One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
This copycat version of the classic Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni is ready in 30 minutes and has ten times more flavor than the classic boxed version.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 707kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef (lean works too)
- ½ medium onion diced
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp dried mustard
- 4 cups beef broth (see Note 1)
- 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
- 340 g protein pasta of choice (1 box; see Note 2)
- 1 cup low fat or regular cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over high heat then add the ground beef; spread it flat then let it char for 2 minutes without stirring (there's no need to add any oil)
- Break up the beef then add the onions and a pinch of salt
- Cook for 5-6 minutes until cooked through and the onions are softened
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 4-5 minutes until darkened to a brick red color
- Add the spices and toast for 30 seconds
- Pour in the beef broth and a add pinch of salt then bring to a gentle boil
- Add the milk and the dry noodles and stir, then cook for 10-15 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and most of the liquid has been absorbed
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese
Notes
Note 1: Depending on the type of pasta used, you may need a little more beef broth. If it looks like most of your liquid is absorbed and your noodles are still very undercooked, add another ½ cup of broth.
Note 2: I used Catelli protein macaroni for this recipe. It's my favorite brand of protein pasta, along with Garofolo. You can use any protein pasta of your choice, but regular pasta works great too.
Nutrition Facts in the recipe card below are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. For more accurate nutrition information, refer to the macros below. Macros in the Recipe Notes section are calculated using a Macro Calculation App but will differ slightly based on ingredients used in individual variations. Nutritional information for this recipe is based on one serving.
Macros per serving: 674 calories/55g protein/79g carbs/18g fat
Nutrition
Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 2171mg | Potassium: 1345mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 368mg | Iron: 6mg