Homemade Cheeseburger Helper is the healthier, homemade version of boxed Hamburger Helper. Creamy, cheesy, quick and easy!
Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl who moved to Minneapolis after college to whoop it up for a few years before settling down into adulthood – or whatever it is they call being a middle-twenties-something.
The boy and the girl were dating, but lived in separate places. The girl liked to have the boy over for dinner as often as possible because she liked him a lot, and also because she knew what the boy would eat each night if left to his own devices.
See, the boy had a weakness for boxed dinners that called for a pound of hamburger to “help” them along.
The meals were quick, cheap, and easy to prepare, but loaded with salt and weird ingredients.
“Disodium guanylate?” The girl once asked the boy, after looking at the ingredient list.
“I think that just means ‘extra delicious’.” The boy replied.
The boy and the girl ended up getting married and moving back to Iowa a few years later and, while they’ve been eating well ever since, he occasionally likes to think of the boxed dinners from his bachelor days and drool a little.
More in love with the boy than ever, the girl offered to whip up a homemade version of his favorite “flavor” – Cheeseburger Macaroni.
Watch How to Make It
The boy LOVED IT, and guess what? The girl did too!
Ok – the jig is up. The boy is my husband, and the girl is me. ;) This entire story is true, including the part where my husband inhales his bowl of Homemade Cheeseburger Helper anytime I make it!
Not only is this meal inexpensive, but it’s made in one pot with fridge and pantry staples. It’s SUCH a winner – you’ve just got to try it!
How to Make this Recipe
Start by browning ground beef in a large skillet with high sides and a lid over medium-high heat. Drain the beef if necessary then return it to the skillet.
Sprinkle in seasonings including paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, plus a dash of cornstarch, then stir to coat the beef.
Add hot water from the tap, plus milk, and dry elbow macaroni noodles then stir to combine and bring the liquid to a simmer – NOT a boil.
Place a lid on top of the skillet then turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and gently simmer until the pasta is al dente, ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat then add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.
Eat your heart out, box mix!
This meal is the ultimate in comfort food, shockingly easy to prepare, and so darn good. I hope you love every single bite. Enjoy!
More Simple Dinner Winners
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
- Cheesy Cicken Burrito Skillet
- Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
- One Pot Gnocchi Chicken Pot Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk, any kind
- 1-1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni, or other small pasta
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Heat a large skillet with high sides and a lid over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef then brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the beef if necessary then return it to the skillet.
- To the skillet add the cornstarch, seasonings, hot water, milk, and pasta then stir to combine and bring the liquid to a simmer – NOT a boil. Place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium/medium-low, then gently simmer until the pasta is al dente, 8-10 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
- Turn off the heat then add the cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Let the dish cool for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I have tried a few different recipes I found on Pinterest for “homemade Hamburger helper” Yours is so far the BEST! Only thing I did differently was used a 3/4 cup of heavy cream in place of 1 cup of milk (yea I know it’s not quite as healthy as skim but hubby loves the creaminess in the helper) Anyways it was delicious. Thanks for sharing it! Now being “pinned” to my tried it board!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My fiance loooooves hamburger helper, but I’ve been reluctant to make it any longer because I think powdered cheese is a disgusting idea. He asked me to make some tonight, and I decided to embark on re-creating it from scratch. Your recipe saved me, and it was so delicious! No more boxes for us :)
Mmmmm. Made this for dinner tonight and I loved it! More importantly – my one year old twins loved it! Mmmm.
(Also made the kale chips…. I thought they were OK. Babies put one leaf in their mouths and spit it right out. Go figure. They also don’t eat green beans, peas, broccoli or any other form of green vegetables, though.)
Thank you! I realized yesterday I had all the ingredients for this on hand. Everyone loved it, especially the kids. The 2 year old didn’t throw a single bit, which is the highest compliment she can give.
This was pretty spot on! My family loved it.
Just saw this & was so excited, because re-creating those “helpers” was exactly how I started my real food journey! I recreated every helper & rice packet there was before I felt comfortable with real food cooking from scratch!
I know what we’re having for supper tonight!
Made this last night and my junk food loving hubby loved it. Thanks so much for helping me find a better alternative to the nasty Hamburger Helper he loves so much!
Do you use cow’s milk for this recipe? The only milk we regularly have on hand is unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I wonder if that would throw off the flavor?
I did use cow’s milk (we keep it on hand for Ben.) I’m not sure if the vanilla in the almond milk might throw the flavor off a bit, although it does have a teaspoon of sugar in the recipe, so maybe just omit that?
Great idea to omit the sugar! I guess I should consider myself lucky that my husband prefers almond milk over cow’s. Thanks again :)
do you think whole wheat penne would work too?? i’m a nut when it comes to my whole wheat pasta, and also it would save me a trip to the store!
For sure!
Thanks for posting this! I made it for dinner and it was awesome. I used to love this type of Hamburger helper but it got to the point where I couldn’t eat it because it was so processed it would make me sick. I love that I now have a go to recipe I can use. Thanks again!
Um hello gorgeous. I think I may win “wife of the year” award tonight when I make this. Thanks for sharing the recipe, can’t wait to try it!!
We had this for dinner Monday night and it WAS awesome! Never the boxed stuff again!
I just made this tonight and it was awesome! Hubz loved Hamburger Helper as a child. I won’t touch the stuff as an adult, but this recipe allowed us to meet in the middle. Thanks for posting it! I was hoping to try the kale chips too, but our grocery was out of them. We had a spinach salad on the side instead. Love your blog!