This easy, cheesy homemade hamburger helper recipe is a one-pot meal ready in just 30 minutes! Every bite features tender pasta and savory ground beef smothered in a rich, creamy tomato and cheese sauce. This homemade version brings all the nostalgic flavors of the boxed kind, but with a richer, fresher taste!
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Test Kitchen Review
Why We Love This Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
Forget the boxed version — this homemade Hamburger Helper is bursting with fresh flavors and creamy goodness! Jorge and I have very fond memories of hamburger helper, as the boxed kind was one of our staple dinners when we first got married. We quickly figured out we could make it taste so much better from scratch and have made it this way ever since! Here’s why we think you will love this easy recipe too:
- Oh-So-Creamy: Made fresh with heavy cream and real cheddar cheese, the lusciously creamy homemade cheese sauce is what sets this hamburger helper recipe apart.
- Just As Quick & Easy: Just like the boxed version, everything is cooked together in a single skillet and ready in 30 minutes. Yay for easy cleanup!
- Affordable: This budget friendly recipe utilizes pantry staples and affordable ingredients to keep it easy on your wallet.
- Hearty: This is one of those great stick-to-your-ribs dinner that is so good everyone wants seconds. Our kids are always fighting over the last bite!
Prefer to use your instant pot? Check out my instant pot hamburger helper! You may also love our copycat hamburger helper stroganoff recipe!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this homemade hamburger helper recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Ground Beef: I prefer lean ground beef, but any ground meat, like ground turkey or chicken, will work! If you use a fattier cut, drain any excess grease.
- All-Purpose Flour: See the ‘Cook’s Notes’ section below for a gluten free option.
- Small Pasta Shells: This recipe also works well with elbow macaroni noodles. Just make sure to use a small bite-sized pasta for the best pasta to sauce ratio.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will give you the creamiest results, however you can use half and half or even evaporated milk.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: For best results, I recommend using freshly shredded cheese versus the bagged pre-shredded cheese. The bagged cheese has anti-caking agents on it that will thicken the sauce more than desired. If you do use it, you may want to add a little extra cream or broth to thin out the sauce!
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper
This homemade version is ready in just a few quick steps! Have all your ingredients out and ready to go as this dish moves fast. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Beef: Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Set cooked ground beef aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet.
- Sauté: Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Roux: Add the flour and stir to cook for about 1 minute to make the roux for the cheese sauce. Slowly stir in the beef broth and bring to a boil.
- Pasta: Add the tomato sauce, seasonings, and pasta, stirring to combine. Place the lid on top and simmer for 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
- Cream: Add in the cream and cheese and stir until all the cheese is melted.
- Add Beef: Add the ground beef back in and cook for 5 minutes until warmed through.
- Enjoy: Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Different Cheeses: While cheddar cheese is traditional, sometimes I like to switch it up. Feel free to experiment with different cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, smoked gouda, white cheddar or even pepper jack for a little kick.
- Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce for mild heat, or cayenne pepper for a good punch of heat. I also make a Tex-Mex version with an added can of the hot version of Rotel!
- Add Veggies: Sneak in some extra nutrition by adding finely chopped carrots, spinach, or peas to the dish.
- Sour Cream: Many readers have commented that you can stir in a 1/2 cup of sour cream at the end, right before serving, for an even creamier sauce!
- Make Double: Feeding a crowd or large family? Use a large deep sided pot (like a Dutch oven) to double, or even triple, this hamburger helper recipe.
- Gluten Free: Use your favorite gluten free pasta and swap the flour for cornstarch. Most gluten free pasta needs a little longer to cook with a little extra broth, so keep this in mind. Once the pasta is cooked, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of water and stir it into the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, until thickened and continue with the recipe.
What to Serve with Hamburger Helper?
This hearty cheeseburger hamburger helper recipe doesn’t require sides, it’s filling enough on it’s own! However, I like to serve it with a side salad, like my favorite Greek salad or refreshing cucumber tomato salad. To get some extra greens in, these sautéed green beans or sautéed Brussel sprouts are great on the side. Don’t forget a slice of garlic bread, or some homemade garlic knots, to soak up the sauce!
How To Store Leftovers?
- Fridge: Just like the original, this homemade hamburger helper recipe is best served fresh. However, you can store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days! They just won’t be as saucy once reheated.
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, with a splash of cream or broth to try to bring back the creamy texture.
Depending on the type of noodles, your skillet, and how high you turn up the heat, you may need to add a little extra broth. If your noodles are not cooked through and you’re running out of liquid, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth as needed.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, or chicken broth
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz small pasta shells, or small elbow pasta (Keep in mind 8 oz is half of a normal 1lb box of pasta.)
- ½ cup heavy cream, or half and half
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- In a large sauté pan with a lid, brown the ground beef over medium high heat. Remove cooked ground beef from pan and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease in the pan.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and stir to cook for about 1 minute, slowly stir in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and pasta, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. If your noodles are not cooked through and you're running out of liquid, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth as needed.
- Add in the cream and cheese and stir until all the cheese melted. Add back in ground beef, cook for 2 to 3 minutes more to re-heat ground beef and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This is so good! Our family loves this dish.
Literally amazing!! never going back to box again. grated fresh cheddar but didn’t use all 2 cups , loved the taste! added a smidge more broth
I’m always looking for easy recipes for dinner after a long, busy day. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was to make. It took about 30 minutes from beginning to end. It was a hit, and there were no leftovers! This recipe could easily be adapted to add more veggies to the mix. I will definitely make it again!
Super good! The only thing I suggest that I will change the next time I make this recipe is to not put as much cheese. But this was a big hit in my household!
Made this tonight with the help of my 2 year old. We only had crushed tomatoes instead of sauce, so I used equal amount plus a little bit of tomato paste. It turned out very good! Reminded me of hamburger helper suppers from the 90s! Our 2 year old liked it, and I felt good giving her a pasta meal with more protein and iron than she sometimes has. We will be adding this to the dinner rotation!
I’ve been wanting hamburger helper but tried the one in a box and it’s just not the same as it tasted as a kid many many years ago. So I tried this recipe and it took me back to 20 years ago. This recipe is so good! I love it!
Can I use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce?
Hi Abby, yes you can, but you will need to add more liquid to make up for it. I would suggest using about 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and whisking in chicken broth until you get to 1 cup worth total to equal an 8 oz can of tomato paste!
Added some smoked Gouda, this dish was so good!
Family Fav! We make this regularly and love it. I have added all the cheese, or half the cheese and both are great. I prefer half and then my husband can add more to his bowl if he chooses. Bonus: My house smells amazing while it’s cooking.
I made this several days ago and finished it off yesterday. It’s so good, I am ordering more groceries to make it this week! Then I will back off and wait a while, since I don’t want to get tired of it. LOL
This is WAY better than Hamburger Helper!
I just don’t understand why mine didn’t look like your finished product pic…did you add more cheese than the recipe calls for?
Hi CJ! Ours always turns out reddish-orange. In the photos it does look a little more orange versus red, but that’s just camera lighting. You can see an unedited iPhone photo from our test kitchen in the post towards the top of the post if you want to compare!
This was really good, but for me personally, it didn’t remind me of hamburger helper. I think it was the tomato sauce, maybe. I felt like it leaned more towards a homemade chef boyardee. It was definitely good, just not what I was searching for.
Family really enjoyed this homemade version! Thanks for sharing
Will milk, cream cheese or almond milk work with this?
Hi Jenny! You could use a mixture of milk and a little cream cheese for creaminess, the flavor will be a little different, but should still be tasty! I would not recommend almond milk.
This recipe was so delicious!!! I never really enjoyed hamburger helper but saw this recipe and just had to make it! Thank you for sharing!!
I was super doubtful when in the tomato sauce phase… it smelled weird and my noodles were taking forever to cook… but… after adding the very last step this was AMAZING. I had to substitute a lot with stuff I had around bs running to the store. I can’t wait to make this with ingredients to a T next time. This was incredible!
Fantastic!!! Made as directed. Wonderful comfort food right before the Santa Claus parade.
Awesome! Perfect recipe!
this was SO good, I had people going back for 3rds! I made a double batch and am so excited for the leftovers – thank you!
So yummy!!
This was awesome! My hubby absolutely loved it. I do wonder can leftovers be frozen?
Hi Beth, sadly it doesn’t freeze well, the cream sauce and pasta will both change textures once frozen and thawed again. Glad y’all enjoyed it as much as we do!
what could you use instead of Italian seasoning ?
I am one who does not have any mixed stuff like seasoning salt and so on…I have individual herbs and spices so I was like “great”! BUT I found a recipe for Italian seasoning – not sure if I am allowed to post it here…but you can do a search for homemade Italian seasoning. There are quite a few out there but I read through them and picked one that sounded the best/closest and it worked out perfectly.
It adds a herby flavor, you can skip it or add a pinch of each of the herbs used in Italian Seasoning: dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried marjoram, dried thyme and red pepper flakes.
My husbands go to was boxed hamburger helper before meeting me and he actually liked the meal. So I was really excited to find a healthier option that still allowed me to give him one of the meals he grew up eating and loves. It was easy and turned out better than any boxed hamburger helper! Thank you!
Can I use medium shells? I’m doubling the recipe so how much to use?
Hi Sierra, yes you can use medium shells. If you are doubling the recipe, you will use double everything… so 16 oz (1lb) box of pasta.
This was so nostalgic and absolutely delicious. We don’t eat processed food and this brought us back to an old childhood favorite without the chemicals. Next time I’ll be less glutinous and eat less with some salad. Thank you!