90’s kids, this is for you! One of THE most nostalgic meals remade with clean and fresh ingredients. Did I mention it’s a one pot meal?
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As a fellow 90s kid, I can appreciate the art of an easy boxed meal. Now is it something I want to feed my kids all the time? Definitely not. Recreating meals like this from scratch with clean ingredients is one of my all time favorite things. It’s like people who love the satisfaction of popping pimples. Not much is more satisfying for me than creating a recipe that tastes so familiar and comforting but I know and can name all of the ingredients that went into it.
This one is cheesy and rich and savory and so so good! Made all in one pot, it’s so easy to break out on a weeknight when you want to save some time on dishes.
Just follow these simple steps and in no time your entire fam will be enjoying a comforting and yummy meal!
Let’s talk ingredients.
Super easy ingredients here! A few key notes:
Use whatever pasta you like however if you want to it to resemble the boxed Hamburger Helper, you can get elbow macaroni!
Beef bone broth really is a must here if you’re wanting to get that deep rich flavor.
Two items not pictured but very important in my opinion – tomato paste and red wine vinegar. These bring a deep umami flavor to the dish as well as acid to balance out the richness of the beef, cream, and cheese! The red wine vinegar is optional but you may miss out on the acidity you need if you leave it out.
Heavy cream! It can be replaced with milk or non dairy substitute but it may affect the final texture.
Seasonings. I season with my eyes and heart but I did do my best to measure out how much of each seasoning I used! As always though, season to your taste!
Instructions
- Brown your ground beef with all the spices until fully cooked then set aside in a dish.
- Chop an onion and your garlic and add it in the same pan you cooked the meat in. Saute for a few minutes until translucent and add in the garlic until fragrant.
- Add your tomato paste and let it cook stirring often until the color turns into a deep red color and it starts coating the bottom of the pan but be careful not to burn it.
- Deglaze with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and your tomato sauce. Scrape up all those bits on the bottom of the pan!
- Add back your beef and add in the bone broth and pasta. Season again with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer and cook until pasta is cooked through and the liquid is almost fully absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Add your cheese and mix well and taste for final seasonings.
- Enjoy!
Let’s get to the recipe!
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 oz beef bone broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste heaping
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar optional
- 4 oz tomato pure or sauce
- 1 lb pasta
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Seasonings
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown your ground beef in a high sided pan or pot. Add in your spices and seasonings. Once cooked through set the beef aside in a dish.
- Chop an onion and your garlic and add the onion to the pan you cooked your beef in along with some oil or butter. Saute until translucent – about 5-10 min.
- Add in the garlic until fragrant – about 5 min.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook until it's a deep color and starts to coat the bottom of the pan then deglaze with your red wine vinegar and tomato pure. Scrape up all the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the beef, beef bone broth, and pasta. Season again to your liking. Bring to a boil and let cook until pasta is cooked through stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is soaked up, remove the pan from the heat and stir in heavy cream and cheese. Season again as needed and enjoy!
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