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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
Do you think it would freeze well? This sounds amazing but I’m a household of one and don’t want to eat this for days.
Hey Lora,
Sure, I think that would be totally fine to do. You can also adjust the serving size on the size and the ingredients will manually adjust for you. I hope this helps! xTieghan
This was very easy to make! It was a true comfort food dinner! Much better than the box stuff!
Hey Christine,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
Yummy but think a tad bit of sour cream or (gasp) cream of mushroom soup would up the flavor a bit (calories too I know)
Hey Katie,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
I’m not sure how, but my sauce to pasta ratio was so low that it just would not cook the pasta. Has this happened to anyone else? I ended up with hard pasta because I couldn’t cook it any longer, the liquid was just gone by the end.
Hey Sara,
Sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What kind of noodles did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I used medium shells and made no adjustments ??♀️ Followed it to a T
This happened to me too – the pasta soaked up all the liquid quickly. I think for me maybe the heat was too high.
Next time I would recommend using a smaller shell:)
I had the same issue! I added more broth and milk to help it cook. I used shellbows.
Hey Kim,
Sorry to hear this, maybe your heat was too high? xTieghan
I made a few adjustments and it was SO yummy! Based on the comments, I added an additional 3/4 C. beef broth and upped the seasonings by 1/2 tsp. each. I also covered the skillet and cooked it a bit longer because my pasta was a bit bigger (chiocciole). After the pasta was cooked al dente, I removed the cover and added the cheese and cooked until the sauce was thick. Great alternative to the boxed stuff!
Hey Deb,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
I had the same issue! I noticed this before it had cooked for too long so just added a bunch of extra milk and strained it before serving. Still tasted alright. Used shells and nothing else adjusted.
Sara,
I had the same problem. I kept adding more broth and more milk and cooked it way longer than the recipe said. I used regular small macaroni. I wanted to love it, but didn’t really. I did like the idea of the grated zucchini though!
I subbed sour cream for 1/2 of the milk and it was YUMMY!! Reminded me of the stroganoff flavor Hamburger Helper growing up 🙂
Hey Mandi,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
Made this tonight! It was awesome. My two year old and four year old loved it which is a big deal!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
This was so fantastic, but would have been even better if I hadn’t used “smoked” paprika by accident! I’ll make it again soon & will double check the paprika label. Haha.
Hey there,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
This was delicious! I made it the other night, and we all loved it. I will definitely make this again. I did not have beef broth, so I used chicken broth. I also used part 2% milk and part fat-free half-and-half because I did not have whole milk. It was wonderfully creamy. Next time, I am going to try either chicken or turkey burger. It will be just as good, I am sure.
Hey Laura,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
This is delicious, but I made a bunch of swaps because of dietary restrictions. I thought I would comment in case anyone else needs to make some of the changes I made—- it worked! We used GF Barilka brand noodles, beyond beef ground hamburger, Daiya shredded cheese, and veggie broth. It’s so good!
It was a hit with my 3 boys.i used beyond beef “meat” and it tasted ever but as good as I remember.
Hey Jen,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
Hey Lucy,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
Home Run lol. My 13 yr old son had 3 servings ?
Hey Denise,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
This is so good! Tastes like the O.G., but it really is SO much better! We easily doubled the zucchini and onion, and added chopped spinach at the end… lots of sneaky veggies, and the flavor was still on point! Thanks for this one!
Hey Megan,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
My husband talks about how much he always wants to have hamburger helper and I have always been like eh not in the box though.
This is great! We loved every bit of it and it’s so quick and easy!
Hey Cassidi,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
Hi. olive oil is listed in the ingredients but it is not included in the instructions.
Probably to brown the onion and meat
Hey Jenna,
You can add in step 1 to brown the meat and onions. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you put uncooked or cooked pasta in? I can’t seem to tell. Really want to make this.
Uncooked, step 3 says cook until al dente.
I’m sure the pasta is added uncooked because she mentions to cook the pasta until al dente. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hey there,
The pasta is uncooked. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made for a quick dinner after a football game and fed all the kids.. left out the zucchini because I didn’t feel like shredding it, so increased the beef stock by about a half a cup. Everyone loved it! A keeper for sure especially with fall here and school/sports happening! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Missy,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan