Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ditch the boxed mix with this easy and healthier homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni! Can be made whole wheat, gluten-free or with regular pasta.
I never had Hamburger Helper growing up. I didn’t even really know what it was until a college roommate introduced me to it. I protested, scoffed at her, and told her that there was no way I would like it. But I did. I mean, it tastes so junky. How could I not love something so junky?! It’s awful, I know.
Needless to say, Hamburger Helper doesn’t exist in Germany (although there are tons of prepackaged meals here), but even if it did, I wouldn’t be buying it as the ingredient list is just too scary. This version is so easy and doesn’t contain any of the scary ingredients!
I haven’t had Hamburger Helper in years, but this is how I remember it. Creamy, cheesy, carby goodness.
All you do is brown the meat, add pasta, milk, and some seasonings. It’s that easy. And you can use whole wheat, gluten-free, or regular pasta. Whatever you want. I’ve used all kinds and they all work just as well. The only thing is that you’ll need to adjust the simmering time to the exact type of noodles you use.
Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds (565 grams) ground beef
- 3 cups (710 ml) milk
- 1 3/4 cups elbow macaroni if you're gluten-free, use GF macaroni
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons paprika hot or sweet (regular)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons onion powder
- up to 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup (141 grams) sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the meat until almost browned. A little pink is okay as it’ll be simmering for a while later on. If there’s a lot of liquid, feel free to drain it (though not necessary).
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, except for the cheddar cheese, and stir until well combined. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally (the exact time depends on the shape of the pasta). If using whole wheat, you may need to add a little more water or milk to the pan if you see that it's sucking up too much liquid.
- Stir in the cheese until well mixed in. If you like the consistency, serve immediately. If you want it to be a little thicker, remove the pan from the heat and wait about 5 minutes.
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
I haven't had hamburger helper since college. I used to love it though! I so want to make this – I think my guys would love it too!
I haven't had hamburger helper in years but I'm tempted to make this now. It looks wonderful!
Erin this looks DIVINE!!!! Comfort food at its finest :)
OMG I need some of this. I love that you said junky! We used to make Hamburger and Tuna helper alllll the time when I was in middle school. Ahh the memories – I would watch Swans Crossing and All My Children with my friend and we'd make this. Funny huh?
Swans Crossing! I loved that show. Forgot all about it :)
Erin- making the Cheeseburger Macaroni right now, I’ll report back how the family liked it. We stopped using Hamburger Helper about one year ago. Everyone loved the box stuff, but we are trying to eat cleaner.
I just made this for dinner and our family loved it :)
Thank you for sharing
Yay! I'm happy that they liked it. Thanks for the feedback. :)
I love whole wheat pasta. And I used to love hamburger helper as a kid (bad I know), but I love that this is just as easy! I am craving it now for lunch :D
I have never been attracted to this stuff :-) that comes on a can or container. I have seen the commercials about it before, and never knew what the heck it was because we don't have it in Spain. However, now that you have made this from scratch I could actually give this a go :-)
This looks great! I bet my kiddos would love it!
wow… Erin.. grew up eating this stuff.. but now I don't eat beef anymore. What a great version of Hamburger Helper. :)
Thanks for bringing me back my college days Erin! I never had this growing up because my mom always did homemade meals (now I know why), but in college I bought it a lot because I was lazy or something…
i love these kind of dinner meals for my hubby & kiddos…they always go over so well…meat & pasta how could it not. thanks for the homemade version…i've done away with almost all boxed meals :-)
My husband ate this all the time as a kid, and is always requesting it, but I hate the thought of all the preservatives in the boxed mix. Adding this to our meal plan next week for sure…thank you!
Yummy! This looks so delicious Erin… just the kind of kiddo-style comfort food I've been craving lately. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Erin! Nice to see savory food on your blog. I am sure it's delicious! It looks so yummy! You have given me an idea to complete my week's dinner menu! Hugs!
Oooh, it's Flavia! Hey. :D I'm happy this post provided you with some menu planning inspiration! And someone likes seeing savory food over here – YAY! Thank you. :)
This looks like some wonderful comfort food!
And that's exactly why I made it! I was looking for some comfort. And I found it.
I adore this, Erin! I grew up on hamburger helper but never buy it now. I love the idea of a homemade version!
Yeah, you can make the homemade version without shame! Not exactly gourmet, but still yummy. :)
I haven't tried a homemade hamburger helper recipe, but I want too! Looks good!
I hope you can give it a try! It's just as good as the boxed stuff. :)
Great looking hamburger helper!! I love the whole wheat pasta in this.
Thanks! You really can't tell the difference between the whole wheat and normal version. It's too cheesy. :D
I have never had Hamburger Helper, neither in Germany (haha) or Canada although I've seen it around. However, your pasta looks and sounds delicious.
I basically grew up on German pre-mixed spaghetti sauce seasoning (Knorr I think is most popular). It has molded my taste buds so much that I have never had any spaghetti sauce since that I liked any better (not even in Italy ;)
Have you tried it yet? I am curious how 'American taste buds' perceive it :)
Whaaat?! Pre-mixed spaghetti sauce?! I didn't know that this was a thing. I know about the carbonara ones and they sound okay, but spaghetti sauce?! See. This is me when I first had to try Hamburger Helper. "What?! What?! You want me to eat *that*?!" But really, how does it have texture? It's powder! If I work up the courage to buy it one day, I'll let you know what I think. :)
i have yet to find a hamburger helper copycat recipe that we love, Erin. I use ground turkey when I try to make something similar to this and I was just thinking about making it again this week. I think you read my mind – this version looks and sounds spectacular. Oh and so easy too. I always try to complicate things in the kitchen. Slow down Sally! :)
Oh! You know what, I have no idea what's going on in your kitchen other than loads of cookies and muffins. It would be so fun to see a savory Sally week or something! Although I realize people are there for the sweets. Anyway, I'd be interested! And yes, slow down, you! No need to make it fussy. :)