Homemade Hamburger Helper has all the nostalgic flavors, but with a lusciously creamy homemade cheese sauce! Bonus: It’s still an easy one-pot meal, ready in about 30 minutes.
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 by making it from scratch.
Made with heavy cream and real cheddar cheese, every bite features tender pasta and savory ground beef smothered in a rich and cheesy sauce. It’s the perfect family-approved weeknight dinner!
“We loved this homemade hamburger helper recipe – it’s SO rich and creamy! I used ground turkey and it was still delicious. Next time, I’ll add some hidden veggies (picky toddler at the table) like diced bell peppers or grated carrots. One pot meals are always a hit here, will definitely be making it again soon.” — Haley, busy mom of two and passionate home cook and baker.
Key Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- 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 after browning.
- Noodles: Any small bite-sized pasta will do, such as small pasta shells or the classic elbow macaroni noodles.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will give you the creamiest results, however you can use half and half or even evaporated milk.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: For best creamy results, use freshly shredded cheese. If using bagged shredded cheese, you may need a little extra broth or cream.
- Tomato Sauce: This creates the perfect rich tomato-cheese sauce like the original. For a richer tomato flavor, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Tips For Making Homemade Hamburger Helper
Have all your ingredients out and ready to go as this dish moves fast! Visit the printable recipe card below for full directions.
A wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven works best. Remember we are cooking everything together, so you will need to give the pasta room to cook.
Take your time browning the beef. Let the ground beef sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring. This creates those delicious browned bits that add extra flavor to the sauce.
You may need to add a little extra broth. 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 pasta is not cooked through and you’re running out of liquid, stir in an additional ¼ to ½ cup of broth to keep things saucy.
Don’t overcook the pasta and test it early. Different pasta brands cook at slightly different times. Start tasting a minute or two before the recipe suggests. Remember that the pasta will continue to absorb sauce as it sits, so stop cooking once it’s just tender!
After adding the cheese and beef, let it rest before serving. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit for just a minute or two. The sauce will thicken up and cling perfectly to the pasta.
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Variations To Try
- Different Cheeses: Any melty cheese will work, such as mozzarella, Monterey jack, smoked gouda, white cheddar or a cheddar blend.
- Tex Mex Style: Skip the Italian seasoning and salt and use taco seasoning instead. Add crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, or hot sauce for more heat. I also like to add can of drained Rotel!
- Add Veggies: Sneak in some extra nutrition by adding finely chopped carrots, spinach, or peas.
- 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!
- Instant Pot: Prefer to use your instant pot? Try my instant pot hamburger helper instead!
- Gluten Free: Once the pasta is cooked, whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of beef broth (or water) and stir it into the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, until thickened and continue with the recipe.
How To Store Leftovers?
While leftovers are still tasty, be warned that the pasta will absorb the sauce over time and change the texture. Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish!
Reheat in the microwave in short bursts, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often. Adding a splash of cream or broth can help bring back some of the original creamy texture.
What to Serve with Hamburger Helper?
This hearty dish doesn’t require sides, it’s filling enough on its own! However, you can’t go wrong with a slice of garlic bread, or some homemade garlic knots, to soak up the sauce.
To add some greens, try my favorite Greek salad. Sautéed green beans or sautéed Brussel sprouts are also great options.
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. Remove from the heat and let it rest for a minute or two so the sauce can thicken, then serve immediately!
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More 30-Minute Dinner Ideas To Try
- You’ll love creamy chicken Alfredo made with my homemade Alfredo sauce recipe!
- Cajun chicken pasta or this copycat Cajun jambalaya pasta are always a hit!
- This easy ground beef stroganoff is oh so hearty and creamy.
- Homemade spaghettiOs with meatballs is another childhood classic that deserves an upgrade.
- Chicken and dumplings with biscuits is my favorite quick comfort food dinner.
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We loved it!! I accidentally added a whole 16oz can of tomato sauce instead of the 8oz, and it was still amazing. My husband asked to add this to our rotation— and it’s pretty inexpensive to make ($20 for all of the ingredients minus the spices/flour which we already had). Will definitely be making this again.
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I ended up using elbow as that’s what I had, and needed a whole 32OZ of beef broth and a bit more from another container. But it’s SO good and flavorful!!
This was a family hit! I haven’t made the boxed version in over 12-13 years b/c they changed the recipe and now it tastes yuck, so my kids have never experienced it. I don’t know that this tastes exactly like the old fashioned hamburger helper I grew up with but it’s pretty close and tasty! The ONLY thing I did differently was add a can of green peppers for some zest and it was a good option. I like the idea of adding some carrots and tomato chunks or other hidden veggies in the future too. Thanks for the recipe, bookmarking it now.
Delicious! So glad I found this simple yet oh so tasty and filling recipe. Only modifications- added finely chopped carrot and green pepper while cooking the onion. Used slightly less cheese and cream as the roux for me was pretty thick and tasty already. Topped with red pepper and parsley.
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!
Just made this for dinner. The beefy, tomatoey, creamy, cheesy flavor is SO DIVINE!! This blows Hamburger Helper out of the water! And I know all the ingredients going into it.
I did do 3 cups of beef broth instead of two. And added a couple more splashes after I added the cheese, so it wasn’t so thick. Will definitely make this again.
Make this recipe exactly as posted…fire!!!
Add a can of Rotel at the end?.. absolutely nuclear!!
Very good!
Thanks for this recipe!
I tried this today, I am always looking for new ways to prepare ground beef and this was so good. Thanks for the recipe.
This tastes like my childhood! I was impressed by how much this tasted like the real thing but better and not processed. I did bone broth for extra protein and omitted the Italian seasoning due to an allergy. I will definitely make this again.
This is a family go-to for us. Thank you so much:)
Love this recipe, kid friendly and so so yumy
Hi! Any idea if I can follow the recipe for the sauce but throw in already cooked noodles and let them simmer? Will that be too much broth? Thanks!
Hi Dina! If using already cooked noodles, I would cut the broth down in the sauce to 1/2 a cup. You can always add a little more to thin it out if needed once you add the pasta!
We loved this dish! Easy and really great flavor! I needed to add about a cup more of beef broth, otherwise made per recipe. Thanks!!
Such a quick and easy meal that the whole family loved! I will definitely make it again.
I left out the tomato sauce and used 1/3 cup velvet cheese instead of shredded cheddar.
This was the beat recipe ever!! I am a young black chef and this is very good for when you dont have the boxed version, and I do like both!!
Amazing! Doubled it and I added a splash or theee of worshersire sauce to the meat while it was separate. I would also recommend cooking the noodles slightly less as they can get a little mushy.
Just made this. It was a hit!!!!
I doubled the recipe because 1 box of Hamburger Helper doesn’t satisfy my family.
Well, everyone filled up quickly; so, yeah,
We have ALOT of leftovers. I’m guessing because this is clean eating without all of the other cr__. Definitely saving this recipe!!
This recipe is on the regular rotation for a quick supper dish! Thanks so much.
Have made this twice and it was great both times. I’m curious, does this freeze well?
Hi Ari! So glad you enjoy it! So because of the cream in the sauce, there is a chance that the sauce will split (the fat separating out of the sauce) once it’s thawed and reheated. However, quite a few people have left comments (here and on pinterest) that they have frozen and reheated it without issue. So, it’s kind of an at-your-own-risk kind of thing!
I was not a fan of this recipe. It came out tasting more like chili and not like hamburger helper. Won’t be making again sorry.
This recipe is ON POINT!!! So delicious! 10/10
how was yours so light? It almost looks like you didn’t put the tomato sauce in? But I agree, my kids all enjoyed this recipe.
Me and my family loved this! And I enjoyed making it.
I’m glad I found this recipe I have two picky eaters in my house and they both loved it…
Is it possible to make the sauce and the noodles separate without the sauce being runny? I have a gluten allergy but the rest of my family doesn’t, so we usually separate the noodles and sauce and combine in each individual’s bowl.
Hi Chelsie! You could make the sauce with just a little of the beef broth instead of the full 2 cups. That would keep it thicker and allow you to add the sauce to the cooked noodles. I’d recommend making the sauce and then adding in a tablespoon or two of beef broth at a time until you got a consistency you liked for the sauce. Hope this helps – and if you try it, please com back and let us all know how it works out!
Forgot to take the ground beef out before doing the pasta and spices and it still turned out great! Lol
agreed…I think it helped with the flavor actually. 🙂