Homemade Cheeseburger Helper is the healthier, homemade version of boxed Hamburger Helper. Creamy, cheesy, 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 apartments. The girl liked to have the boy over for dinner as often as she could because she liked the boy a lot, but also because she knew what the boy would eat every night if left to his own devices.
See, while the girl liked to cook meals full of fresh veggies and protein (for the most part,) 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 painless 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.
And the boy LOVED IT. And guess what? The girl did too!
Ok. The jig is up. The boy is my husband Ben, and the girl is me. ;) The entire story is true, including the part where my husband inhales his bowl of Cheeseburger Macaroni anytime I make it.
Not only is this meal inexpensive, but it’s made in one pot with fridge and pantry staples.
SUCH a winning recipe — you’ve got to give it a try!
Start by browning 1lb ground beef then drain and return it to the skillet.
Next, sprinkle in a rainbow of seasonings and thickeners, including paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch.
Add water and skim milk then stir to combine.
Lastly add any short cut pasta. I usually use elbow macaroni. The pasta you see here is mini penne. They both work great!
Stir everything together, place a lid on top of the pot, then simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finally, stir in sharp cheddar cheese until smooth and creamy. That’s it!
This meal is the ultimate in comfort food, shockingly easy to prepare, and so darn good. Enjoy!
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 shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat then drain and return to the skillet. Add cornstarch, seasonings, hot water, milk, and pasta then stir to combine and bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium then place a lid on top and simmer until the pasta is al dente, stirring a few times.
- Turn off the heat then add the cheddar cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Let the dish stand for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
thank you for the recipe! The children ate it! Great one pot super easy dinner.
I pinned this a while ago and just tried it. We loved it! I haven’t had HH in over a decade but hubby thought it tasted spot on! Thank you for coming up with a healthier recipe for one of his childhood faves where every ingredient is able to be pronounced! And it was ready in the 20 minutes as promised.
These recipes are definite keepers. We try not to eat any processed foods and the kids missed having hamburger helper.. until now. It came out perfect. They even had me try making a batch with Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese and they loved it too. I never had Kale chips before either. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to check out the rest of your recipes :) :)
I love this recipe! It’s super easy and delicious. I cook it all the time. Thanks for sharing this.
I made the “cheeseburger helper” the other night and I must day, it was delicious. I made it with macaroni noodles. I brought some into work and shared and my co-workers agreed. Thanks for the good recipe. This is a new favorite go to meal for my house.
We tried this tonight, and it is spot on! My husband LOVED it and proclaimed it is the closest homemade hamburger helper he’s ever had. And that’s saying a lot. He pretty much lived on hamburger helper in his bachelor years. :)
I have made this twice. LOVE it! Thank you so much for putting a recipe out there that I can make knowing I’m not eating total crap. Like most 80s and 90s kids, my fiancĆ© and I grew up eating Hamburger Helper. Besides not wanting to eat all that nasty stuff that they add to it, I cannot have MSG without consequences. My fiancĆ© loves this…says it’s way heartier. To add a little more flavor I like to add bbq sauce at the end and let it simmer until it’s thick. We love that.
Wow! I just found this recipe via Pinterest and boy am I happy about it! This looks like the real deal! We love hamburger helper on occasion but it pains me to buy the boxes each time when (1) hello, chemicals and (2) I know I can make it healthier! I can’t wait to cook up your version this week! Thanks so much!! :)
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it. Even 3 picky little girls gobbled it up.
It really taste just like hamburger helper, which I ate way too much of through my early 20s. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thanks!! Just found this blagh and I love it!! I will be trying the homemade Chicken fried rice tonight
I made this tonight and wanted to post this review for future readers. Make this! It is a great alternative to the boxed version in the store. You can’t tell the difference and this recipe has 4 ingredients (not including water and spices) verses 30 from the box. What’s better? It took me under 30 min to make!
Just made this and added some chopped spinach to it – delicious! Thanks so much for an easy, yummy dinner my kiddos will eat!
I want to make this tonight but only have rigatoni…is that type of pasta too big for this recipe? Thanks so much for all of the great recipes! Love your granola bars.
That should be fine! :)