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.
I like to make this with ground turkey- a bit cheaper and with all the spices you can’t tell the difference at all!
This meal is a STAPLE in my house. We keep the ingredients on hand at all times. Delicious comfort food during the chilly fall and winter months especially!
I love it, Megan!! Thanks for the great review!
Doctor has advised husband to avoid gluten so I’ve been looking for homemade hamburger helper to replace the boxed version we usually have. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll try it soon.
Hi! I am making the hamburger helper tonight and am worried that the GF elbows won’t cook enough in the hot water and milk- please just assure me that you have made it with GF and it works great. Or should I partially cook the elbows before putting them in????
Hi Jennifer! I use Barilla GF pasta and the cooking times are the same as their regular pasta, so it hasn’t been a problem. If the pasta you’re using requires more time than regular pasta, I think parboiling them first might be a good call!
I made it tonight and what a hit!!! I used the same pasta and it was perfect!! Thanks for the recipe. You have helped my New Year’s Resolution to try a new recipe each week this year and we are Celiac so always looking to try new things. Thank you!
Thank you for the great recipe! My hubby and nine year old son loved it!!!āŗ
Hi! I’ve made this several times and my family loves it. You mentioned in your veggie ragu post chopping up mushrooms and adding to ground beef. I wanted to try that with this recipe. Do you saute the chopped up mushrooms with the raw ground beef? Cook them separately and then combine? What would you recommend? Thanks!!
Yep I would cook them the same as the ragu – together in the same skillet vs in separate skillets. Great idea to lighten this dish up!
This is a favorite! My husband grew up eating hamburger helper and he thought that’s what it was when he tried it! We all love it and it comes together so quickly. Thank you!
Success! Thanks for the feedback!
Thank you SO MUCH!! I just made this (added some carrots, used evaporated milk – didn’t have any regular, added kale at the end), and I can’t WAIT for my beloved to try it. He lived on Hamburger Helper for several years, and I am excited to recreate a comfort food with so much less sodium and preservatives, and still tastes yummy and decadent (at least to me). Cheers!!
I just have to add that I made for my daughter tonight and we both loved it. It has such good flavor with such simple ingredients! You are making me a better cook, Kristin! Thank you!!
So glad to hear, Nancy – thanks for the wonderful feedback!
I made okra chip by accident and they were so good I ate them all before dinner started. I sliced then I half, shook them up in a baggie with oil, S&P roasted in oven at 400. So good.
Ooo – sounds awesome! I’ve always wanted to roast okra. Think I’ll give this a try! :)
I should add put cut side down on pan and tips curl up perfectly to grab and eat the whole pan in 2.2 seconds.
Started making this a few weeks ago, and I just wanted to let you know how much we all love it! It is officially in the weeknight dinner rotation. Thank you!
I stumbled upon this recipe last night while searching for something that was quick and easy to make and that would satisfy my pregnancy cravings. This was so good!
While I did make a couple substitutions (cream for milk, and broth for water), I would totally make this recipe as-is… if it weren’t for my craving for fat,salty foods and protein! ;)
Great recipe! This one is going in the regular rotation from now on!
I love your recipes. One thing I haven’t gotten the hang of is when you add flour and milk to get a nice thick sauce or in this case you put in cornstarch. This recipe had a great taste, but this and other recipes I’ve tried in general are a little runny. I’m guessing it’s user error. Got any tips? Thanks!
Hi Janet! One thing I can think off right off the bat is that cornstarch loses its thickening power if its boiled at too high of a temperature so keeping the heat at a gentle simmer will help the sauce reach a thick consistency. If you find it’s still not thickening up you can scoop out a bit of the liquid, stir in a teaspoon or two of cornstarch then add that back in to help thicken it up. I hope this helps!