Hamburger Helper

Enjoy the best homemade Hamburger Helper with tender pasta, seasoned beef, and creamy cheese sauce. This easy one-pan dinner is ready in 50 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword macaroni recipes, one pot meals, One Pot Pasta

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 1007kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

For the Beef

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

Seasonings

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Beef
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pasta

3 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus more if needed
2 cups whole milk
12 ounces elbow macaroni

Cheese

2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Finish

2 tablespoons butter
chopped fresh parsley optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the beef: Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (2 pounds) and cook, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, until it's no longer pink and nicely browned, about 8–10 minutes. If there's an excessive amount of grease, carefully spoon off enough to leave about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Cook the onion: Add the diced onion (1) and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic (4 cloves) and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Build the flavor: Stir in the tomato paste (3 tablespoons) and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly. Add the Worcestershire sauce (1 1/2 tablespoon), soy sauce (1 teaspoon), Better Than Bouillon (2 teaspoon), smoked paprika (2 teaspoons), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), onion powder (1 teaspoon), dry mustard (1 teaspoon), fine salt (1 teaspoon), and black pepper (1 teaspoon). Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Add the liquids: Pour in the beef broth (3 cups) and whole milk (2 cups), scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Cook the pasta: Stir in the elbow macaroni (12 ounces). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and maintain a gentle simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the pasta begins to look dry before it's fully cooked, stir in a splash of beef broth as needed.
Finish the sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat. Gradually stir in the shredded cheddar (2 cups) and Monterey Jack cheeses (2 cups), allowing each addition to melt completely before adding more.
Stir in the butter (2 tablespoons) until melted, then add the whole milk and stir until the sauce is smooth, creamy, and silky.
Let the Hamburger Helper rest for 2–3 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken slightly and cling to the pasta.
Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve hot.

Notes

Freshly shred the cheese. It melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese for the creamiest, silkiest sauce.
Keep the heat low while the pasta cooks. A gentle simmer helps the pasta cook evenly without evaporating too much of the liquid.
Take the skillet off the heat before adding the cheese. This simple step helps prevent the cheese sauce from becoming grainy.
Adjust the consistency if needed. If the sauce thickens more than you’d like, stir in a splash of beef broth or milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Let it rest before serving. Just a few minutes of resting allows the sauce to thicken slightly so it clings perfectly to the pasta.

Nutrition