by Dana
This Homemade Hamburger Helper takes a classic boxed item and turns it into a homemade favorite that the whole family will enjoy! Just a few simple ingredients will knock the boxed stuff right out of the ballpark.
*This post was originally created in 2014. The next year I updated the images, and now in 2018 I’m revamping the whole post to reflect all the feedback I have gotten from readers who have tried the recipe.
First and foremost, this Homemade Hamburger Helper has kept PLA running since the beginning! This post is my first VIRAL recipe, the recipe that just would not quit. I felt the need to revamp it because my writing and photography skills have drastically increased since the time I created the post and I wanted my #1 post of all time to reflect how much I have grown.
I have to admit, I’m still making this recipe on a bi-weekly basis and my kids ask for it all the time. I NEVER have to worry if my kids will actually eat when I cook this Homemade Hamburger Helper. It is just a great recipe all around if you are cooking for a family!
Reader Reviews
If you scroll down to the comments, you’ll notice a lot of readers added additional garlic powder + onion salt to the recipe. By all means, have at it! I just made this again today to re-test the recipe, and I stand by what I initially posted. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp of each. I do add additional course kosher salt at the end as well so that really bumps up the flavor. The recipe is super customizable! I would suggest if it is your first time making it to follow the recipe and then tweak it to suit your taste.
A couple other readers suggested they needed to add more liquid. This really depends upon what kind of pasta you are using. Today I used elbow macaroni and I did need to add an additional 1/2 cup of water.
Kitchen Essentials
I have been asked quite a few times what kitchen gear I use, specifically my pots and pans. I couldn’t find the exact set, but I do have a full Kitchen Aid set that my husband picked out all by himself. Scary, I know. But he did a great job and didn’t even go cheap, which is really surprising. 🙂 I wanted to share because I absolutely adore these pots and pans as they have cooked so many wonderful meals for my family. There isn’t a day in my home that they aren’t used!
Products from Amazon.com
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Unprocessed Hamburger Helper
By DanaPublished: June 7, 2014
- Yield: 4-5 Servings
- Cook: 25 mins
An old favorite without all the dangerous ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef I use organic
- 1 1/2 cups pasta I like shells or elbows
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tbsp flour I use King Arthur's brand
- 1/4 tsp onion salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cubes Or freshly shredded sharp cheddar
- pink himalayan salt to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown beef in skillet and drain. Take pan off burner and add pasta, spices, flour, and cheese.
- Stir in milk and water, mix ingredients to combine. Return to burner over medium-high heat.
- Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a light simmer. Stir frequently.
- Place a lid over the skillet, and allow to simmer until pasta is cooked, about 10-15 minutes stirring frequently and adjusting heat as needed.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Everyone loves it whenever people come together and share thoughts. Great website, continue the good work!
StaciWe haven’t had hamburger helper for years and years because of its “processed” nature, so I was really excited when I came across this recipe. We made it for dinner last week and it tastes EXACTLY like I remember it tasting….delicious (without all those bad ingredients)!!
- Kate
I subbed some of the milk for Greek yogurt and it was amazing!
- Dana
Great idea, thanks for sharing! 🙂
- Theresa
Great post, great recipe! I’m going to add it to my menu next week. Thank you!
- Katie
I made this tonight… Delish! It was a little watery but I served it right away (bc I was in my usual late mad dash to get dinner on the table) but noticed cleaning up leftovers that it had thickened. Next time I’ll be more patient! Will def make again tho, and it was very good with buttered corn. Husband & kid approved!
- Dana
Thanks for the feedback Katie! Yes, I gave it 5-10 minutes after I turned off the heat to thicken. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Glad you liked it!
- Cheyenne
Hello I’m new to this site and came from Pinterest! I am going to try out this recipe and am excited to taste it! With that being said I saw where you said the pasta should only have 1 ingredient in it. I went to my pantry and looked on my box… Mine has 6 🙁 How do you know which stuff is ok to have and which is not ok to have? Also where do you buy your pasta from?
- Dana
Hi Cheyenne! This is a super easy fix! And FYI, even if you did choose to use a refined pasta, you are still saving yourself all of the additives that come in the Hamburger Helper, which is awesome in and of itself. To answer your question, look in the pasta isle for a product that contains “whole durum wheat” as the only ingredient. There will be “whole grain” varieties that contain a combination of whole and refined flours, and then there will be the 100% whole wheat products. If you can’t find a 100% whole wheat product in the regular isle, see if your grocery store has an organic/natural section. It would likely be in there if you can’t find it in the other isle. Another great tip…if you look at the little yellow whole grain seal at the bottom of packages, if it is truly 100% whole wheat it will have a 100% on there. Hope that helps! 🙂
- Susan
Hmmm I was more interested in why the recipe calls for penne and he used shells – pasta is pasta but if you’re posting a recipe I would imagine you would follow it or just say pasta and not any particular shape.
- Dana
Hi Susan! I’m not just “posting a recipe” I actually created the recipe for my family as an alternative to boxed Hamburger Helper with a ton of undesirable ingredients.I am also a woman and a mom! 🙂 To answer your question regarding the pasta choice… When I originally posted the recipe I used Penne Pasta. When I realized it was a very popular one I updated the pictures and used shells. As you stated.. Pasta is pasta and the two are interchangeable. I suppose I should change that, thank you for bringing to my attention! 🙂 Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
- Danielle
I made this tonight and while the concept was great I we liked the dish, we DEFINITELY had to double the spices. Still a great idea tho!
- Dana
Thanks for the feedback Danielle! I’m glad you enjoyed the dish overall. Everyone’s palate is slightly different so it doesn’t surprise me that you doubled up on the spices! 🙂 thanks for sharing that tip!
- Michele
Hello there….I was wondering what type of white cheese is in the picture?
- Dana
It is a sharp white cheddar Michele! 🙂
- Karla T
I made this tonight and the kids and I loved it. I hadn’t bought HH for so many years until my daughter asked for it a few months ago. It tasted chemically and wasn’t as good as I remembered. Your recipe was healthy and delicious.
- Amy
I tried this a few weeks ago, and me and my husband loved it!
I’ll be trying it again tonight, but subbing in gluten free noodles and flour, with a tiny bit of xanthan gum (for thickening), so my sister in law can eat it!
I’ll also up the seasonings a little, as it tasted ever so slightly bland – but I think last time I didn’t measure the spices out properly (I tend to be very experimental with my cooking.).
Here’s hoping I get an equally good response with GF sub’s! - samantha
my husband loves the hamburger helper -beef pasta -but doesn’t eat cheese. if I make this without the cheese with it still thickn and have good flavor
- Dana
Hi Samantha! This is a tough question because I’ve never actually tried it (I love cheese!) Answering simply based on cooking experience I’d say yes, you could do that, but it will probably be more of a beefy gravy then Hamburger Helper. Does he like mushrooms? If so I’d suggest possibly adding mushrooms after you brown the beef to give it more flavor. Obviously this would change the entire dish but I’d say it would be a great alternative to cheese. If you try it let me know how it turns out 🙂
- Lauren
I have never actually had Hamburger Helper – ever! However, growing up, it was one of my husbands favourite childhood dinners. I made this and he loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed it too!
- Dana
So glad you both enjoyed it Lauren. Welcome to the Hamburger Helper world!!
- kidgeek
I made this for my kids today. I used fresh garlic in with the ground meat. I pretty much quadrupled the spices and a tablespoon of chili powder. Next time, I’ll use green chilis with the garlic while I saute the meat. Good stuff.
- Bekah
Mommy of a 5 month old, nice that I can still cook a quick meal but skip out I the processed junk! Thanks soo much!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My 13 year old picky eater gave this 5 stars! I loved it too.. but I don’t tend to be as picky as my daughter. We will be definitely be having this meal again. THANKS!
- Rachel
Your recipe asks for penne yet that’s not what’s pictured?
- Dana
Ahhh yes Rachel you are right! When I originally created the recipe I was using different pictures that I took. Since then I have updated my camera, and updated the pictures (the first ones were pretty ugly!) I’ve made the recipe with both penne, shells, and even elbows and all have worked out great. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
- Kathryn
I also noticed in the picture you used butter, but it’s not listed in the ingredients. Do you still use it? Does it matter? And if so, how much do you use? Thanks. 🙂
- Dana
Kathryn, the white-ish chunks on the picture are actually the cheese! 🙂 Does really look like butter though, huh? I just prefer to use block cheese vs. pre-shredded because pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose, which doesn’t have to be there. Just a personal preference. Glad I could clear that up for you. Hope you enjoy!
- Leah
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I just tried it for the first time today and it is so good! I didn’t have onion salt so I used onion powder and added about a teaspoon of salt. I also used corn elbow macaroni as I am gluten intolerant. I love how simple, quick, and satisfying this recipe is.
Leah
Hello, and thank you for your recipe! I am admittedly (and ashamed of it!) addicted to HH. I was never fed it as a child; my mother eschewed processed foods. However, when I moved for college and discovered how cheap and easy it was to make, it was game over! I’ve avoided it for years for all the same reasons my mom did, but I have missed it. This recipe seems like it won’t take much more time than the boxed crap. Thank you! I can’t wait to try it!
- Dana
Yes! That’s what I love about it… it basically takes the same amount of time. I’m in the process of writing a few new notes on the recipe because I’ve made it several times since posting it, but just a tip…if you really love the processed stuff you will probably have to up the amount of spices/salt in the recipe. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
- Sandy
I cook for my boyfriend most days, but he still craves Hamburger Helper now and then, so I was excited when I found this on FoodGawker. I had some leftover beef broth, so I used that instead of water, and added chili powder and red pepper flakes too. It was delicious; he loved it. Now we can stop buying that crap, lol.
- Dana
I am always so happy to hear this recipe helped someone ditch the processed version Sandy!
- Kristen
Any idea the calorie count? On diet and need to watch. Wondering if I can use gluten free pasta and gluten free flour.
- Dana
Kristen, I’m not sure about the calories! I’m also on a diet and will be blogging about it soon. With my diet this recipe would just not work because of the cheese, but if I were to decide to eat some I would just measure out a cup to use portion control instead of calorie counting. Sorry I couldn’t help you more! 🙂
- Laura
Made this tonight and enjoyed it. I doubled the seasonings/spices, as recommended. I also added 2 cups pasta and still found it a pretty heavy meat:pasta ratio. I would reduce the meat or add more pasta next time, for my taste. Thanks for a good recipe. Quick and easy!
- MP
Do you think you could prep this and freeze it? If so any idea how to go about that? Would I cook the meat and the pasta and throw all the ingredients in to a foil pan and/or freezer bag, and freeze then bake in oven or on stove top frozen?
I found this on Pinterest and just made it tonight. I made several modifications that worked out well. My son has celiac so I used Ronzoni gluten free penne and Bob’s Red Mill white rice flour. I used regular black pepper and salt and skipped the paprika. Instead using of garlic & onion powder I cooked the ground beef with frozen chopped onions and minced garlic. I used a little less milk because it seemed like way too much. After the noodles were cooked, I added about 3 oz of plain greek yogurt and frozen veggies that I precooked. I also waited until the noodles were cooked to mix in the shredded cheddar. Gluten free pasta can be tricky because if you overcook it it disintegrates. Mine was slightly undercooked – I could have gone another minute – but it was better than having it fall apart! All in all this tasted like hamburger helper without the salty, chemical taste. Cooking the beef and chopped onion together gave it a little extra kick of onion taste. One more thing I need to mention is that I had hoped to have leftovers but didn’t pay attention to the amount of servings until I started making it. The serving amount on the recipe is spot on. We got 5 servings and that was with adding about a 1/2 cup more noodles than what the recipe calls for.
- Lee
Hamburger helper had been off our menu for over ten years. So when I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it. It was so easy, had every ingredient already in my kitchen, and was fantastic! My guys each give it two thumbs up!
- Amber
You rant on about how bad these companies are like you’re an expert but you can’t even spell “maltodextrin”. Do you know what it is? Some constructive advice to make your website more credible, do research before you post your opinions as facts. Start by looking up what maltodextrin actually is. Just because YOU can’t pronounce it doesn’t mean it’s evil.
- Dana
Forgive my typo, however I do know what maltodextrin is, thank you. It is a HIGHLY PROCESSED food additive that is starchy and likely added to the Hamburger Helper to thicken it. In all of my years in the baking/restaurant industry I can tell you we were never using maltodextrin in any of our food. Is it the worst food additive out there? That is up to your personal opinion. I have created this blog to share MY opinion with friends and family who are interested in cutting processed foods from their diets. If you aren’t on the same page and are comfortable putting ingredients into your body that you have researched and found to be fine for your family that is totally acceptable and understandable. However, the point of this blog is to point out these unnecessary ingredients and give folks an alternative. The alternative in this recipe to thicken is the flour. I am almost certain if I asked a group of people what flour is vs. what maltodextrin is they would be able to identify the flour, but not the maltodextrin because frankly most people have no idea what it is. Again, that is the point of this blog. To help people identify these ingredients and decide if the ingredients work for their family or not. I didn’t have to publish your comment, but there you go. You have lashed out on someone from behind your computer and challenged a mother who is trying to help other families cut processed foods. Feel better?
- Cherie Grant
Was looking for something different to do with ground beef and found this recipe. We have always enjoyed HH but hubby had heart surgery 2 years ago, so it was cut from our diet. We really enjoyed this. We also doubled the spices, added some worcestershire sauce, used white pepper and pepper jack cheese. Wonderful!!!
- Naomie Moore, Castaic, CA
Stumbled upon this post today, your commentary is right up my alley! Thanks for the great recipe and more importantly, the laughs! 👍💖
- Kristin
How can pasta have only one ingredient? When making it from scratch, at a bare minimum you need two: egg and flour. And I usually add some salt as well, along with either milk or water depending on the recipe I’m following. How is one-ingredient pasta even a thing?
- Dana
Great question! You know, I’ve never made pasta from scratch but this totally makes sense. I’m just going by what the packages say. Ingredient list says: Ingredients: 100% whole durum wheat flour. I must investigate this now! haha
- UncleBen
My understanding is that it’s flour and water to make dried pasta, and flour and egg to make fresh pasta. Since we’re talking about dried pasta here, maybe they don’t consider water an ingredient, per se. If I’m wrong I’m sure somebody will let me know in no uncertain terms, lol.
- Janequa
So I made this for the first time tonight and I was not disappointed. I did quadruple the spices & used a whole block of cheese (since I really love cheese) & I’m so glad I tried it! I would recommend this to anyone who loves hamburger helper, but hates how bad it is from the box. Thank you for sharing this!
- Dana
High five to anyone who uses a whole block of cheese!! 🙂 So glad you liked the recipe!
- Misty
Super yummy and easy to make! A great on the go mom meal when you don’t have much time! Taste just as good as the kind I remember as a child but much healthier! We are a lactose free family so I used original unsweetened almond milk and extra sharp Cabot cheddar (which is lactose free naturally) and it was still amazing! Thanks for the share! Definitely going into my dinner rotations!
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