Make homemade hamburger helper (or cheeseburger helper!) for an easy one pot meal that’s on the table in less than 20 minutes! Ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese plus a few pantry staples make a simple, delicious dinner.
Raise your hand if at any time in the past you either ATE hamburger helper as a kid or MADE hamburger helper for your kids.
I’m raising my hand because hamburger helper and cheeseburger helper recipes were a staple in my house growing up. With “just brown beef and add water” as the instructions, it’s no wonder. It’s a super quick and easy dinner and has lots of flavor!
I gave boxed hamburger helper a makeover, and this homemade hamburger helper recipe is just as tasty and made with simple, real food ingredients!
WHAT IS HAMBURGER HELPER?
Hamburger helper comes in a box at the grocery store and all you have to do is add ground beef and water and cook everything in one skillet.
You’ve probably had one of the classic hamburger helper flavors – beef stroganoff, cheesy enchilada, or cheeseburger macaroni. There are also options for chicken and tuna one-pot meals.
But they all have one thing in common. They’re all technically processed food.
WHY MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER
Here’s why my kids are asking me to make homemade hamburger helper almost every week, and why I’m saying yes!
- The flavor is like the real thing. It’s been a while since I had a box of hamburger helper myself, but tastebuds don’t lie – this is legit!
- One-pot meal. No need to dirty a bunch of dishes – this recipe can be made in one pan!
- It’s a “dump and cook” meal. There’s no need to brown the meat first. Just dump it all in a big skillet and stir it now and then!
- Frugal. I get my ground beef for free from Butcher Box every month, so my cost for this meal is SUPER low.
- Freeze it. Put everything (except the noodles) in a freezer bag and save it for a rainy day…or a day when you don’t have time to make anything else! It’s just like pulling the box out of the cupboard.
- Dairy optional. Make homemade cheeseburger helper or leave the shredded cheese out for a dairy free hamburger helper.
And as if that weren’t enough…
- It’s ready in under 20 minutes.
- Freezes well after the fact.
- It tastes great as leftovers.
- Great for kids’ lunches.
Really, hamburger helper needs to be on your regular meal rotation ASAP!
HOMEMADE CHEESEBURGER HELPER RECIPES INGREDIENTS
Of all the hamburger helper flavors, the cheeseburger helper recipes were my favorite.
Did you ever call hamburger helper “cheeseburger macaroni” growing up?
I didn’t, but I can see why some people do. It’s the deliciousness of a cheeseburger, mixed up with macaroni noodles. YUM!
To make homemade cheeseburger helper, you’ll need:
- Ground Beef. Use a pound of lean ground beef or try 2 cups of Stretched Ground Beef to make this a really inexpensive meal.
- Tomato Sauce. This can be actual tomato sauce, or it can be whole or diced tomatoes you pureed. Use whatever canned tomatoes you have on hand and give them a whiz in your blender (I have this one) so you end up with pureed tomato sauce.
- Chicken Stock. Vegetable broth, beef broth, or even water would work too (here’s how to make Homemade Chicken Stock).
- Onion Powder + Garlic Powder + Chili Powder + Pepper + Salt. Pretty much the standard arsenal of spices.
- Pasta. Elbow macaroni is the most popular, but I’ve used rotini, shells, and penne too. Gluten free pasta works if you need it!
- Frozen Vegetables. I can’t make a dinner that doesn’t have vegetables, so I like to add peas. A blend of frozen mixed veggies works too.
- Cheese. Optional for HAMBURGER helper but required for homemade CHEESEBURGER helper. I’ll leave that up to you. Sharp cheddar cheese is delicious.
You can also add diced onions or minced garlic along with the ground beef at the beginning of the recipe.
I get my ground beef from Butcher Box. I happened to subscribe when they were running a promotion for free ground beef in each box, and I’m happy to have it on hand for easy recipes like this! Check out the current Butcher Box promos here and start getting high-quality meat delivered to your door.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER RECIPES
As I mentioned before, homemade hamburger helper recipes are super easy:
Step 1. Add the beef to a 5-6 quart large pot or Dutch oven, and break it up using a wooden spoon. (I have this enamel cast iron pot that I LOVE!) You don’t have to actually brown the beef before adding the other ingredients (it will cook at the same time as the pasta), but it’s easier to break it up at this point.
Step 2. Turn the heat to medium, and add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of chicken broth, spices, and pasta. The sauce should be bubbling but not splattering.
Step 3. Let the mixture simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally every 5 minutes or so, breaking up the meat, and making sure the noodles are submerged in the sauce as much as possible.
Step 4. Check the pasta for doneness at the 10-minute mark and continue to cook until the noodles are al dente. Add additional chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick before the noodles get tender.
Step 5. Add the frozen vegetables and stir to heat them through. Remove the hamburger helper from the heat.
Step 6. Gently stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Serve warm.
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this homemade cheeseburger helper recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
And that’s it! A healthy, homemade comfort food dinner that the family will LOVE with just one dish to clean!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months (you can buy containers locally at Walmart or have them shipped to you via Amazon).
RECIPES HAMBURGER HELPER FAQS
Is hamburger helper healthy? Is it good for you?
If you buy the boxed version, no. It has preservatives, sugar, and MSG – none of which are good for you. Homemade recipes hamburger helper have simple, real food ingredients – a much better choice!
Can I make hamburger helper without meat?
Instead of beef, use two cups of cooked brown lentils. It’ll be very similar to my Cheesy Lentil Pasta recipe! Or if you’re just trying to use less meat, make a batch of Stretched Ground Beef first and use that in place of the meat.
Can you use ground chicken in hamburger helper recipes?
I personally haven’t used ground chicken for cheeseburger helper recipes, but you definitely can! You can also use cooked shredded chicken or ground turkey.
MORE QUICK AND EASY RECIPES
- One Pan Buffalo Chicken Potato Nachos
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Weeknight Creamy Mushroom Pasta
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Homemade Hamburger Helper
Make homemade hamburger helper (or cheeseburger helper!) for an easy one pot meal that’s on the table in less than 20 minutes! Ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese plus a few pantry staples make a simple, delicious dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 28 oz tomato sauce (try my homemade recipe)
- 1–2 cups chicken stock (try my homemade recipe)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz small pasta (i.e. macaroni or shells)
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1–2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place ground beef in large, 5-6 quart pot. Turn the heat on medium and break it up into smaller chunks using a wooden spoon. You don’t have to actually brown the beef; it’s just easier to break it up into smaller pieces at this point.
- Add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of broth, spices, and pasta, and bring the mixture to a medium simmer. The sauce should be bubbling, but not splattering.
- Let the mixture simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, breaking up the meat, and making sure the noodles are submerged in the sauce as much as possible.
- Check the pasta for doneness at the 10-minute mark and continue to cook until the noodles are al dente. Add additional chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick before the noodles have had a chance to cook.
- When the noodles are just about done, stir in the frozen peas. When the peas are warmed through and the pasta is done, remove the hamburger helper from the heat.
- Gently stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Taste and add more cheese as desired.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Tomato Sauce. This can be actual tomato sauce, or it can be whole or diced tomatoes you pureed. It doesn’t matter really what you start with, but give it a whiz in your blender (I have this one) so that it becomes a sauce.
- Chicken Stock. Vegetable stock or even water would work too (here’s how to make homemade stock).
- Pasta. Macaroni is the most popular, but I’ve used rotini, shells, and penne too. Gluten free pasta works if you need it!
Nutrition
- Calories: 512
I have made several of your recipes. You have inspired me to eat REAL food and I love it. I live alone and make 2 recipes each week to eat on thru the week. This was so easy and yummy. I didn’t make any changes to cooking but when I serve it I add fresh chopped onion, tomatoes (from my garden) and some garlic. I love your recipes and feel so glad to be free of “plastic” food🥴. Thank you for all the time you spent researching and for sharing it with the world.
I would like to thank you for this recipe and taking the time to write it out and post it on this blog.
My husband absolutely loves this dish, as do I ( even though I grew up not enjoying macaroni).
This particular dish has become a favourite in our household as many of your recipes have. Always easy to make, versatile and so satisfying.
🙏 Thank you
This looks good, but I think I would prefer to go the extra mile and cook the pasta separately. In that case, would I still use the same amount of tomato sauce and none of the broth? I may be asking for trouble! Guess I’ll see! Lol!
When I cook this, I half cook the noodles before hand then follow the rest of the recipe.
Just making sure you can freeze leftovers right
Hello Jess,
Yes, put everything (except the noodles) into a freezer bag.
I clicked on this website from Pinterest because it was supposed to be Whole30 recipes. I get here and find a recipe with noodles and cheese???!!! That is not a whole30 approved recipe. Are there actually any Whole30 recipes on this website?
Tammy,
This is not a Whole30 website, it is a budget friendly real food blog. We have done the Whole30 and have a few posts that may help you. Check out these posts: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/doing-the-whole30-with-kids/, https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/budget-friendly-whole30-meal-plan/, https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/whole30-on-a-budget/, https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/how-much-does-whole30-cost/.
Surprisingly good! I used whole wheat Macaroni, the whole 2 c. Broth, and only 1/2 tsp. Pepper. It was perfect, simple, and everyone liked it. Thank you!
So glad to hear that, Bonnie!
TOTAL HIT with the DH who grew up on the ‘boxed’ stuff!
I used rotini (what was in the pantry) and it took longer to cook than I expected, adding stock a little bit at a time (I used beef, again, what I had). I’m thinking next time I might just pre cook the pasta to aldente and adding it into the rest of the ingredients. I also added a bit of fresh onion, garlic, celery, and bay leaf. Added some dry parsley and maybe a quarter teaspoon italian seasoning. (Can you tell I’m the kind of cook who takes a recipe and runs with it, LOL!)I used freeze dried beef crumbles that I reconstituted first, so I did omit the salt. The cheese is what really made this recipe, tho! I used shredded cheddar jack, and threw in some fresh grated parmesan, cuz I had it on hand, LOL!
This ‘base’ recipe is one that will definitely be put into regular rotation in our home, thank you Tiffany! I hope others feel the freedom to ‘make it their own’ as well!
I was wondering if you add any of the 1-2 cups of chicken stock to the initial recipe, or only if it simmers down too thick? It says to add additional stock if it thickens, but doesn’t actually say to add any in the regular cooking portion of the recipe. Thanks for the recipe, sounds great for a quick meal!
Just if it thickens, Tanya. The tomato sauce counts towards the liquid needed in the beginning. 🙂
This was great! I used your trick of trading in the lentils, and I reduced the meat to 1/2 pound so we could get the flavor of the meat but save money. I also took the previous commenter’s suggestion of adding garlic powder, and I used chickpea pasta to make it gluten free. I used quite a bit of lentils, so we got two nights out of it in my family of 4, with a small container leftover. Definitely a new favorite, and I love that I can save money and use lentils!
Love these changes Courtney!! So glad it’s a new family favorite! ♥
I feel like the recipe is off. I found this to be very peppery. It was good, but the flavor wasn’t as good as I was expecting. Also, am I missing something? In the blog you list garlic, but I do not see it listed in the actual recipe. I’ll probably try it again, because it was super easy and I love having a dinner that leaves me with less dishes, but just with some adjustments.
Michelle, everyone has different likes and dislikes when cooking. When I make this recipe I do not add peas because my husband hates them. As for the garlic powder I added it to the recipe card and appreciate you pointing out that inconsistency. Many people, myself included, enjoy a bit of fresh minced garlic in this recipe as well.
This was quite good. Only addition I made was a 1/2 TSP of Garlic Powder! We will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad you liked it, Ben!