Next Post
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
Can you sub anything for ketchup?
Tomato paste! Or just omit it completely 🙂 xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Perfect autumn comfort food! The portions were very generous and I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunches this week.
I skipped the oil, used extra lean beef and doubled the zucchini.
Will absolutely be making this again and recommending to all my friends.
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
AMAZING. Not sure about the comments saying it’s “greasy”. Maybe check your fat content in your meat you used? This was perfect using 96% lean ground beef. Super rich and perfect texture. Not too watery not too thick. Wonder how it would taste with a low sodium cream of mushroom soup can mixed in as well?
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Trying this tonight and will report later on! I have a feeling I’ll be adding more liquid than the recipe says to get it to look like yours.
Hi Jodie! I really appreciate you taking the time to give this recipe a try! I hope you loved it 🙂 xTieghan
Followed the exact recipe and it was so greasy! I don’t understand why you would add olive oil to cook burger in. Not much flavor, but I love your recipes otherwise.
Hey Ashley, I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, and I appreciate the feedback. So sorry again xTieghan
One hundred times better than what you get in the box. Everyone in my family enjoyed it!
Hi there! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I hope you enjoyed it! Happy Weekend 🙂 xTieghan
Perfect easy weeknight meal that everyone liked! I will definitely keep this on rotation this fall/winter!
Hi Megan! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
This is the EASIEST dish and is soo DELICIOUS! Works for the picker eaters in the family too!
Hi Elayna! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Made this last night and loved it! It wasn’t as liquidy as the picture shows, but that was probably from me just cooking it a little longer. But we didn’t mind! This was probably one of the easiest things to make especially since it can be done all in one pot!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
Like other reviewers, I had to add way more liquid to cover the noodles. But even so it ended up cooking off so it wasn’t too liquify at the end. I think I’d add more zucchini next time since it gives off a lot of moisture when cooking. Overall my family really enjoyed it!
Hi there! Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! 🙂 xTieghan
I made this TRUFFLED with a pinch of dried Black Trumpets too, truffle oil and grass fed ground round. I substituted the yellow onion with Shallot and added a splash of white wine. This would be amazing with ground venison. ?? so good! Perfect, quick, Fall Soccer season, weeknight meal!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week 🙂 xTieghan
Oh man, this is going into heavy rotation, as it’s so delicious and customizable. If you’re an experienced cook and comfortable using a recipe as a template, sky’s the limit. I need lots of veggies to qualify a go-to one pot meal, and so far, I’ve bumped up to almost 2 servings pp by quadrupling zukes, lots of diced shrooms and fennel, extra onion and fresh garlic. All virtually disappear, plus it stretches the portions for very little calories, and pretty too. Shredded carrot, parsnip, and yellow squash may join the club next. Freezing batches of meat mixture makes it easy breezy. Will continue to push veggies to see how high I can go, but even with the additions, still totally reminiscent of HH. Thanks Tiegen!
Agh, as someone whose name is never spelled correctly, sorry Tieghan!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I hope you loved it! Have a great week 🙂 xTieghan
This is a family favorite, all 6 of us!
Hey there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week! xTieghan
What do you mean by “short cut” pasta?
small pasta, not long like ziti
Made this for dinner a few weeks ago, and it was a total hit! I love the fact that you added the shredded zucchini, can’t even taste it, but love the fact that there are veggies in there. I would personally increase the quantity of all of the spices, because I like bigger flavors, but that’s a personal choice. Will def be making this again! 🙂