Homemade Hamburger Helper

Fast, easy, and delicious, Homemade Hamburger Helper is so easy to make from scratch, that you will never buy the boxed stuff again! Plus, you control the number of preservatives and the amount of sodium! This is a meal you can feel good about serving to your family!

I was about to say that I grew up on the store-bought versions of Hamburger Helper, but that wouldn’t be true. Even though packaged Hamburger Helper was introduced to the masses in 1971, it would be the mid-1990s before it made it to our family dinner table. Now, I never buy a box from the store, but when the craving hits, I prefer to make my Homemade Hamburger Helper!

We had what I guess you could think of as homemade versions of this instant family classic, but it never came out of a box. My mom would make dishes like this goulash, which in essence, is a hamburger helper. But, the familiar box wasn’t found in our pantry until I was in high school.

HAMBURGER HELPER VARIATIES

I remember it well too! My mom never ventured too far outside of her comfort zones when it came to food and food flavours, but when it came to Hamburger Helper, it seemed she was willing to cross some borders.

Seriously, in addition to the classics like Cheesy Beef Pasta or Four Cheese Lasagna, mom would also buy the Chili Macaroni and the Beef Stroganoff. We were living life large, Dear Reader!

A few years after school when I was sharing an apartment with my sister, we continued to purchase Hamburger Helper from time to time, but not as often as my mom would. In fact, I’m in my 40s now, and I remember being at my mom’s house in my late 30s (before she became too sick to shop for groceries and cook for herself) and seeing her pantry very well stocked with those familiar boxes – like a dozen boxes or more!

INSTRUCTIONS ARE LIKE SUGGESTIONS, RIGHT?

She loved it! But, the thing is, Dear Reader, I don’t know if she ever prepared the dish according to the instructions on the package. She would add other seasonings, other flavours, and even double up on the ground beef sometimes. And every time she sat down with a bowl of the Beef Noodle, she would top it with a drizzle of Diana Sauce. (Another one of her favourites!)

Long gone are the days of boxed Hamburger Helper for me. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve eaten it. But, that doesn’t stop me from eating a homemade version. My Homemade Hamburger Helper really couldn’t get any easier. You’ll no doubt have most of the ingredients already anyway, so why buy the boxed stuff?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

• Pasta – Any short pasta will work – macaroni, penne, fusilli, etc.
• Ground Beef – I used lean ground beef, which meant I didn’t need to drain the grease after it was browned!
• Onion – You can use yellow, white, or even red onion here.
• Olive Oil – I used just a little to get the ground beef and onion started.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Milk – Any milk will do just fine, but I like to use whole milk when baking or cooking.
• Cheese – Cheddar cheese is my go-to cheese for this recipe.
• Oregano
• Seasoning Salt
• Paprika

LET’S TALK SEASONED SALT!

Seasoned salt, which is sometimes called seasoning salt, is a very common spice rack ingredient. It is basically a combination of salt and other dried herbs and spices. The most common ingredients in the blend are salt, ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper. Of course, like almost every other spice blend, there are variations on this.

You can buy seasoned salt just about anywhere. Most larger grocery stores will stock it. I know Walmart does too. And, if you’re in a bind, you can order it from Amazon. I tend to use the Club House brand, because it’s the most commonly found brand here in Canada.

However, in the United States, I gather that the most commonly used brand there is Lawry’s. Any brand will do just fine, because, as I mentioned, each one will vary. All of them will have a smoky flavour, because they all use paprika.

COOKING PASTA

Let me talk to you a bit about how to get the pasta just right without overcooking it. Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck we me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules:

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off, because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water, because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to a full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse! – EXCEPT IN THIS CASE

So many of us are tempted to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of the starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry, it becomes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out! A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. (That all applies to hot pasta dishes, but for a pasta salad, go ahead and rinse. Get all of that starch off!)

GET THE PASTA RIGHT!

Because I am a stickler for pasta that has the right texture, unlike other homemade versions of this recipe that you’ll find online, I treat my pasta differently. I cook the pasta, drain it, and set it aside. Why? Because overcooked pasta is not my idea of a delicious meal.

Other recipes will add the uncooked pasta to the beef and onion mixture and will add a few cups of water or stock to “boil” the pasta right into the beef and sauce mixture. I find that to be a gluey, gloppy mess and it really has no appeal at all. Trust me, Dear Reader, cooking the pasta separately is the way to go!

What you’re left with is a creamy and cheesy pasta dish which is beefy, hearty, and filling. I love the little hint of smoke from the paprika and the kick from the seasoning salt. If you don’t have seasoning salt, just add a pinch of garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. It will give you the basic same flavour.