Homemade Hamburger Helper
Hey y’all, today I’m going to be showing you how to make some good old-fashioned homemade hamburger helper. This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight beef dinner, and will satisfy the whole family. Grab all of your ingredients, and let’s get started.
What You Need
- About 1.25 pounds ground beef (extra lean)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon season salt (or 1 tablespoon no-salt Tony’s)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: bell pepper
- Minced garlic
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth, vegetable broth; try not to use water)
- 1 cup milk (or heavy cream)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Optional: chili pepper
- Pasta of choice (cavatopi, macaroni, penne, etc.)
- Cheese (triple cheddar, mozzarella)
- Paprika, for garnish
- Parsley, for garnish
How to Make It
- Do this in one pot over medium heat. First, cook up your ground beef until it’s nicely browned for a flavorful base, similar to how we prepare tender beef tips and gravy.
- To the browning beef, add in your small diced yellow onion directly. This is to get all that good flavor into the meat.
- Season the meat and onion mixture with 1 teaspoon of season salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. You can adjust your seasonings if you want to add more or less.
- Once the beef is browned, scoop the meat over to the side and soak up any excess grease. You don’t want to leave too much in there.
- Now that the beef is browned, start adding everything else. Add an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce for good flavor and consistency.
- Pour in 2 cups of beef broth. If you don’t have beef broth, you can use chicken or vegetable broth, but try not to use water.
- Don’t forget to add your minced garlic here (if you didn’t add it with the onion).
- Add in 1 cup of milk. You can also use heavy cream.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, which is optional.
- Season with some crushed red pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. If you’re making a red pasta or red sauce pasta, you can also add some chili pepper if you like.
- Add your choice of pasta. You can use whatever pasta you want – macaroni, penne, it doesn’t matter. Make sure you put the noodles in there.
- Simmer this over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. You can use a lid or even the top of a Dutch oven if you don’t have a lid big enough for your skillet.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add in some cheese. A mix of triple cheddar and a little bit of mozzarella for some pull works well.
- To make it look somewhat presentable, add some paprika on top as well as some parsley.
- Plate it up and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This meal took no longer than 15-20 minutes. It’s homemade and probably 10 times better than the packaged stuff.
Serving
This hamburger helper pairs well with a salad and some homemade dinner rolls.
[wprm-recipe id=”8195″]