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Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper. Swapping the boxed stuff out and making everyone’s childhood dinner completely homemade, and healthier too. Plus so much tastier! Think of this hamburger helper as the tastier, creamier version of what you’d eat as a kid. It’s made with ground beef, seasonings, pasta, and a little shredded zucchini too (for added veggies). Comfort food at its best, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite.
I didn’t grow up eating hamburger helper, neither did my brothers. But for whatever reason, this has been a recipe I wanted to try and recreate for a while now. Ever since my older brother mentioned the idea to me a year or so ago it’s been on my “to make” list.
Not going to lie, it’s obviously not my usual kind of recipe, as I tend to sway towards recipes with a bit more color. But something about recreating this in a healthier, tastier, way really excited me.
So while it may have taken me over a year to finally test this out and share, the day is here. And I’m excited because this really is that perfect early fall, September dinner.
The idea
So as I said, my brother had mentioned creating a recipe for homemade (not boxed) hamburger helper. He said that if I could make it like the boxed stuff, but with a creamier texture, and a little more depth of flavor, that it would be, “SO GOOD”.
I wasn’t excited at first, but then I started to think about the upgrades I could make. I wondered, “could I make it healthier, but still creamy? Could we add a little flavor, but still keep it classic? And could I make it all in one pot just like the box?”.
All of the challenges started to excite me, so I figured if I could get each one checked off, then I would have a great recipe!
This is a one pot dinner, so the details are simple
First of all, find yourself a nice big pot or braiser to cook this in. I love this one and think it’s the perfect size for this recipe.
Now, starting cooking! Simply add the beef and onion to your pot and brown it all over, add in some spices, and then the pasta. And next? The ingredient that adds a little health to the recipe…a bit of shredded zucchini.
I love adding shredded zucchini to pasta dishes like this. Not only does the zucchini incorporate a vegetable into the recipe, but it also adds moisture and creates an even creamier sauce.
Finish it up
Once the pasta and zucchini are both added, pour over the broth and milk. Add a squeeze of ketchup (sounds weird, but trust me), then cook everything together until that pasta is al dente.
It’s important to stir the pasta frequently to ensure that nothing is sticking. But other than that, everything is EASY.
The final step is to stir in a handful of cheddar cheese. Serve up the hamburger helper topped with fresh parsley (it needs a little color!) and enjoy!
As I always like to say – homemade is best!
Excited to have this recipe in my back pocket for cozy fall and winter dinners to come. And Creighton’s verdict? He loved every bite. He said, “how could someone not love this? It’s basically mac and cheese with meat…and it’s delicious”.
So there ya go! He doesn’t lie.
Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 675 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 zucchini, grated (about 1 cup grated)
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk (use what you drink)
- 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot set over medium hight heat, add the olive oil, onion and beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, cook another minute.2. Add the pasta and zucchini and toss to coat, then pour in the broth and milk. Add the ketchup and stir to combine. Season with salt. 3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Simmer 5-8 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often. 4. Stir in the cheese and cook another few minutes until very creamy. 5. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Folks who had their sauce get too soaked up by the pasta: I used a dutch oven style pot with a lid. While the pasta is cooking, leave the lid on and stir every couple minutes! I only added about a 1/4 cup extra milk from the get go and it turned out fantastic! Super saucy and tender pasta.
Thanks for the tip Mal!
Really tasty! Family loved it- the only thing I would change when I make it again would be adding some spice like cayenne or jalapeño powder to give it some more zing! But that’s only because I like spice in everything 🙂
Hey Colleen,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So yummy! I had to use up mushrooms so I tossed them in-a solid meal the whole family enjoyed!
Hey Nicole,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Bravo on hitting it on the head! I used to love hamburger helper and this is fantastic!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
All the liquid was absorbed into the pasta shells by the time it was el Dante, so it wasn’t very saucy for me. Next time I’ll try adding more liquid.
Hey Sensen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, next time make sure your heat isn’t too high! xTieghan
Where does the olive oil come in on this recipe
Hi Donna – I think it’s used to put in the pot/pan before the beef and onions. At least that’s what I did!
Hey Donna,
You will use the olive oil in step 1 to brown the meat and onions. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hamburger helper has always been one of my favorites- a guilty pleasure of mine?. This recipe taste better than the box stuff because there’s no processed taste to it. It is AHH-MA-ZING! We’re welcoming our first baby in October so I’m excited to have these secret veggie recipes when baby girl gets older.
P.S. I’ve made 3 recipes of yours just this week and they have all been simple and oh so delicious!!!
Hey Emily,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
My husband’s parents are from Europe, so he never had Hamburger Helper, and my kids certainly have not, so the nostalgia was lost on them. They loved the dinner, I used soy crumbles instead of meat. Best of all the zucchini went unnoticed and it truly took less than 30 minutes including chopping onion and cleaning up. Thank you!
Hey Lori,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This recipe was delicious! Because of being gluten-free, I had to substitute gluten-free pasta in the recipe. It took a bit longer for the gluten free pasta to cook, so it was necessary to add more broth so it could continue cooking. Husband and I both loved it and leftovers the next day were delicious too. I had to reheat with broth because of the gluten free pasta, but it was still delicious! Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Judy,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
We LOVED it! Hubby went back for a third helping. Thank you so much for such a quick, tasty and somewhat healthy recipe.
Hey Elle,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
My kids love hamburger helper they eat it weekly! It’s something easy my husband can make when I work late, but not something I enjoy. This recipe was a huge hit! My kids, husband and I all really enjoyed this. I loved that I could sneak some zucchini in on them too! Will make this again!
Hey Lizzie,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Excellent ! Very tasty , easy to make and I don’t have leftovers so that means it’s a hit
Thank you
Your recipes are amazing and do easy to make !
Hey Sheila,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was so easy and so delicious! Will be a staple dinner in our house going forward!
Hey Molly,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
SO easy and delicious!! I used oat milk (just what happened to be in my fridge) and spinach instead of zucchini and it was still amazing! We had leftovers to eat on for a couple of days even the baby (11 months) enjoyed it!
I used tri-color pasta, so that helped add some color to the dish! It felt very fall-ish!
I added diced tomatoes and peas
Hey Erin,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hey Megan,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious and very easy! Added about double the zucchini to up the veg level, otherwise followed excatly as printed. A keeper for sure!
Hey Peggy,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan