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A copycat of “hamburger helper”, this Cheeseburger Pasta is a VERY popular weeknight dinner. Simple. Homemade. Delicious!
Step by step photos and instructions below!
For those of you NOT in the US, there’s a boxed/convenience food here called “hamburger helper”. Hamburger refers to ground beef, or mince (as it is called in other parts of the world).
The basic premise is, you brown the beef, and add the packet of stuff and some water/milk and then you have dinner. It’s a pasta dish made all in one pot!
Seems easy enough. The husband loves this stuff and grew up eating it (his favorite is the Cheeseburger Macaroni). If you know me at all, you’ll know I prefer to cook from scratch where possible.
Using good quality real food ingredients, you can take a convenience food and kick it up to fabulous!
Sure, there are no vegetables in it, so I had to get over that (and you could easily add them – or prepare them as sides, see below), but it is really tasty. AND you get WAY more food that will feed an entire family of 4 than you do with just the box.
Homemade cheeseburger pasta is made from things you likely already have in the pantry/fridge, this easy homemade skillet dinner comes together REALLY fast. Another great one you’ll love is my Hamburger Casserole.
Make it ahead.
I make up little baggies of the spices and seasonings, with the pasta and instructions on the front so the husband can make this when he “needs” a comforting pasta dish. We never fail to bring this with us camping – there’s nothing like a day of being out in the woods, coming back to camp to eat, and having this ready in about 20 minutes.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This is a great recipe for families. Easy to double, triple or quadruple for large groups!
- Quick and easy to make. This recipe won’t tie you up for hours in the kitchen.
Sides for hamburger helper
I love to pair pasta dishes with a simple side salad, or some roasted vegetables since there are no vegetables in the recipe. Try this Arugula Salad, Kale Salad or mix it up and go with Broccoli Salad.
Sautéed green beans are always a winner if you wanted to go the hot side route.
I have included step by step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Kylee’s Notes
Substitutions & Additions
For extra flavor, before browning the meat, add some diced onions and garlic.
Use beef broth or chicken stock in place of water – for a super beefed up flavor (see what I did there?)
Instead of ground beef – do half ground turkey/half beef or all turkey since it is a lean meat. If you do use just turkey, taste test the seasonings, as it needs a little more salt to combat the blandness of turkey.
Sub some of the liquid for a little tomato sauce and the seasonings (keep the cornstarch) for Italian seasoning instead – for a skillet lasagna kind of vibe.
Use any kind of short/small pasta – fettuccine and spaghetti don’t work terribly well in this.
Get fancy! Garnish with fresh parsley or green onions. Doctor it up with some hot sauce, too!
How to store leftovers
This easy dinner recipe is even better the next day. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat in a nonstick skillet, or microwave. You may need to add a little water if it is too dry from being stored.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground Beef. I use a 93/7 blend, meaning there is some fat, but not a lot. Be sure to drain the fat after browning the lean ground beef.
- Milk. Any kind you like is fine, I use low fat (2%), fat free (skim milk) and whole milk without any discernible difference.
- Water. Speed things up and use hot water, vs cold.
- Pasta. Choose your own favorite! We do elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, farfalle – all are fabulous. This is uncooked pasta, you don’t need to pre cook the pasta for this recipe.
- Seasonings
- Cornstarch, Seasoned Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Parsley, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika
- Cheese. I use grated cheddar cheese, but any kind of shredded cheese YOU like will work just fine.
- Optional
- Processed American Cheese. This makes for a super cheesy, super creamy result. If you can’t find this in your local grocery store, no worries! You could use cream cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or just double up on the shredded cheese.
Recommended Equipment/Tools
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
How to make this recipe
Scroll for Recipe
The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Mix together the Cornstarch, Seasoned Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Parsley, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika.
Brown the meat
In a large skillet, large pot or Dutch oven, brown the meat over medium-high heat until no pink remains, and drain any excess fat.
Add the pasta, liquids and seasonings
Stir until well combined.
Bring to a boil
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium heat. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until you have tender pasta (al dente) and the liquid is reduced, stirring occasionally.
Add the cheese
Don’t be shy! If you are using processed cheese as well, cut it into cubes and mix well until everything the cheese melts together.
Devour
Grab a fork, ya’ll.
Want more Easy Pasta Recipes?
- Chili Mac with Turkey. We’re bringing childhood back! Lightened-up with turkey vs beef, and made in one pan – this one is a family favorite!
- Skillet Mac & Cheese. Comfort food at its finest, this skillet mac & cheese is so easy! Just the skillet and a pasta pot, the and a quick broil, and this is ready FAST!
- Florentine Chicken Lasagna Rolls Spinach, garlic, and cheese are all winners for this weeknight dinner! Delicious homemade Alfredo sauce is the key to these!
- Ham Tetrazzini. A super-fast weeknight dinner, this Ham Tetrazzini is a spin on the traditional version and is sure to please the whole family.
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on Kylee Cooks, leave a comment and rating – I truly love to hear from you!
Find me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Cheeseburger Macaroni (aka Homemade “Hamburger Helper”)
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 2 cups macaroni (or any pasta shape you have lying about)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon prepared chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
OPTIONAL
- 1 cup processed cheese (such as velveeta)
Directions
Get prepped
- Combine cornstarch and all seasonings in a small bowl, and set aside.
Brown the meat
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Brown beef until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any fat.
Add the pasta, liquids and seasonings
- Add the pasta, milk, water, cornstarch and spices and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil
- Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium heat.
- Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and cooked to your liking (we like it al dente)
Add the cheese
- Add the shredded chese and processed cheese and mix thoroughly.
- Devour.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This was originally posted in February of 2014, and has been updated with new photos and step by step instructions, and republished in September of 2022.
Debbie says
I love this homemade version of hamburger helper, and it looks so easy. Homemade is always better that what you get in a box. This is such a family friendly quick weeknight meal . Pinning this for later!!
SHANIKA says
OMG! I loved Hamburger Helper and can’t believe how easy this is to make! I definitely need to try this! Homemade is always best!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch says
Your Homemade version “Hamburger Helper” looks amazing! What a great way to control the ingredients that go in our food, and I can see how this Cheeseburger Pasta tastes better than the original. Can’t wait to make it for a quick dinner!
Jacqui Debono says
Hamburger Helper is a new discovery in our house, so I love the fact that I can make it home with ingredients from the pantry!
Anne Lawton says
I love that you made your own hamburger helper, it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
Kiki Johnson says
Woah this is the ultimate comfort food! Cannot wait to try this cheesy meaty goodness at home! How can this not be a success?
Eva says
I couldn’t wrap my head around the recipe name when I saw the title of the post. I just couldn’t picture what a hambueger helper could possibly be 😀 It’s quite a creative name! Still, I strongly believe too, that homemade is better and your version looks very yummy. Can’t wait to make my husband try this!
Shelley says
What a yummy recipe and fun post! I loved seeing the updated pics, plus the original one at the bottom – such an impressive transformation! The step-by-step photos were so helpful, too – but most of all, I appreciated the tips, like subbing in some lean turkey (but adjusting the seasonings to account for the blandness) or upping the flavor with beef broth, or even giving it an Italian vibe. Great post! I can see why it’s one of your most popular – I’m definitely not the only one who thinks it’s great! 🙂
Aleta says
Wow this copy cat hamburger helper actually looks suuuuper tasty! I would never make my kids anything from a box like the hamburger helper, but this homemade version? Oh heck yes! They are going to love this!
Danielle says
The thing about this recipe is that it is so good I don’t even know where to start. I love pasta and I like hamburger, so having both in one dish makes me super happy! Can’t wait to recreate this one at home now that I have this detailed walkthrough. Thank you!
Byron Thomas says
Everybody sing along now… “Her hamburger helper brings all the boys to the yard, and she’s like, it’s better than store-bought, damn right; it’s better than that!” I made hamburger helper just last week without the “stuff” from the box. Great minds think alike! I’ll have to try your version too. Oh, and I love the throwback 2014 photo! 🙂
Amanda says
Talk about major comfort food! I’m all about any kind of cheesy, creamy pasta, and this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Emmeline says
This looks so cosy & yummy! Perfect for fall! It also looks a lot like one of the few dishes I actually liked in the school cafeteria (but I bet yours tastes loads better of course) so I will definitely need to try it. Love that you included the original picture – isn’t it amazing to look back and see how far you’ve come?! Sometimes it’s so easy to get stuck in “I could be better…” that we forget that we ARE better today, than we were even yesterday (or a few years ago ;)).
Angie says
My husband requests Hamburger Helper all the time, and I do make it more than I care to admit, but I've been looking for a good copycat recipe! Can't wait to try this one.
That Girl says
My dad grew up on this stuff. It was one of the things he served us when my mom was out of town.