This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details.
This hamburger helper is the perfect meal that the whole family can enjoy. Made with ground beef, veggies, and pantry staples, it is oh so hearty, comforting, and guaranteed to be on your table in 30 minutes or less!
What is hamburger helper?
It’s basically elbow macaroni cooked in tomato meat sauce. What’s confusing is that there are so many names for this classic combination – Beefaroni, American goulash, cheeseburger macaroni, chili mac, hamburger helper…
Regardless of what you want to call it, one thing is for certain. It is a dish that will give you a hug with each bite.
And I can understand why it’s a childhood favorite for so many. It certainly takes me back to my childhood when I first moved to the States from Korea. My mom bought a can of Chef Boyardee, and my sister and I couldn’t eat it fast enough.
This homemade hamburger helper recipe is an upgraded version that tastes so much better than the canned stuff. Much much better!
And it doesn’t take much effort. Just dump, stir, and simmer! Simply perfect for those busy weeknights, just like all of these easy family meals!
I’ve been making this hearty meal for my kids ever since they were 8 months or so, and it continues to be one of our favorite comfort foods!
And it’s a slam dunk meal that, I have a feeling, will hold a special place in their hearts. They literally ask for it at least twice a month.
All this to say, make this ASAP!
Want to switch things up? Try making a hamburger bowl! It’s a fun, customizable twist on the classic meal that everyone in the family will love. Or go the cozy route with a veggie mac and cheese made with sweet potato and cauliflower—just as comforting, but with a healthy veggie boost built right in.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef: I recommend using 85-90% lean beef for best flavor. We personally love and trust ButcherBox’s commitment to delivering high-quality grass-fed, grass-finished beef straight to our door. You can certainly use ground turkey or chicken. If you want to make this vegetarian, I suggest adding a 15 ounce can of no-salt-added beans along with the vegetables.
- Mushrooms: white or crimini will work best.
- Green bell peppers: feel free to use whatever vegetable(s) you have on hand. Zucchini, carrots, peas, broccoli...
- Beef broth – You can use chicken broth BUT I highly recommend using beef broth for this as it imparts bolder, more savory flavor.
- Elbow macaroni: I have a very strong opinion that this childhood classic is best with this type of pasta. It just soaks up all the flavors so well. Other alternatives I suggest are rotini or fusili.
- Cheese: it deserves its own section!
What Type of Cheese and How Much?
Let’s talk about cheese for a minute because it is a very important ingredient in this dish. It makes the dish melty, gooey, and rich, and because there’s no added salt in this baby-friendly recipe, it will add a nice sharp, salty bite for the rest of the family.
For years, our go-to cheese has been Cabot Creamery. There are sooo many varieties to choose from and each one has such distinct and delightful flavor and texture. And their cheddar cheese is 100% lactose-free.
I also love and admire this company for their structure. Cabot is a co-operative owned by farm families in New England and New York with 100% of their profits going back to the farmers. What an incredible community!
I’ve tried this recipe with both Rustic Pizza and Mac and Cheese, and I can’t say that I have a favorite. They’re all so scrumptious in their own distinct way.
Step By Step Instructions
- In a large pot, brown ground beef and drain off any excess fat.
- Add veggies and flavorings. If you have a picky eater, try adding some of the vegetables that they’re learning to enjoy. I have a feeling when it’s combined with this beefy cheesy sauce (and pasta!), they just might give them some love!
- Stir in the liquids and the macaroni and bring the pot to a boil. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the brown bits to dissolve into the sauce. That’s flavor!
- After simmering for 10-12 minutes, stir in the cheese.
- Dig in!
Serving Suggestions
Honestly, a big bowl of beefaroni is all you need for a well-balanced meal. That’s how we roll, but if you want to include an easy side, here are some suggestions:
- Roasted frozen broccoli
- Carrots
- Frozen green beans
- Frozen brussels sprouts
- Sweet potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Healthy cornbread
- Cheesy garlic bread
- Simple side salad
For babies
Pasta is such a wonderful vehicle for getting lots of essential nutrients into your baby. For younger babies who haven’t quite developed their pincer grasp yet, I suggest using larger pasta shapes like fusili or penne to make it easier for them to grab and bring to mouth.
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
Learn all the secrets to starting solids safely while optimizing nutrition!
If the youngest member of your family is a baby, I would set aside a portion for them (they CAN have a little bit of cheese so you can add some if you wish, just not too much). Here is more information about sodium for babies.
Add as much cheese as you want for the rest of the family. I’ve found that 2 cups seems to be the sweet spot.
Storage Suggestions
Fridge: transfer leftover beefaroni to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freezer: I recommend not adding the cheese if you know you’re going to freeze all or some (e.g. add cheese to 1/2 of the dish). Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Will keep for up to 3 months.
Here’s everything you need to know to safely store leftovers!
More one pot meals
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini or white button mushrooms)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded Cabot cheddar cheese (adjust amount to your liking)
Instructions
- Brown beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the vegetables. Give it a good stir. Add in tomato paste and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes or so until everything gets well incorporated. Stir frequently.
- Stir in the broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, making sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Once it comes to a boil, add the pasta, cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer. Cook 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally. At this point, set aside a portion for baby.
- Stir in cheese. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Notes
- The nutrition facts for sodium doesn’t include cheese.
- If you would like to make this creamier, replace 1 cup of broth with milk of your choice.
- Ground beef: you can certainly use chicken or turkey. If you want to make this vegetarian, I suggest adding a 15 ounce can of no-salt-added beans along with the vegetables.
- Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
We have made this a few times and love it! We used to use a different recipe for homemade hamburger helper but when we started having babies, we looked for a recipe that was a bit more nutrient dense and a bit less salty and found your recipe. We love it! Just as good as our old fave and we can feel good about serving it to our kids at any age. I especially like the addition of mushrooms. We all fight over the leftovers!
Aww love hearing this! Thanks for sharing, Hope!
Can this recipe use regular cheddar or jack cheese?
Any cheese that melts well will work!
sooooo good!!!! absolutely love for the whole family. used fusilli vs elbow bc that’s what i had and also used a steamed bag of frozen vegetables, chopped them up fine and threw in as the vegetables.
Love love frozen veggies!
Made this for my boyfriend and I, is usually don’t write reviews for recipes but this was AMAZING. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. Thank you!!
Hi Maci! I’m so glad you’re here! So happy to hear that you guys enjoyed this recipe and thank you for taking the time to share ;).
Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe was delicious! I’ve made several other recipes from this site but this is by far my favorite. It’s definitely comfort food but it is certainly elevated (and healthy) hamburger helper. The seasoning is fantastic and it makes a ton! You can you could literally get 12 servings out of this, especially if you serve it with a side salad. It served my husband and I twice (2 double helpings each) and 2 meals for our twin toddlers.
We don’t do lactose so I added 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast instead of cheese, the 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of almond milk to make it creamy-ish. I did have to add almost 2 additional cups of broth because at the end of 12 minutes my pasta was not fully cooked but, in defense of the recipe, I’m using a new range and still getting used to it.
Otherwise, I added 3 different types of peppers to equal the same suggested amount and a bit of chopped kale. I can’t wait to add this to our rotation. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
It’s most def one of our favs and love having all the leftovers too! I will def need to try with milk next time. Thanks for the idea!
How many ounces for the tomato sauce? Thank you!
8 ounces!
This was a big hit! I used ground Turkey instead of ground beef, another bell pepper 🫑 and diced tomatoes 🍅 cause I didn’t have tomato sauce- a little liquids but still delicious and lentil pasta.
My 19 month old son ate everything! Husband liked it and I was surprised how delicious and flavorful this is.
So glad to hear! Thanks for sharing!
I made the mistake of pre-cooking the pasta as I didn’t realize it called for dry pasta (uncooked). Any way the recipe can state this for newbies like me that come across the recipe? Thank you! We’ll see how it turns out.
i came to the blog for the porridge recipe and ended up making the hamburger helper! I’ll make the porridge too but this recipe was a hit! Thank you for sharing your hard work Min!
This is one of our favs too!! So happy this was a hit with your family as well 😉
This has been a favourite in our home since my son was one. I just have to say, great recipe!!
So glad!!
This is a family staple! Even husband approved. We eat this at least 2 times a month, its the perfect comfort food.
Us too! And so easy to whip up, right?