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Macaroni, ground beef, vegetables, cream, and seasonings combine to make this super-simple homemade hamburger helper recipe. If you want to enjoy those wonderful hamburger flavors in casserole form, you’ll find this one-pot hamburger helper recipe is as easy to prepare as the boxed stuff but even more delicious. This comfort food dish is a real family favorite and you can prepare it from scratch and have it on the table in just 30 minutes.

Rich, meaty flavors pair up with macaroni, herbs, spices, cheese, and cream, to make this mouthwatering homemade hamburger helper.
If you love hearty beef dishes, you might also like to try Italian meatloaf, cheddar stuffed burgers, or hamburger steaks with gravy.
Why You’ll Love It
So easy to prepare: Homemade hamburger helper is really easy to make, even if you don’t often make recipes like this, and it’s a really delicious recipe.
A quick midweek meal: As you make this recipe from scratch and still have it on the dinner table in just 30 minutes, it’s a great recipe for a busy weeknight.
Kid-friendly: Cheese, creamy, meaty flavors are sure to appeal to the whole family, the youngest ones included.
Hamburger Helper Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Lean ground beef: Ground chuck, ground sirloin, anything goes!
Beef broth: To enrich the meaty taste.
Cheddar cheese: Adds that tasty touch. Use any kind of cheese you want.
Heavy cream: For a creamy richness.
Macaroni: Always great in casseroles and baked pasta dishes.
Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and Italian seasoning add plenty of incredible flavor to the homemade hamburger helper recipe. I sometimes add red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for a little heat. You can use either smoked paprika or sweet paprika.
How to Make Hamburger Helper
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the ground beef: Cook it in a large pan over a medium high heat until browned throughout, then drain the grease and put the beef in a bowl.
Cook the onions and garlic: Cook the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook briefly.
Add more ingredients: Return the cooked beef to the pot and also add paprika, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper if using. Add the beef broth and macaroni, and cook until done.
The finishing touches: Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese and cream. Season to taste and serve, garnished with fresh parsley if liked.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten free option: If you want a gluten free version, choose your favorite gluten free pasta and ensure your beef broth is gluten free. (This gluten free macaroni is great!)
A different protein: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or another ground meat. For a chicken version, use ground chicken and swap the beef broth for chicken broth.
Different noodles: Macaroni is good but you could sub in egg noodles, pasta shells, cavatappi, penne, or another kind.
Another kind of cheese: You can use parmesan, Monterey jack or mozzarella in place of the cheddar.
Add some veggies: Bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes – add some veggies for added color, flavor and nutrients.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Start the meal with peach bourbon wings.
Side dishes: Truffle polenta fries make a tasty side dish, or try a beet salad.
Desserts: How about snickerdoodle muffins for dessert? This cinnamon roll cake is also delicious.
How to Store Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it, either the whole thing or in separate portions.
Thaw: Defrost it overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: You can warm the homemade hamburger helper recipe back up in the microwave.
Top Tips
Shred the cheese yourself: The pre-packaged shredded cheddar cheese has anticaking agents and starch to stop the shreds sticking together, and this means the cheese doesn’t melt so well. So shredding your own is best.
Additional oil: If you’re using a nonstick pot, you might not need to add any grease, depending also how lean your ground beef is.
Stir often: It’s important to stir the beef as it cooks so it doesn’t stick and burn, and the same with the vegetables, and then again after you add the pasta.
Copycat Hamburger Helper FAQs
It’s a boxed product that has pasta and a seasoning mix, and then you add the ground beef and some other ingredients. However, this recipe is quick, easy and you don’t need the boxed stuff (and it’s even more delicious!)
Yes. Swap the ground beef for tofu, beans, extra vegetables or whatever you want, and swap the beef broth for vegetable broth.
Yes, you can prepare and cook this homemade hamburger helper recipe in advance and then just warm it back up in the microwave or in the oven.
Easy Hamburger Helper Recipe
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 Pound lean ground beef
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 sweet onion, medium, diced
- 3 Cups beef broth, low-sodium
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ Teaspoon onion powder
- ½ Teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon ground paprika, sweet or smoked
- 2 Cups macaroni
- ½ Cup heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Cups cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- parsley, fresh, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over a medium high heat and sauté the beef in a splash of oil until browned and cooked through. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and stir occasionally as it cooks so it does not burn.
- Drain off the grease and transfer the cooked beef to a bowl.
- In the same pot, turn the heat down to medium and add the onions plus more oil if needed. Sauté for about 4 minutes, just until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent. Next add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2, until fragrant.
- Put the beef back in the pot and stir in the paprika, tomato paste, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, plus some cayenne pepper if using.
- Now pour in the beef broth slowly and stir well. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the macaroni.
- Turn the heat back down and gently simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until pasta reaches desired doneness. Stir occasionally so the bottom does not burn.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cream and cheddar cheese until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if liked. Serve immediately.
Notes
Additional oil: If you’re using a nonstick pot, you might not need to add any grease, depending also how lean your ground beef is.
Stir often: It’s important to stir the beef as it cooks so it doesn’t stick and burn, and the same with the vegetables, and then again after you add the pasta.
Nutrition
You’re going to love how easy this homemade hamburger helper recipe is to prepare and also how amazing it tastes. Bold flavors like garlic, onion, paprika, savory ground beef, tomato sauce, and more pair up with cream, cheese and sweet onion. It’s a one pot meal, so it also makes the cleanup afterwards quick and simple. Delicious recipes like this are ideal for busy weeknights and this homemade version is way better than the boxed alternative.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
What a flavor-packed dish. My son couldn’t get enough. I think this is his favorite dish that I’ve made for him yet.