Homemade Hamburger Helper

Ingredients (~6-8 servings)

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped (~1 cup)
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 4 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Brown the Beef and Onions

Add the beef and onions to a soup pot and cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned – this takes ~7-10 minutes.

Break the meat up with your spoon as you go along.

If there’s a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.

Add the Tomato Paste and Spices

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.

The tomato paste will clump at first but will distribute as it heats up.

Add Broth and Pasta

Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high.

Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.

Simmer Until Pasta is Tender

Reduce the heat so it’s not furiously boiling – a rapid simmer is good. I cook mine over medium heat.

Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed – this takes ~13-15 minutes.

Stir it every couple of minutes to prevent sticking.

While it’s cooking, grate the cheese if you haven’t already.

Finish with Cheese

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

Season with salt & pepper as needed.

I let it sit for a couple minutes before serving – it soaks up the sauce and flavors more, but you can serve it right away.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

This is way better than the boxed stuff and costs about half as much. Takes ~30 minutes and uses ingredients I always have on hand.

prep time:10 minutes mins

cook time:25 minutes mins

total time:35 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Ingredients (~6-8 servings)

• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 medium onion ~1 cup, chopped
• ▢ 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 3/4 tsp chili powder
• ▢ 4 1/2 cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• ▢ 3 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Brown ground beef and chopped onion in a soup pot over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
• Stir in tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder until distributed.
• Add beef broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 13-15 minutes until pasta is tender and most liquid is absorbed, stirring every few minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in grated cheddar cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Let sit 2 minutes before serving for best texture, or serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you liked it below!