Instant Pot (+Stovetop) Homemade Hamburger Helper

4/12/18

This Healthier Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper is a delicious one-pot spin off on one of your favourite childhood meals, and it's loaded with extra veggies for a well-rounded dinner idea! Make it in the pressure cooker or the stovetop, there are instructions listed for both methods!

Oh hey there!

I've just classed up your favourite childhood dinner to make it healthier and more wholesome – I mean, why not end the week with a one pot meal and a little bit of wine, right????

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I've just updated this delicious homemade hamburger helper recipe with new photos AND you can now make it in the Instant Pot – just dump in all your ingredients, set it and forget it. How could dinner get any better?!

Whether you try it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is loaded with extra veggies and you can even sub in some ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef if you're looking to make this cheeseburger casserole extra lean. I decided to try the homemade cheeseburger hamburger helper but I do have a similar Hamburger Helper-style recipe in the form of beef stroganoff up on the blog in case you like the other version better.

As a kid, my mom never ever let us have Hamburger Helper. I feel like it's something that I always missed out on as a kid; all my friends would have it every once in a while and I'd see it everywhere but my mom was maybe just TOO good of a mom and always made us homemade meals. Screw her and her refusal to let us eat processed crap hahaha.

As I've gotten older I've realized that Hamburger Helper and all those other boxed meals are probably the type of thing you serve your kids when you've just given up for the day and are too tired to function, not necessarily a treat you should look forward to.

But I've got a real penchant for junk food.

Honestly, I used to look forward to eating TV dinners and ramen noodles as a kid.

My mom insisted on homemade and healthy for literally every single meal (except for the odd time she took us to McDonald's when my dad went away on a business trip, or the couple times she made us Kraft Dinner…) so I always felt like the odd one out among my friends. I had to wait for a visit to my grandma's in order to get my fill of crap food (mostly because my grandma couldn't cook LOL).

Like, even as a healthy food blogger these days, my guilty pleasure is processed food.

I kid you not, I once ate a whole box of Kraft Dinner (the Canadian version of Mac n Cheese) by myself for lunch on Christmas Day because it was my cheat day and I wanted to finally give in to my cravings. I don't know where my love of trashed up boxed food comes from, but all I know is that I'm here for it.

Just like I'm here for this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper.

Healthierrrrrrrrr being the operative term.

Like, I really can't promise you that you will lose weight or reach your personal fitness goals with this recipe, but I can tell you that you can feel less guilty about indulging in your guilty pleasures if you make this.

You don't have to worry about all the preservatives that come along with boxed foods like this, and you can still spend a lot less time in the kitchen, making less of a mess at that, because this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is a one-pot recipe. Also, like I love doing with just about everything, I highly recommend you add in ALL the veggies in your fridge. Seriously.

I think my vegetable addiction is actually handy in that it often combats my cravings for processed food. I end up spending way too much time in the produce section of the grocery store so it keeps me out of the aisles where all the delicious carb-heavy packages of pre-made foods are calling my name.

Here are some great ideas for healthy add-ins to this deliciously mouth-watering cheeseburger casserole:

• Carrots
• Spinach/kale
• Mushrooms
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
•  Zucchini
• Red cabbage

Just dump your whole vegetable crisper up in here okay? Any excuse to make this healthier…

I made a slightly (okay, much) unhealthier version of this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper in the form of a Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger Casserole a few years ago if you're looking for a different twist on this one-pot meal. Obviously that one's another one of my faves but it's not exactly something I eat on a regular basis anymore. Darn millennials and their health goals, right?

Since moving home I've actually been really focusing on myself in pretty much every way possible. I'm really taking this whole career woman, mid-20s, now-is-the-time-to-be-selfish thing to the next level and I have to say, I feel like I'm really thriving in a way that I never was before.

I'm going to the gym everyday for an hour or two (more for mental health purposes but the exercise don't hurt the appearance if you know what I mean?), I'm working non-stop on this site that used to be a mere hobby of mine, and I'm also really focusing on my overall personal growth.

I mean, hello, look how this blog has morphed from me writing about all the ways I was stuffing my face to now aligning my creations more to what I'm regularly eating, like healthier foods and meal prep ideas. It's funny how priorities change over time ehh?

I know, all this philosophizing over Homemade Hamburger Helper.

Go ahead, I give you permission to go ahead and make this giant pot of deliciousness. Just be prepared to share it or basically eat it the whole week as leftovers because it makes a TON of food.

You're welcome!!!

Will you be making this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper? 

I absolutely love remaking my favourite childhood classics, even if I didn't end up trying actual Hamburger Helper until I was  20 years old. OMG. What was I missing out on?!

If you try any of my recipes be sure to let me know on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or in the comments – I’d love to see what you come up with!?

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!

Print Recipe

Healthier Hamburger Helper Yum

This Healthier Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper is a delicious one-pot spin off on one of your favourite childhood meals, and it's loaded with extra veggies for a well-rounded dinner idea! Make it in the pressure cooker or the stovetop, there are instructions listed for both methods!

Votes: 20
Rating: 4.1
You:

Rate this recipe!

Course

Casserole

Cuisine

Comfort Food

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef or ground chicken
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 796mL can Diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb (about 4.5 cups) dry rotini pasta
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Course Casserole Cuisine Comfort Food Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 lb extra-lean ground beef or ground chicken 2 small yellow onions, diced 2 cloves garlic minced 2 carrots, diced 3 celery stalks, diced 2 cups beef or chicken broth 1 796mL can Diced tomatoes 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 1 lb (about 4.5 cups) dry rotini pasta 1 red pepper, diced 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Votes: 20 Rating: 4.1 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Stovetop directions: In a large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add ground beef or chicken, onions and garlic, and cook until browned, about 4-5 min. Add in carrots, celery and red pepper, sauteeing for another 2-3 min. Add broth and tomatoes, along with basil, oregano and salt. Add dry pasta and cover with a lid, cooking on medium heat and stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until pasta is completely cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Top with parsley (optional) and serve!
2. Instant Pot: 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. 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 red pepper, cheese and parsley. Let sit for 3-5 minutes for red pepper to steam, then serve and enjoy!