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Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper. Swapping the boxed stuff out and making everyone’s childhood dinner completely homemade, and healthier too. Plus so much tastier! Think of this hamburger helper as the tastier, creamier version of what you’d eat as a kid. It’s made with ground beef, seasonings, pasta, and a little shredded zucchini too (for added veggies). Comfort food at its best, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite.
I didn’t grow up eating hamburger helper, neither did my brothers. But for whatever reason, this has been a recipe I wanted to try and recreate for a while now. Ever since my older brother mentioned the idea to me a year or so ago it’s been on my “to make” list.
Not going to lie, it’s obviously not my usual kind of recipe, as I tend to sway towards recipes with a bit more color. But something about recreating this in a healthier, tastier, way really excited me.
So while it may have taken me over a year to finally test this out and share, the day is here. And I’m excited because this really is that perfect early fall, September dinner.
The idea
So as I said, my brother had mentioned creating a recipe for homemade (not boxed) hamburger helper. He said that if I could make it like the boxed stuff, but with a creamier texture, and a little more depth of flavor, that it would be, “SO GOOD”.
I wasn’t excited at first, but then I started to think about the upgrades I could make. I wondered, “could I make it healthier, but still creamy? Could we add a little flavor, but still keep it classic? And could I make it all in one pot just like the box?”.
All of the challenges started to excite me, so I figured if I could get each one checked off, then I would have a great recipe!
This is a one pot dinner, so the details are simple
First of all, find yourself a nice big pot or braiser to cook this in. I love this one and think it’s the perfect size for this recipe.
Now, starting cooking! Simply add the beef and onion to your pot and brown it all over, add in some spices, and then the pasta. And next? The ingredient that adds a little health to the recipe…a bit of shredded zucchini.
I love adding shredded zucchini to pasta dishes like this. Not only does the zucchini incorporate a vegetable into the recipe, but it also adds moisture and creates an even creamier sauce.
Finish it up
Once the pasta and zucchini are both added, pour over the broth and milk. Add a squeeze of ketchup (sounds weird, but trust me), then cook everything together until that pasta is al dente.
It’s important to stir the pasta frequently to ensure that nothing is sticking. But other than that, everything is EASY.
The final step is to stir in a handful of cheddar cheese. Serve up the hamburger helper topped with fresh parsley (it needs a little color!) and enjoy!
As I always like to say – homemade is best!
Excited to have this recipe in my back pocket for cozy fall and winter dinners to come. And Creighton’s verdict? He loved every bite. He said, “how could someone not love this? It’s basically mac and cheese with meat…and it’s delicious”.
So there ya go! He doesn’t lie.
What is a good substitute the hamburger?
You can use ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
Can you make this gluten-free?
Yes, you can use gluten-free pasta.
Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 675 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 zucchini, grated (about 1 cup grated)
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk (use what you drink)
- 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot set over medium hight heat, add the olive oil, onion and beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, cook another minute.2. Add the pasta and zucchini and toss to coat, then pour in the broth and milk. Add the ketchup and stir to combine. Season with salt. 3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Simmer 5-8 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often. 4. Stir in the cheese and cook another few minutes until very creamy. 5. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on September 9, 2021
Just wanted to say that I made this dish and it was fantastic!!! I did add a little extra seasonings and used 1 cup half and half and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk based on what I had on hand. It was outstanding! Next time I might use less pasta as the noodles really did soak up any sauce on day 2. I used large pasta shells. Will def be making this again!
Hey Lisa,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! Have the best weekend? xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was great! I did throw my lid on for a bit because my liquid didn’t cover some of my pasta. We added some sriracha at serving and it was yummy! We have never had hamburger helper and actually ground beef is my least used meat but it turned out pretty good in my opinion!
Hey Kelly,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I have made many of your recipes over the past couple of years and I am always amazed at how flavorful they are. I often pass them along to friends and family so they can make them as well. I have not had a dud until this recipe. It just wasn’t a repeater for us. Just not as flavorful as most of your recipes. I just thought I would let you know. Thank you for all you do. I will continue following you and trying out your recipes.
Hey Karen,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this today for my hubby for dinner. He requested Hamburger Helper because he used to eat it as a kid. I’ve never had it.. so I said no, let me try and make it from scratch!
WOW He loves it!
I used egg noodles in place of typical pasta and I followed the advice from the comments and simmered it with the lid on and it turned out fantastic!
Thanks for another great recipe Tieghan <3
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This was delicious! I used yellow squash and fusili pasta. I would recommend to aggressively season with salt and pepper as you do each layer of the recipe. I will definitely make this again!
Hey Mia,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Absolutely yummyly scomptiously delicious
We all loved it. From 60 years old to 22 months old.
Definitely will do it again.
Thanks again.
I am in love with any onepot idea.
Hey Christina,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Made this last weekend. I was taking care of 6 year old grandson, who is a picky eater. Although he does eat salmon both raw and cooked. He wasn’t sure he’d eat it so we discussed it and made a back up plan. I don’t force kids to eat food they don’t like. They do have to take a bite. He took a bite and told me I could put the Annie’s Mac N Cheese away because it was good and he’d eat it. Husband was leary because his Mom fed him boxed Hamburger Helper and he thought it was awful!!! He was a convert too. Loved the one pot feature. I’ll make this again.
Hey Maria,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Delicious, you’ve never disappointed since I started following you in April 2020, I your recipes are on our table 4-5 times a week!
Thank stouts so much for keeping be sane during the pandemic ?❤️
Hey Margaret,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
My family of all boys loved this recipe! I am definitely adding this to our rotation. After reading the reviews I did simmer with the lid on. I also subbed a 1/2 cup of the broth for red wine (we really like that flavor) and only used about 3/4 cup cheese because that’s all I had.
Thanks for the recipe again!
Hey Jade,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
Made tonight! Kids kept saying “I’m not going to like this” (12 year old and 8 year old)
They LOVED!! Didn’t change anything except I browned the beef with onions and 6 garlic cloves. Also added a bit more of all the seasoning. Will for sure be making this again!!!!!!
Hey Connie,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
I’m not sure what went wrong with mine. I followed the recipe exactly but it turned out mushy/not saucy and fairly bland? I used rotini noodles because that’s all Aldi had as far as short pasta, but I’m thinking they may have sucked up too much of the sauce. I think next time I’ll double the seasonings too because it just didn’t have enough flavor for me 🙁
Hey Kelli,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry it was not enjoyed. Next time, make sure all of your dairy products are room temp to avoid any lumps. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I ran it through an app for the purpose of seeing how many calories, and your “estimate” is incredibly low, almost like it needs to be low. I thought maybe the ground beef I’d use wasn’t “lean” enough, so I just eliminated it altogether, and still your “estimate” is more than 10% lower than what I believe the actual number of calories to be. And with the beef, I’ll just say it’s more like 650 calories per serving.
Just curious how you went about getting that number, because this is a frequent problem unfortunately, coming to sites with obvious misrepresentations.
Still going to try it, because it looks delicious.
Hey Stevie,
We use an online calculator system that calculates the ingredients. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Same – EatThisMuch said it’s about double for 1 serving
So Yammy I really love your recipe
Thanks so much!!
I made this the other night, and it came out fantastic. I added a little chipotle chili flakes which made it just perfect.
Hey Megan,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
We have been using a few of your recipes lately and this was definitely a favorite. I made this one at home. My husband loved it so much he made it at work. He is a chef for the Coast Guard and they loved it also. 🙂
Hey Megan,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan