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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Just made this for dinner. It was fast and easy and the family loved it. Its very delicious. Thank you!
So much better than the boxed hamburger helper.
I used Turkey chop meat and it came out great. Very tasty.
Bomb I did everything besides I used sharp cheddar cheese and added extra herbs and Few chopped I onions cooked in the ground meat which I seasoned while cooking it
Excellent
This came out amazing! I agree it tastes just like Hamburger Helper but better.
I used salad shells and some did not cook fully. I think I needed to stir it more often. Elbows seem like a safer choice though.
this recipe 100% deserves a 5 star rating!!!
I made this exactly as is. I was worried it was too brothy but everyone loved it. After I turned off the stove and let it sit awhile the pasta absorbed some of the broth.
Thank you for this recipe. My family loved it too. I used fusilli and extra old balderson cheddar cheese. Oh and kefir instead of sour cream because that’s what we had. Cheers! Keep up the good work. Evey
I have made this many times and is delicious! The only change I made is reduce the beef broth amount. I pour over until the noodles are just covered. Sometimes I add in American cheese slices as it gives it an extra creamy texture. Thank you for the awesome recepie!
Solid recipe! Whole family enjoyed it. Only sub I made was reduced salt beef broth and a bit of micro-planed Parmesan.
Definitely making this again.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your recipe. My son is autistic and for some reason hates hamburger helper out of the box. I made this the other night and he ate three big bowls. He absolutely loves it. Thank you so much.
awwww.... this makes me happy!
I have made this for my family over & over again. It's my 5 yr old's favorite & there are never any leftovers. I follow the recipe, but sometimes I sub out whatever pasta or cheese we happen to have on hand. Easy, fast, one pot meal!
I loved hamburger helper when I was a little kid and this tastes exactly like it only better. I've made it a couple times exactly as written and it's a winner.
I love your instant pot spaghetti. I wondered if you have tried this recipe in the Instant Pot? If not, can you give an idea of how much water you would use? 8 minutes like for the spaghetti? Thanks.
I've made at least 5 quick recipes for cheeseburger mac. This is by far the best and easiest! Mom and kids LOVE. This is the go-to, without question.
My 2 yr old was having a melt-down and I convinced her to help me stir in the cheese. Both her and my 5 year old loved it. I added some chopped cherry tomatoes with the noodles. I'd cook the noodles a little less next time, they cook a bit longer in the sauce. Other than that, quick & great.
All of my kids ate this up, including my husband. Perfect combination and reminded me of my childhood hamburger helper days. So quick and easy to make! Thank you for this recipe!
I really like that this was just as quick as a “Hamburger Helper” box with the accompanying chemical packet. The seasoning ratios were spot on for this recipe. Everything went together easily and the recipe was very straightforward. The kids devoured it! (If you want to add vegetables to it, it was super easy to incorporate a mixed vegetable steam bag without any other adjustments)
This is my teenage son’s favorite meal! I make it all the time! Super easy and tasty!
This recipe is wonderful. My boyfriend does not like the box brand at all, so he was skeptical about trying this recipe. Now I make this at least twice a month. Instead of shredded cheese, I used cut velveeta into cubes and added it. Just amazing
We make this at least once a month. Delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
What if you don't have sour cream?
I am wondering the same? Would yogurt work?
I use full fat Greek yogurt and it works perfectly.
Good overall… added freshly chopped spinach to make it a truly complete meal! Just a bit on the salty side and I even omitted the seasoned salt. I would make it again but hold off on the salt until the end and then salt to taste. The broth should have enough to carry the meal.
This is a win every time for my 4 year old! He loves it! I add frozen mixed veggies! Delicious!