Hamburger Helper Recipe

Ditch the field and make this lightened-up selfmade Hamburger Helper recipe! It’s a fast and simple one-pot dinner with all of the acquainted flavors, made with seasoned floor turkey, melty cheese, and complete grain macaroni.

I like remaking basic dinners from my childhood, from Hamburger Helper to beefaroni, to creamy rooster stroganoff and mac and cheese. On the spot consolation, and family-friendly!

Homemade hamburger helper served on a platter.

I’ve been making this Hamburger Helper recipe for years, and it at all times brings me straight again to the dinner desk as a excessive schooler. My dad and mom typically labored late again then, and my sister and I’d deal with ourselves to a field meal at the very least as soon as per week.

After all, at the moment’s model is selfmade and never from a field. It’s full of scrumptious substances that you would be able to really pronounce! I make my Hamburger Helper with complete wheat pasta, floor turkey, and vegan cheese with out sacrificing any of the creamy, comforting flavors we all know and love.

Why I Love This Hamburger Helper Recipe

One pot. Identical to the unique Hamburger Helper from a field, this selfmade model cooks multi functional pot. Clear-up is a snap afterward.
Straightforward. Hamburger Helper has at all times been the OG weeknight dinner. This recipe is fast and easy to arrange, excellent once I want a tasty dinner in a rush.
Higher than a field combine. I make this recipe with turkey as a substitute of hamburger meat, nevertheless it nonetheless has all of the wealthy, creamy, savory flavors of the unique. It tastes even higher when you ask me! A number of easy seasonings, rooster broth, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce are all it takes to pack within the taste.

Homemade Hamburger Helper ingredients with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Elements You’ll Want

The unique Hamburger Helper was a reasonable, family-pleasing dinner, in order that’s what I got down to recreate with this recipe. The substances beneath are straightforward and pantry-friendly, and I’ve included some notes to get you began. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card after the publish for a printable substances checklist with the total recipe directions.

Olive Oil – Or your alternative of cooking oil, for sautéing.
Onion and Garlic – I exploit diced yellow onion and freshly minced garlic. Any gentle onion is nice. If you have to substitute contemporary garlic, change every clove with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Floor Turkey – I exploit 99% fat-free “further lean” floor turkey, however any floor meat will work right here. You can also make this selfmade Hamburger Helper with hamburger meat (the basic), floor rooster, floor pork, or floor sausage.
Seasoning – Chili powder and candy or smoked paprika, plus salt and black pepper to style.
Elbow Macaroni – I make my hamburger helper recipe with whole-grain macaroni noodles, however you should utilize any kind of short-cut pasta you’d like. Different good selections are penne, small shells, rigatoni, cavatappi, and fusilli.
Cheese – Any dairy or non-dairy shreddable cheese works on this recipe. I’ve typically used Daiya vegan cheddar. You should use common cheddar, Monterey Jack, or gouda cheese. For one of the best outcomes, shred the cheese contemporary from the block because it melts smoother this manner.
Flour – To assist thicken the cheese sauce. All-purpose flour works completely. You possibly can additionally change the flour with half the quantity of cornstarch.
Milk – Any kind of milk you’d like, whether or not that’s almond milk, soy milk, common milk, and so forth.
Rooster Broth – I like to make use of low-sodium fat-free rooster broth. You should use both rooster or vegetable inventory, it’s as much as you.
Worcestershire Sauce – Just a bit goes an extended solution to richen up the flavors within the sauce. You too can use soy sauce.

Make Hamburger Helper

Identical to related one-pot pasta dinners, like my rooster broccoli pasta, this recipe comes collectively in a single pan on the range in about half-hour. Right here’s learn how to make it:

Diced onions sautéing in a large pot with a wooden spoon. — 1. Sauté the onions and garlic.

Sauté. First, get your onions and garlic sautéeing in a sizzling skillet with oil.
Brown the meat. As soon as that’s softened and aromatic, add the bottom turkey. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika, and brown the meat for 4-5 minutes. Take it off the warmth afterward and drain any extra liquid.
Mix. Add the dry macaroni to the skillet together with the cheese, flour, milk, and rooster broth. Give it a sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce and produce it to a boil.
Prepare dinner. Decrease the warmth to a simmer, then cowl and prepare dinner for 8-10 minutes, till the pasta is al dente. Stir, style for seasonings another time, and serve!

Use Leftovers!

You probably have leftover roast turkey within the days after Thanksgiving or Christmas, that is the right meal to place it to make use of! Shred the cooked turkey and stir it in on the finish, after the pasta has cooked. You too can do that with poached rooster or pulled pork (just like a pulled pork mac and cheese).

Hamburger Helper served on a large oval platter.

Suggestions and Variations

Cooking occasions may fluctuate. Your Hamburger Helper may have kind of cooking time relying on the kind of pasta you employ. You additionally may want to make use of extra liquid for various pasta shapes. One thing to bear in mind.
Add tomatoes. Stir a spoonful of tomato paste into the sauce, or add a can of diced tomatoes when you like a tomato-y Hamburger Helper.
Add bacon. Sauté diced bacon with the onions, or stir in cooked crumbled bacon proper earlier than serving.
Change up the seasonings. Be happy to regulate the seasonings to fit your tastes. Add kind of garlic and chili powder, or, when you favor slightly kick, sprinkle in cayenne pepper, crushed pink pepper flakes, or sizzling sauce.
Add greens. In case you’d like so as to add in greens like spinach or kale, you may chop these up and wilt them in on the finish. Frozen peas or a frozen vegetable medley are additionally fast, straightforward methods so as to add in further veggies.

Overhead image of macaroni and ground beef in a bowl with a fork.

Homemade hamburger helper in a bowl with a fork.

Retailer and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover Hamburger Helper in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. It turns into a bit drier because the pasta absorbs extra of the sauce, nevertheless it nonetheless tastes nice.
Reheat. Heat your Hamburger Helper within the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring often, till it’s warmed by. I like so as to add a splash of broth to assist skinny out and loosen up the sauce.

Extra One Pan Pasta Dinners

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Sauté the onions. Warmth the olive oil over medium-high warmth in a deep-sided, nonstick skillet or a Dutch oven. Add onions and prepare dinner for 3 minutes, stirring incessantly. Stir within the garlic and prepare dinner for 20 seconds.
Brown the turkey. Add the bottom turkey and season with chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner for 4 to five minutes, stirring often, till the meat is browned. Then, take away from warmth and drain out the liquid.
Mix. To the browned turkey meat, add the pasta, cheese, flour, milk, rooster broth, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to mix.
Prepare dinner. Convey the combination to a boil, stirring incessantly; decrease to a simmer and canopy with a lid. Proceed to prepare dinner for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring incessantly, till the pasta is tender and completely cooked.
Serve! Take away your hamburger helper from the warmth and style for seasonings. Modify accordingly, after which serve.

Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could fluctuate in keeping with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.