Ground Beef
$1.50per plate
Prep
10 min
Ground Beef · Hamburger Helper
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Homemade hamburger helper is the from-scratch answer to the boxed classic, and it is barely any more work: brown a pound of beef, then simmer elbow macaroni right in the pan with milk, broth, and seasonings before melting in real cheddar. No powder packet, no mystery ingredients, just a creamy cheeseburger-macaroni skillet the whole family knows. It is a one-pan dinner that feeds six for about a dollar sixty-seven a plate, for about the price of the box but with real cheese instead of a powder packet. It joins our other cheap ground beef recipes; for a tomatoey cousin try our American goulash, or the creamy ground beef stroganoff.
$1.67per plate
Estimated recipe total
$10.00 · serves 6
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
6
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/homemade-hamburger-helper
Equipment
- Large skillet
Variations
- Use ground turkey instead of beef; brown it to no pink and drain any fat.
- Swap in shells, rotini, or any small pasta shape for the elbow macaroni.
- Use American or a cheddar-jack blend instead of cheddar for an extra-smooth melt.
- Stir in a spoon of yellow mustard and top with chopped dill pickles and diced tomato for a cheeseburger deluxe.
1 How to make it
1
Brown the beef and onion
Cook the ground beef with the diced onion in a large skillet over medium-high, breaking the beef into crumbles, until it is browned with no pink left, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat so the sauce does not turn greasy.
2
Build the cheeseburger base
Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for about a minute. Toasting the tomato paste and spices in the hot fat is what gives the sauce its deep, cheeseburger flavor, the part the boxed powder packet only imitates.
3
Simmer the pasta right in the pan
Add the dry macaroni, beef broth, and milk, and stir. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks, until the pasta is just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes. Check it a minute or two early and pull it while it still has a little bite: the pasta keeps softening in the hot sauce, so slightly underdone now is perfect and keeps it from going mushy.
4
Melt in the cheese off the heat
Take the skillet off the heat and let it stop bubbling for a moment, then stir in the shredded cheddar a handful at a time until melted and creamy. Adding the cheese off the heat is what keeps the sauce smooth; boiling cheddar is what makes it break and turn grainy or oily.
5
Loosen and serve
The sauce thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash more milk or broth if you like it saucier. Taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper, then serve hot.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey for the beef. A leaner, often cheaper pan. Brown it to no pink and drain any fat, then continue the same way.
- Any short pasta. Elbow macaroni is classic, but shells, rotini, or any small shape work. Match the cook time on the box and pull it while it is just tender.
- Any melting cheese. Sharp or mild cheddar is classic; a handful of American or a cheddar-jack blend melts extra smooth. Shred it from a block if you can, since pre-shredded has anti-caking starch that can make the sauce slightly grainy.
- Make it a cheeseburger deluxe (optional). Stir in a spoon of yellow mustard, and top with chopped dill pickles and diced tomato to lean into the cheeseburger flavor. All optional.
3 Budget tips
- A box of hamburger helper plus a pound of beef costs about the same as this whole from-scratch pan, and the homemade version tastes better and skips the additives.
- One pound of beef and a half box of pasta stretch into six hearty servings once the cheese sauce goes in.
- Shred cheese from a block when it is on sale; it is cheaper than pre-shredded and melts smoother.
- Beef broth and milk you likely already have turn pantry pasta into a creamy skillet for pennies.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The pasta drinks up the sauce as it sits, so it thickens in the fridge.
Freezer
This one is best fresh, since cheese sauces can turn a little grainy after freezing. If you do freeze it, use within 2 months and expect a softer texture, and reheat gently with a splash of milk.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of milk or broth stirred in to bring the creamy sauce back, since the pasta thickens it as it sits. Warm it just until hot; overheating can make the cheese turn oily.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
480
Protein
28g
Fat
24g
Carbs
36g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
How is this different from boxed Hamburger Helper?
Same idea, real ingredients: you brown fresh beef and simmer the pasta in milk and broth with a homemade seasoning blend, then melt in real shredded cheddar instead of a powdered cheese packet. It is one pan and about the same time, but it tastes richer and skips the additives and extra sodium.
How do I keep the pasta from getting mushy?
Cook it just until tender, checking a minute or two early, and remember it keeps softening in the hot sauce as it sits. If you like it firmer, pull it while it still has a little bite.
How do I keep the cheese sauce from getting grainy or oily?
Take the pan off the heat before you add the cheese and stir it in a handful at a time. Cheddar breaks and turns grainy or oily if you boil it, so melt it gently into the hot, not bubbling, sauce. Cheese shredded from a block melts smoother than pre-shredded.
How is $1.67 a plate figured?
About $10.00 for the whole skillet, six servings, so roughly $1.67 each. The beef and cheese are the biggest costs; the pasta, broth, and milk are cheap. Optional toppings are figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
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