This Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is a delicious one-pot spin off on your favourite childhood meal – it's got extra veggies, too!
How to make homemade hamburger helper
Stovetop directions
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add ground beef or chicken, onions and garlic, and cook until browned.
- Once browned, add in carrots, celery and red pepper, then continue to saute ingredients.
- Add broth and tomatoes, along with basil, oregano and salt. Then add dry pasta and cover with a lid, occasionally stirring until pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in cheese and remove from heat.
- Top with parsley (optional) and serve!
Instant Pot directions
- Add olive oil and ground beef to bottom of Instant Pot and break up meat with a slotted spoon.
- Add in remaining ingredients in order that they are listed above (except for red pepper, cheese and parsley) adding in pasta last.
- Pressure cook for 3 minutes.
- Carefully open lid after releasing pressure and then stir in red pepper, cheese and parsley.
- Let sit for 3-5 minutes for red pepper to steam.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any neutral oil will work in place of olive oil. Neutral oils can be grapeseed oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Extra-lean ground beef – ground turkey or ground chicken can also be used in this recipe.
- Yellow onion – red onion, sweet onion or shallots can substitute yellow onion.
- Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic in this recipe.
- Celery – use any vegetables of choice (like red or orange bell peppers, zucchini and carrots) for this recipe.
- Red pepper – use any bell pepper of your choice or substitute with a poblano pepper for additional heat; you can also leave it out, I just add it to sneak extra veggies in there!
- Beef broth – chicken or vegetable broth can also be used
- Diced tomatoes – freshly diced tomatoes can be used as a substitution
- Dried basil – use dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Dried oregano – use dried thyme or Italian seasoning.
- Rotini pasta – any short pasta (like penne, scoobi doo, macaroni, etc.) can be used in this recipe as a substitute for rotini.
- Sour cream – Greek yogurt will work instead; or you can add 2 tbsp of heavy cream
- Cheddar cheese – use any shredded cheese blend of your choice.
- Parsley – use any fresh herbs you'd like. Basil would be another great garnish
Why is hamburger helper so bad for you?
Boxed Hamburger Helper is filled with preservatives and really has no nutritional benefits whatsoever. You buy buy a box with dried seasoning and pasta, add ground beef and call it a day.
Don't get me wrong, indulging a craving for it every once in a while is perfectly fine but personally, I feel like you can make a homemade version with the same amount of effort, and it'll not only be way healthier but it will actually taste better.
Here's where this recipe comes in!
How do you make good Hamburger Helper?
This Hamburger Helper recipe is filled with real meat, cheese and even sneaks a couple veggies in there so this is a hearty, wholesome and nutritious version of the boxed meal.
Here's how we make this hamburger helper better for you:
- Using extra-lean ground beef – even better if you use ground chicken or turkey
- Adding celery, red pepper and parsley – veggies will round out the meal to make it healthier. You could also add in some carrots and spinach to make it even more nutritious
- Using real cheese instead of the powdered stuff – you'll add more protein and won't be adding any preservatives
- BONUS – use whole wheat pasta to add even more nutrients and fibre
Storing and reheating
For leftover hamburger helper, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once stored, it will last in the fridge for up to five days, making it a great meal prep recipe.
To reheat, take a portion from the fridge and sprinkle some water overtop, then microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Freezing this recipe
To freeze the leftover hamburger helper, divide the leftover food into individual-sized or family-sized portions. Separate it into portions to make for easier reheating. Place the portion into airtight freezer-safe containers or in freezer bags. Once in the freezer, the hamburger helper will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
When ready to reheat, place the frozen hamburger helper into the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Reheat the hamburger helper in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a large saucepan, stirring often.
If you forgot to thaw the serving or are looking for a last minute dinner, reheat from frozen for 6-8 minutes in the microwave. Be sure to sprinkle some water overtop to avoid drying out the pasta. Make sure to pause the microwave at the halfway mark to stir.
Want to Learn How to Meal Prep? Join Dinner Prep Pro!
Our meal planning service removes the guesswork and helps you get dinner on the table in 15-20 minutes each night thanks to our prep ahead checklists. It takes just one hour of ingredient prep on a Sunday!
More one pot recipes
Meal prep tools
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - This is the pasta I use for the Instant Pot version.
- Grab some Glass meal prep bowls for your leftovers.
- And of course I get all my grass-fed beef from Butcher Box!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Homemade Hamburger Helper {One Pot}
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!
Comments & Reviews
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 🙂