This Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is a delicious one-pot spin off on your favourite childhood meal – it’s got extra veggies, too!
I love taking a classic childhood fave and giving it a healthy twist. This healthier homemade hamburger helper hits all the comfort-food vibes we grew up loving.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Childhood favourite, made healthier: All the nostalgia of classic hamburger helper with extra veggies packed in.
- One-pot convenience: Everything cooks together in a single pan for easy prep and cleanup
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – Any neutral oil like avocado or canola.
- Extra-lean ground beef – ground turkey or chicken work too.
- Yellow onion – red onion, sweet onion or shallots.
- Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic in a pinch.
- Celery – swap for bell peppers, zucchini, or carrots.
- Red pepper – Any bell pepper or poblano for some heat. I just add it to sneak extra veggies in there!
- Beef broth – chicken or vegetable broth.
- Diced tomatoes – freshly diced tomatoes.
- Dried basil – use dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Dried oregano – use dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Rotini pasta – any short pasta like penne or macaroni.
- Sour cream – Greek yogurt or add a bit of heavy cream.
- Cheddar cheese – use any shredded cheese of your choice.
- Parsley – basil would be another great garnish.
How to make homemade hamburger helper
Step 1: Sauté the base.
Add onions and garlic and sauté, then add the ground beef.
Step 2: Cook the beef and veg.
Cook until ground beef is browned then add celery, red pepper and seasoning.
Step 3: Add liquids and pasta.
Add broth, diced tomatoes, stir then add dry pasta. Bring to a boil and cook until pasta is done and liquid is absorbed.
Step 4: Finish with sour cream and cheese.
Stir in the sour cream and shredded cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Make This Meal Even Healthier
This homemade Hamburger Helper is packed with real meat, cheese, and a few sneaky veggies, making it a hearty and wholesome twist on the classic boxed version. Here’s how to make it even more nutritious:
- Use extra-lean ground meat – Swap in ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- Add more veggies – Celery, red pepper, zucchini, carrots, spinach, boost nutrients and fibre.
- Choose real cheese – Provides protein without the preservatives found in boxed powder mixes.
- Go whole grain – Swap regular pasta for whole wheat or other high-fibre pasta.
- Use fresh herbs – Finishing with fresh herbs like parsley and basil add so much flavour.
Frequently asked questions
How healthy is hamburger helper?
Store-bought Hamburger Helper is convenient, but it’s full of preservatives and not much else nutritionally. This homemade version takes just as little effort, has extra veggies, and is way better for you. Plus, it tastes even better in my opinion!
How do I prevent the pasta from getting mushy?
Keep an eye on it as it cooks and stop once the pasta is tender so you don’t overdo it. I also recommend cooking it without the lid on, since covering the pot traps steam and adds extra liquid, which can make the pasta too soft.
How do I make this dairy free?
I haven’t tested this recipe with dairy-free swaps yet, but you could use a plain dairy-free yogurt in place of the sour cream and a plant-based shredded cheese instead of cheddar. It should still come out creamy and tasty!
Storing and reheating
Storing: This recipe is great for meal prep! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Sprinkle a little water over the portion and microwave for 2–3 minutes, or reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing: Divide into individual or family-sized portions and store in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Defrosting and reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat as usual, or reheat from frozen for 6–8 minutes, stirring halfway and adding a splash of water to prevent drying out.
More easy one pot recipes
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- Glass meal prep bowls for storing leftovers
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef or ground chicken
- 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 796mL can Finely diced tomatoes if you can't find finely diced, use an immersion blender to roughly blend them for a second or twice – you still want some chunks but you want it to be in between a dice and puree
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 lb dry rotini pasta (4 cups of dry pasta)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Stovetop instructions
- In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic, sauteeing for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook until browned, another 2 min. Add celery and red pepper, sauteeing for another 2-3 min.
- Add dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper, sauteeing another 30 seconds before adding broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine, then add dry pasta and bring to a boil, cooking on medium heat and stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until pasta is completely cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in sour cream and cheese, then remove from heat. Top with parsley (optional), then serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot instructions
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot and turn to saute mode. When oil is hot, add onions, garlic and ground beef, breaking up with a spoon and sauteeing for 4-5 minutes until browned.
- Add in remaining ingredients in order that they are listed except for sour cream, cheese and parsley, adding in pasta last.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to preheat then cook the 3 minutes). Do a quick release of the pressure, then stir in sour cream and cheese, garnishing with parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Jenny says
I was so excited to make this. Anything that I can make quickly that doesn’t come stock full of preservatives is high key in my book. However, I’m not sure why it came out more than a soup. As soon as I put the 6 cups of bone broth in, I felt like it was WAY too much. I kept checking the recipe to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I’m just confused…
Taylor Stinson says
There’s definitely meant to be a bit of extra liquid to make it saucy but the pasta should soak up the majority of it and then the cheese makes it creamy and saucy. Did you use a different type of pasta or less pasta than instructed? Did the pasta cook all the way through in the broth? Sometimes a bit of extra cooking time helps the pasta soak up more liquid. Another issue could be that you cooked the pasta ahead, it’s supposed to be added in dry and then cooked in the broth.
Tara says
This Homemade Hamburger Helper is the best ever! So simple in the InstantPot, even quicker with the prep steps!
I accidentally made too much which seemed soupy, but in the end, the leftovers were even more fantastic!😋 Kid-friendly & comforting!
Nyah says
I made this today and it was fantastic! Tastes just like boxed hamburger helper but better!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂