Homemade Cheeseburger Helper (2024)

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Homemade hamburger helper is so easy to fix and better than anything you can buy in the store. Skip those box mixes and make this delicious hamburger helper recipe from scratch.

Dinner is a breeze with this simple to make homemade hamburger helper. You do not need to buy those kits at the store for hamburger helper. It is SO easy to make this easy meal.

I promise it tastes much better and is actually very simple. Once you see how quick and easy it is, you will always make it this way. You may even like this Crock Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni or Hamburger Hash Recipe.

Our kids love this and we all get excited when homemade hamburger helper is for dinner!

How do you make Hamburger Helper from scratch?

You only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade hamburger helper. This easy skillet meal is not hard at all. Keep reading to see just how easy this is!

Ingredients

ground beef
Onion
Paprika
Minced Garlic
Salt and pepper
Water
milk
Macaroni Noodles
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Mozzarella Cheese, grated (pepper jack is a good substitution if you like spicy!)

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER:

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet (we used cast iron) over medium heat. Drain any remaining fat from the pan.

Season the beef with the paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Stir in the water, milk and pasta and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 9-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

Stir in the cheeses over the cooked pasta and heat until the cheese is completely melted.

Let stand for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve warm and enjoy! It is that easy. Keep reading for the full recipe.

Homemade hamburger helper variation ideas

Substitute ground turkey instead of ground beef.
Try other types of cheese. Pepper jack is good if you like it a little spicy.
Use any type of pasta you prefer. While elbow is traditional in this dish, any type will taste great.
Add bell peppers with the onion for even more delicious flavor.

What to serve with this hamburger helper recipe?

This is the best comfort food and we all love a big bowl of this tasty hamburger helper. You really don’t need much else.

If you want to get some veggies in there, a simple side salad goes great with it and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Green Beansare also really tasty too with it.

Make sure you have a good skillet to make this dish.

We use acast iron skilletand it’s perfect for this recipe. I have theLodge cast iron skilletbut you can seeall the different brandshere.

Cast iron is amazing! You can make so many different recipes and they are great for skillet recipes.

If you are not already cooking with one, you should! They are amazing and the food cooks so evenly.

Don’t be hesitant to use cast iron because it really is simple to use and maintain. It cooks the food so evenly and recipes turn out great.

We love using it.

Time saving tip

We love to make things even easier. This recipe is already simple but you can save even more time with these tips.

I use asmall food chopper or processor to quickly and easily dice the onions. If you do not have one of these, I highly recommend them.

They are such a time saver.

I usually just chop the entire vegetable and freeze what I don’t need. It’s so nice to be able to just take diced onion or bell peppers out of the freezer for recipes.

This is how I meal prep. It’s so quick and easy and helps get dinner on the table fast.

Learnhow to freeze peppersandhow to freeze onionsand you will save so much time in the kitchen!

Little things like this make life much easier during the week. It all adds up to a lot of time savings and you can spend more time with your family.

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