Upgrade family dinnertime with Homemade Hamburger Helper! Simple, real ingredients liven up this old childhood classic, and once you ditch the box, you'll never go back again. Made with savory, seasoned ground beef, a creamy, homemade cheddar sauce, and macaroni, it's like a chili cheeseburger but in pasta form. There's a whole lot to love about that.
Quick cooking and with only 10 minutes prep time, this Homemade Hamburger Helper is your new go-to dinner for busy weeknights!
HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER IS BETTER
Hamburger Helper was a dinnertime staple in many of our homes growing up, and it was an easy quick fix dinner that came to the rescue for busy moms.
Similar to its store-bought predecessor, Homemade Hamburger Helper is simple to make, yet exponentially better. Real ingredients make for real good food, and when we're talking about a macaroni dish loaded with savory, spiced hamburger meat, smothered with a perfect cheesy sauce made with freshly grated cheese...really, really good food might be a more accurate description.
WHAT IS HAMBURGER HELPER MADE OF?
The boxed Hamburger Helper you'll find on the grocery store shelves likely contains a medley of dry ingredients like pasta, modified whey, dried Cheddar Cheese, dried tomatoes, citric acid, yeast extract...and the list goes on.
In fact (as surprising as it may seem) when it comes to making Homemade Hamburger Helper from scratch, you'll likely be cutting that ingredient list in half.
- Ground Beef -- The ground beef is really the star of the show. Use 80/20 ground beef for this recipe.
- Spices -- The spices are what give Homemade Hamburger Helper so much flavor. Chili powder, garlic powder, and mustard powder are a heavy-hitting trio when it comes to amping up the flavor of ground beef.
- Onion and Bell Pepper -- Fresh vegetables not only add more flavor to your Homemade Hamburger Helper, but they'll also up the total nutritional value of the dish. Plus, it's an excellent way to sneak them into the kids' diets. A mom win all the way around.
- Flour -- Flour serves as a thickener for that cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper Sauce. Use only All-Purpose Flour for this application.
- Milk, Cheddar, and Cream -- The sauce is made up of milk, freshly grated Cheddar cheese, and a little cream to make it extra irresistibly smooth.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER
- Cook the noodles.
- Break apart the ground beef, season, and cook on the stovetop until browned. Transfer the beef to a colander to remove excess grease.
- Add onion and bell pepper to the pan and sauté until softened.
- Sprinkle the flour over softened vegetables, then add milk and simmer to thicken.
- Add the cheese and remaining seasoning and stir to combine. Add the beef and noodles to the mix and stir until coated in the sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH HAMBURGER HELPER
Homemade Hamburger Helper is a meal in itself and really doesn't require much in the way of sides. However, if you'd like to add a little more green to the mix, consider serving it with a side salad, green beans, or steamed broccoli.
While Homemade Hamburger Helper does take a little extra effort than the box, it's a guarantee you'll find the expense well worth it. Let's quickly compare the two: a creamy, homemade Cheddar sauce made with freshly grated cheese and flavorful vegetables ...or a packet of spiced cheese powder? I think we all know the answer here.
5 MORE KID-FRIENDLY DINNER IDEAS
- Ground Turkey Casserole is a delicious Mexican-inspired casserole featuring taco-seasoned ground turkey, a quick-fix tomato sauce, pasta, and Monterrey Jack cheese.
- Ground Beef Stroganoff is a one-pan dinner made with ground beef, mushrooms, onions, and sour cream. Serve over egg noodles for a beefy, comforting weeknight dinner that’s as easy as it is delicious!
- Baked Meatballs are made with simple ingredients like ground beef and fresh breadcrumbs! Easy to make and perfect for topping off spaghetti!
- Beef Enchiladas come well equipped with a delicious and authentic enchilada gravy, flavorful ground beef filling, and melty cheese across the top!
- Mini Muffin Corn Dogs take less than 15 minutes to make and are made up of a quick-fix cornbread batter and stuffed with cut up hot dogs.
An easy recipe for homemade hamburger helper featuring a cheesy sauce made with real cheddar, ground beef, and macaroni!
- 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
- 2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon chili powder, separated
- 2 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, separated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground mustard, separated
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ¾ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni noodles
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Cook the elbow noodles according to package directions, and set aside until ready to use.
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Place a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break apart. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, and black pepper and continue to break up the meat, stirring it around every so often. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and there is no longer any pink showing.
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Transfer the ground beef to a colander lined with paper towels, and set aside. Add the onion and red bell pepper to the skillet and sauté, stirring often, until softened, 5-7 minutes. If needed, you may add up to 2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil to sauté the vegetables.
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Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour, and stir to coat. Then, add the milk one generous splash at a time, stirring well after each addition. After about a cup or so, you may pour in the remaining milk all at once. Stir well and allow to simmer.
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Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, and a ¼ teaspoon mustard powder, and stir. Remove from the heat, add in the Cheddar cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in heavy cream, along with the cooked macaroni noodles, and the hamburger meat. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Monica | Nourish + Fete says
Can you believe I have never once made hamburger helper!? But I definitely like the idea of making a homemade version - sounds like an ideal fall comfort food! Pinning to try ASAP!
Dana says
This is *such* a great idea. I think I had Hamburger Helper a few years ago as kind of a joke. You know when you're just craving shitty food, like boxed mac and cheese or Cheez Whiz? (No? Only me? Okay.) Well, I saw some HH and was like, "That could be good in such a bad way!" Needless to say, I felt like crap after because who knows what's in that stuff. BUT THIS. This is such a great idea because you can sate your craving for "junk" without actually eating junk. This looks so hearty and wholesome. I'm all about homemade, and I'm all over this idea!
Kelly Anthony says
Hahahaha! Yes, made that mistake with frozen bagel bites about a year ago 😉 Thank you, Dana!
Danielle says
This isn't really a thing here in the UK, but it looks amazing. Total comfort food!
Stephanie says
This is my idea of comfort food and so much better then the ones you buy in the store. It's ALWAYS worth the extra effort or time to make something from scratch that tastes better and is more nutritious!
Jessica Formicola says
This totally beats the boxed stuff! It looks great!
Catherine Brown says
This looks WAY better than hamburger helper!! I'd love to stuff all this into some large bell peppers and bake, for a slightly different spin!
Kelly Anthony says
That is fairly genius, and sounds SERIOUSLY amazing!!! Good call!
Taylor Kiser says
This looks so much better than anything out of a box! Such a great and easy dinner for busy weeknights!
Jill says
Homemade is always best. Your recipe for Hamburger Helper looks and sounds delicious. Pinned!
Jennifer | SavorwithJennifer.com says
This is AWESOME! My kids are going to flip!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Jennifer! My girls loved it!
Lisa Bynum says
I know my two boys would love this. As a mom, I've stayed away from packaged Hamburger Helper because who knows what all they put into that box. But THIS! This I would feel good about feeding to my family.
Beth says
I agree! Everything homemade is better! Those boxed hamburger helpers are so full of sodium, it's crazy! I love the way your version is heavy on the meat and the fresh veges! Yum!
Renee @ReneesKitchenAdventures says
I've never been a fan of the boxed Hamburger Helper but this version is definitely something I'd eat! Looks amazing!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Renee!
Sandi says
Haven't had hamburger helper in years, but I can't wait to try it!
Bryana Childers says
Where did you find the cheese grater and BIG spoon you used in the video?
Kelly Anthony says
The cheese grater was from Crate and Barrel (but you could probably find it on Amazon as well -- it's a coarse grating Microblade) and the big spoon is All-Clad brand and I purchased it from Williams-Sonoma!
Bryana says
Thank you! ❤️