Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper

Easy cheesy homemade hamburger helper is a dinner you can throw together in less than 30 minutes all in one pot. This family-friendly recipe is easy to customize and makes a great quick dinner for any busy night.

 

Why We Love Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper

• Quick And Easy To Make – The homemade version of this dish is made in less than 30 minutes, making it easy to get dinner on the table fast. It doesn’t take many ingredients, you can totally skip the box.
• Picky Eater Approved – Meaty pasta hits the check boxes for many picky eaters, and is a great recipe to put into your dinner rotation. It will be a new family favorite!
• Flexible Recipe– This recipe includes ingredients I almost always already have in my pantry, plus I can add more depending on what I have in the fridge.

Ingredients For Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper

• ground beef I like using lean ground beef whenever possible, ground turkey can also be used
• onion diced
• minced garlic can use fresh garlic cloves or garlic powder also
• basil dried
• oregano dried
• salt
• black pepper
• medium pasta shells uncooked, any short shaped noodle can work. I have not tried gluten free pasta or any of the protein or veggie pastas in this recipe, and it may vary from pasta to pasta
• water – can also use beef broth or chicken broth, but I recommend using lower sodium broth or reducing the salt in half
• diced tomatoes canned, undrained
• tomato paste 6 ounces equals 2/3 cup
• mozzarella cheese shredded, you can also use shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese
• Parmesan cheese grated

How To Make Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper

1. Place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef until brown all the way through, about 6-9 minutes, stirring as needed. Drain any excess grease from the meat and place on paper towels to drain if needed.

2. Put the diced onion and minced garlic with the beef in the pan. Stir occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper and stir well.

3. Place the dry pasta shells, water, diced tomatoes with the juice, and tomato paste to the pan. Stir well to combine.

4. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat and bring the entire pan to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to simmer at medium low heat. Simmer covered for 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stirring occasionally can help prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Turn off the heat. Add the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan to the top, then cover the pan for about 2 minutes to let the cheese melt. Then serve and enjoy!

Variation Ideas To Make Homemade Hamburger Helper

Make The Pasta Creamier – If you add a little bit of cream or milk as you add the cheese, you’ll create more of a sauce. It isn’t necessary and makes it a little different from traditional hamburger helper, but is delicious.

Swap Out Diced Tomatoes – You can use canned Rotel or other tomatoes with green chiles mix or fire roasted tomatoes to give this recipe even more flavor. You can also swap out stewed tomatoes if that is what you have, but I recommend dicing them up and it can get a little messier.

You can use fresh tomatoes, you’ll need about 2 cups of fresh tomatoes and the juice. The recipe may need to add some additional liquid (water or broth) to the pan with fresh tomatoes, as the amount of juice can vary.

Add More Veggies – You can totally add more vegetables right to this dish. I recommend adding most vegetables at the same time you add the onion.. Bell pepper, mushrooms, diced or shredded carrots, corn or broccoli cut into small pieces can all be easily added. Don’t be afraid to clean out the fridge and add some of your favorites.

Some vegetables like diced zucchini, yellow squash or spinach have a little more water in them. It’s best to sautee them a little longer to get more of the water out or the pasta can get gluey from. Frozen vegetables can be added, but you’ll need to sautee them a little longer to get the frozen water out of them before adding the pasta and tomatoes.

How Long Will Leftover Cheesy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe Last?

Expect this homemade hamburger helper pasta will last for about three days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.