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
- ½ Teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 ½ Cups Macaroni
- 3 ½ Cups Broth or Water
- ½ 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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Used impossible ground “beef”. This was easy and delicious!
omg I'm so happy I refound this recipe!! I made it months and months ago and it was DELICIOUS. sadly i forgot to save this exact recipe. I did try making several other cheeseburger macs and always let down with the flavor. not one had as full a flavor as this one. Today I googled and stumbled upon it again!! when I saw the ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce I knew it was the GOOD ONE. currently eating and smiling, thank you. I subbed cream cheese for sour cream because we were out but holy cow was it delicious.
This is the 2nd go round with this recipe.
Definitely a good low budget recipe and DELICIOUS
I’m going to use your recipe tonight. I’m hoping my picky granddaughter will eat dinner instead of junk food
I searched through comments but couldn't see a reply, can you double or triple this? I wonder what the liquid amount would be
Literally just multiply the measurements by 2 or 3. Make sure your pan is big enough.
I substituted water/broth with spicy V-8 juice.
This is definitely a keeper recipe
Thank you
I've made this recipe many times and experimented with the seasonings. Always fantastic. Just note that it takes 8-10 minutes to cook the ground beef so the recipe really takes about 40 minutes.
I like adding sautéed onions and mushrooms with a little Worcestishire sauce.
So cheesy and good! My 5 (relatively picky) eaters all devoured it!
I did the recipe as called for except I had egg noodles and cream cheese instead of pasta and cheddar. It was so yummy! Big hit with the fam.
Heather how much egg noodles did you use. I would prefer them over the elbows.
I love this recipe. I makes it 2-3 times a month. Only difference is I use 2 1/2 cups of broth.
Beef broth or chicken?
I use beef .
This was hands down my favorite homemade version! Thank you ☺️
Very good and easy recipe! Every time I crave hamburger helper I always come back to this recipe.
Freaking amazing!!!!
This was amazing. My finiky daughter loved it. Making my second batch now.
It's a staple in my house. Change it up a little due to my daughter's milk allergy. Double the recipe, split it in half, and put sour cream and cheese in 1/2 and leave it out on her 1/2. Freeze leftovers. Works out nice. Good flavor either way.
So fast and simple and absolutely delicious!!! MUCH better than the box!!! Is now a favorite for me!!