4 Easy Hamburger Helper Recipes to Replace the Boxed Versions

1. Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper

This flavor is a classic, in my opinion. This is the most common boxed Hamburger Helper that everybody buys, so let me show you how to make it homemade.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups elbow noodles
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 4 ounces Velveeta cheese
• ¼ cup bacon bits

Directions:

I'm going to start by cooking my hamburger meat. I usually add onion, but tonight I decided not to; I kept it simple. Once that hamburger meat is no longer pink, you'll drain the grease, and then we'll add our milk and water.

We're also going to add in our seasonings. Once we add our seasonings in, we will add in our noodles. Use what you have on hand. Just because you don't have something for a recipe doesn't mean you can't make it. Change it up and use what you've got on hand.

I will make sure the noodles are pushed down in that liquid. We will cook it at a low medium until those noodles are cooked through, about 20-25 minutes of stirring throughout that time. There is still going to be a little bit of liquid in here. Don't worry; it's going to thicken up.

Once we add in our Velveeta cheese and cream of soup, I'm just going to stir and then give it a couple of minutes to thicken up, and it is time to eat. 

The recipe for this one is a Bacon Cheeseburger Helper. I didn't have any bacon bits, so I just did a classic Cheeseburger Helper. You can omit that in the recipe, or you can add it. I've done it both ways, and they're both super delicious. 

2. Stroganoff Hamburger Helper

These Hamburger Helper recipes all use ingredients that I usually keep on hand. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 packet (0.87 oz) brown gravy mix
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 bag (12 oz) wide egg noodles

Directions:

I'm just starting by cooking my ground beef with some onion and the seasonings until it's no longer pink, and then we will drain the grease. 

While the hamburger meat is cooking up, I will cook half a bag of egg noodles according to package directions. 

Now that our hamburger meat is cooked and drained, we will add our cream soup and water. We will also add some sour cream, brown gravy mix, and our seasonings. You're just going to use a dry packet of brown gravy mix.

Once the noodles are cooked, we will add those in and give everything a good mix.

3. Chili Mac

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 32 ounces beef broth
• 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can tomato paste
• 10 ounces dry macaroni noodles (⅝ box)
• 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh parsley optional for garnish

Directions:

We're going to start by cooking up our ground beef. Add an onion, the seasonings, and some garlic; we'll cook that until it's no longer pink.

Now that our hamburger meat is cooked and drained, we will go ahead and add a can of diced tomatoes. We will add a can of rinsed and drained black beans to our beef broth. We're also going to add some tomato paste.

Give everything a mix. Then we're going to add in our pasta. We will cook this on medium-low heat until our pasta is cooked through and thickens. Now that our pasta is cooked through, it's nice and thick. We will add some cheese and give it one last stir. 

I just topped it with some Fritos and some extra cheese on top.

4. Cheesy Italian Hamburger Helper

This Hamburger Helper recipe is supposed to use pasta shells, but I didn't have shells. As always, feel free to substitute with what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups shell or similar-shaped pasta
• 1 can tomatoes with Italian seasoning 14.5 ounces
• 1¾ cups milk
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup grated cheese

Directions:

I'm going to go ahead and start by cooking up my hamburger meat. I'm going to add in some onion, some seasonings, and we're going to cook that until it's no longer pink.

After draining the hamburger meat, set it aside. Using the pan I cooked the hamburger in, I will add a can of diced tomatoes and some tomato sauce. I'm also going to add some water and some milk. We will add our noodles, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and salt and pepper.

We're just going to mix that all. We will cook this on low medium heat until the noodles are cooked. Don't forget to add your hamburger meat back in.

Now that the noodles are cooked through and everything's thickened up, we're just going to add in our cheese, and that is it. Once again, another quick and easy at-home Hamburger Helper.

Hamburger Helper recipes

After trying these four super easy and delicious homemade Hamburger Helper recipes, you will never want to buy boxed Hamburger Helper again.

What is your go-to side dish for when you're making a Hamburger Helper recipe? Comments below with your suggestions and recipes.