cooked pork sausage leftover so I used that. I also added the whole can of tomato paste cuz what do you do with leftover paste? So good! I will definately make this again!
Kim says
We love this dish in our house!
Valerie says
I made this the other night and my husband and I LOVED IT!!! It didn’t call for a ton of ingredients or cook time which is great for this busy Momma! I will be making again today for our meal prep for the week.
Allison says
Made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! I subbed the hamburger for ground turkey and it was great. My two year old devoured it and my husband, who isn’t keen on original hamburger helper, was eating it out of the pan. Highly recommend for a weeknight meal!
Priscilla Herrera says
Hands down the only “hamburger helper” I’ll make at home. Not because I’m too good to buy the boxed stuff, but because this recipe is just as easy and tastes wayyy better. I typically just use whatever noodles I have on hand and add peas— they add extra nutrients and brightness. I have a 12 and 8 year old and they lick their bowls clean. We almost never have left overs. Thanks for such a tasty dish!
Arianna says
I followed this recipe to a T while my baby was in the high chair eating and it was super easy! I magically had all the ingredients in my pantry and added some streamed broccoli at the end. It was DELICIOUS!! It seriously took me about 30 minutes! I can’t wait to make this again!
Carissa says
I know you said no gluten free pasta, but do you also include chickpea pasta in that no go list?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Unfortunately yes. I find that all gluten free pasta (chickpea, gluten free, grain free, etc) cooks very differently than regular pasta. The water creates a gluey mixture and can lead to slimy, mushy pasta. I would attempt it at your own risk!
Teresa says
I haven’t made boxed HH in years. Wish I had this recipe way back when! Kids are all grown now so it’s just me and the hubby and it was a hit tonight! My husband is recently gluten free so I made it with GF rotini (corn & rice flour) and added broccoli florets. I’m finding that the brand of GF pasta I’m using is only good for reheating once, otherwise it gets mushy. We have enough to finish for leftovers tomorrow. Thank you!
Niki says
Hit the easy button for dinner tonight…and made a homemade meal that my family loves! This tastes so much better than Hamburger Helper. THANK YOU!
Sydney Sailors says
I am new to cooking, and I recently found the clean eating couple on Instagram. I’ve tried a handful of her recipes, and they’ve all been great. This hamburger helper is my new favorite though. I love how detailed the instructions are and the substitutions she adds as well. This took me no time to make, and I appreciated that after my 8-5 job. This site is so fun to browse when looking for meal ideas. Nicely laid out and lots to choose from!
Thank you!!
Ashley says
This is a staple in our house, even for our pickiest eater. Delicious and so simple with ingredients we usually have on hand. And so easy to make substitutions- I’ve used different pastas, cheeses, beef, turkey. Can’t recommend this enough!
RJ Powell says
My daughter isn’t necessarily the pickiest eater like some kids, which makes me proud, but you can definitely tell when there is a meal that she absolutely loves. This is one of them. I made her a plate and before I could even sit down with mine, she was already halfway through her plate. She finished that plate along with a second and eventually went through for thirds. We are definitely adding this to our collections of regular rotation meals.
Melissa Catron says
This was absolutely delicious, even my husband liked it.
KF says
This is amazing! It’s a family favorite.