Homemade Hamburger Helper
Directions
- 1Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Remove cooked ground beef from pan and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease in the pan.
- 2Lower the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- 3Add the flour and stir to cook for about 1 minute, slowly stir in the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- 4Pour in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and pasta, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. If your noodles are not cooked through and you're running out of liquid, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth as needed.
- 5Add in the cream and cheese and stir until all the cheese melted. Add back in ground beef, cook for 2 to 3 minutes more to re-heat ground beef and serve immediately!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz small pasta shells
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 0 salt and pepper
Equipment
large sauté pan with a lid
Tips
- Use lean ground beef, but any ground meat will work. If you use a fattier cut, drain any excess grease.
- This recipe also works well with elbow macaroni noodles.
- Heavy cream will give you the creamiest results, however you can use half and half or even evaporated milk.
- For best results, I recommend using freshly shredded cheese versus the bagged pre-shredded cheese.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce for mild heat, or cayenne pepper for a good punch of heat.
- Sneak in some extra nutrition by adding finely chopped carrots, spinach, or peas to the dish.
- Many readers have commented that you can stir in a 1/2 cup of sour cream at the end, right before serving, for an even creamier sauce!
- Use a large deep sided pot (like a Dutch oven) to double, or even triple, this hamburger helper recipe.
- Use your favorite gluten free pasta and swap the flour for cornstarch.
- If your noodles are not cooked through and you’re running out of liquid, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth as needed
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