One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper is just like the classic favorite Cheeseburger Macaroni that we all know and love! This homemade version is made in one pot, rich and cheesy and tastes so much better than the boxed version!
Even as an adult I get cravings for those childhood favorites like hamburger helper. My favorite hamburger helper growing up was cheeseburger macaroni. It’s such a classic flavor combination! Now that I’m grown up I may have the craving, but, the boxed version just doesn’t suit my taste anymore.
I love a good one pot recipe too. One pot meals like my Homemade Hamburger Helper and this One Pot Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Rice are just as easy to make (if not easier) than any boxed meal. They are super budget friendly and made with ingredients we usually have in our pantry. Plus, they have a really great flavor without packaged powdered products so we know what we are getting!
How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper:
To make this cheeseburger macaroni hamburger helper there is no reason to dirty more than one dish! Start with a large skillet and brown your ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Then, drain ALL of the grease from the skillet. I also like to wipe my skillet out with a paper towel for this recipe, although that is completely optional.
Next, you will turn your stove heat down to low and stir all of your seasonings into your meat. This recipe has been tested and tried many times and the seasoning combo provides just the right amount of flavor without the dish being too salty. Don’t worry about the hot sauce, it doesn’t make the dish spicy, it just adds a nice kick of flavor!
The next step is to add your macaroni and beef broth. I recommend using low-sodium broth if possible. You can also use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or simply water for this recipe if necessary.
Give everything a really good stir to make sure the ketchup, mustard, and seasonings are all well mixed in. Use the back of your wooden spoon if you need to make sure the macaroni is submerged under the broth.
Then, you will simply cover your dish with a tight-fitting lid and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes until your macaroni is soft. I recommend lifting the lid and stirring once or twice during the process.
You will notice that there is absolutely no milk in this recipe. During recipe testing, I found the flavor much better leaving the milk out. The addition of sour cream at the end gives a great creaminess and zing of flavor!
Once your macaroni is completely cooked you will remove your pan from the heat. Then, stir in the sour cream until it is well incorporated. Then, you can place your pan back on the warm burner and add in the shredded cheese mixing until well combined.
I recommend using freshly shredded cheddar right off the block if possible. It melts so much better than the bagged pre-shredded stuff!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce Optional
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups Macaroni
- 3 1/2 Cups Broth or Water
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and return meat to the pan.
- Reduce heat to low and add the ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, seasonings, macaroni and broth to the pan and stir well to combine.
- Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until macaroni is cooked through.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in the sour cream.
- Return the pan to the warm burner and stir in the shredded cheese until well combined.
Video
Notes
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I made this with gluten free noodles used 1.5 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Used bone broth and 1/2 & 1/2 instead of sour cream and it was delicious.
I tried this last night and it was delicious! The only change I made was by using heaping teaspoons of the spices and using only the seasoned salt. I’ll definitely be making this again, thank you! This is the first hamburger helper-type of recipe I have made from the internet that actually turned out just fine! Thanks again! ☺
Can I double this recipe
The recipe is amazing, we love it a make it often now. We use less sour cream however, because I found it overpowered the dish at 1/2 cup. I also add Montreal Steak Spice and Paprika (teaspoon of steak spice and 1/2 teaspoon of Paprika), to complement the beef and it’s nicer than the original recipe. Bravo though, this beats boxed by MILES!
Can the leftovers be frozen in individual servings?
I don’t see why not 🙂
This is my second time making this recipe and I love how easy it is!!! I did substitute the ground beef for ground Turkey and I used whole wheat noodles also. But I had to add more pepper to my taste. I will be making this again.
This dish is so good! The boys request it all the time. We make it with ground chicken rather than beef because of dietary preference but either way it’s delicious!
Can this be frozen?
Yes – I do it every time.
AHHHH MAZING!!!!! Such a great one pot pantry meal. I already had everything on hand for a quick last minute Sunday meal. I used ground turkey, yellow mustard instead of Dijon, skipped the hot sauce and replaced with a Tbsp of paprika and added some dried parsley. Over the top deliciousness. Making it again this week and doubling so I can freeze (will skip the sour cream and cheese and add when I reheat)
Thanks again Nichole!
Try adding a can of cream of chicken soup and add 1 cup broth or water.
I love this dish so much. It turns out great if you follow the recipe, but now that I’ve made it a few times I like to make a couple additions. A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce! Sometimes we add broccoli too and that’s no magic ingredient, but it doesn’t take away from the dish either.
I just made this. It tastes just like H.H cheeseburger macaroni, only so much better. I didn’t have Dijon mustard so I left it out. Followed recipe to a T. Thank you for a tasty recipe.
Hello, will this taste okay without sour cream?
It should taste fine. You could use plain Greek yogurt too if you wanted as a substitute 🙂
Could u just use table cream?? Instead of sour cream
I just made this and it’s amazing! I used ground chicken and beef broth and it still Tates amazing. Probably better with beef but I wanted to make it lighter. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice now, first time exactly as written (except with ground pork cause we don’t eat beef) and it was 5 stars. Second I tailered to my family’s tastes (half meat, half beans, whole wheat noodles and added 1.5 cups grated cauliflower. 5 stars again. Great recipe.
I don’t have Dijon mustard. Anything I can use to substitute??
You can just leave it out, will still taste great! 🙂
Random google search to use up leftover grilled hamburgers brought me here and so glaf it fid! This is s a great recioe!
Loved it but was soupy. Any suggestions?
Hi! If it was “soupy” you need to make sure that it is really simmering. It shouldn’t be at a full rolling boil, but it should definitely be bubbling to reduce the liquid down. Hope that helps 🙂