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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This was great I added sautéed mushrooms and a bit extra spice .
This is the BEST homemade hamburger helper recipe I've ever made! I make it often. the only thing I do differently is I only add 1 cup of cheese, not 2. we love cheese, but 2 cups just seemed like too much for hubby and I. I have made this several times and just love it! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. It's my "go to recipe" when I want a tasty, quick homemade meal.
This was great and so easy! I followed the recipe as closely as I could with what I had. I used 1/3 of the amount of meat called for to lighten it up a bit and added in a ton of finely chopped mushrooms, carrots and zucchini for bulk to replace the meat. Reduced the cheese and sour cream by 1/2 and it was perfect for our taste. First time making this and a one pan meal where you cook the pasta in the pan and I can’t wait to make it again!!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Total hit made as is except has yellow must, not dijion. Kids loved and ate the whole entire pot! And they said I should have doubled it. Plus such easy cleanup-bonus! I too cannot bring myself to serve my family the chemical box mix when there are outstanding easy recipes like this one that uses everyday pantry staples. Thank you!
easy and delicious!
Made this tonight! Soooo gooood!!! I’ve been craving hamburger helper and haven’t had it since I was a kid. I used ketchup, franks hot sauce, ground mustard, taco seasoning, no sour cream (didn’t have any) 1 cup of cheese (sharp cheddar, white cheddar, Parmesan mixed) some butter, and flour to thicken. It was delicious !!! Will definitely make again.
Delicious!! So warm and comforting! I make it just like the recipes called to buy don’t add any extra salt and ground turkey instead of ground beef. Everyone loves it.
We make this recipe all the time and love it! Very tasty and simple! I usually follow the recipe but was out of sour cream so I used cream cheese instead and it was still delicious!
Is this a good “make ahead” dish? Thanks!
*Easy to make.
*Clean up in a flash.
*Family loves it.
*Perfect every time!
Thanks Nichole!
This came out really good! I used pre shredded cheese and it worked because I rinsed the cheese first. That helped remove all the anti caking ingredients. Rinsing it off allowed the cheese to melt and mix perfectly.
I wanted something different to do with hamburger. I came across your recipe and it's awesome! I didn't have a couple of the ingredients and used what I had, no matter it is delicious. I will make it for my family often.
What is seasoned salt?
Seasoned salt is salt blended with herbs and other seasoning. I use Tony Chacherie’s as the seasoned salt and it’s great!
Whole family loves this meal😁 even the picky eaters
Used regular mustard, didn’t have the other, and laughing cow cheese wedges instead of sour cream- didn’t have that or Greek
Yogurt. It was AMAZING! So easy and fast!
Making this tonight. The recipe calls for water or broth...I assume beef broth? Thanks!
Hi there!! You can use beef or chicken broth. I prefer to use chicken broth in mine..it makes it taste better.
I agree chicken broth gives it better taste I also use Velveta cheese