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This meaty, creamy pasta dish is the perfect satisfying dinner your entire family will crave! Ditch the box and learn how to make hamburger helper without milk completely from scratch for a healthy dinner any night of the week.
Homemade Hamburger Helper No Milk
Need a quick meal the whole family will love? Grab a pound of ground beef from the freezer and a few simple ingredients from your pantry for a delicious dinner in a pinch!
Although this homemade Hamburger Helper recipe is made without milk, it’s still perfectly creamy since all of the noodles and beef get coated in the delicious sauce.
The kids always ask for seconds of this easy recipe. It tastes just like cheeseburger macaroni!
What is Hamburger Helper?
Hamburger Helper is the original one-pot meal! Many of us grew up with this meal, which is made with really basic ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Each of the different recipes starts with a base of ground beef.
Once the meat is browned, you add a seasoning mix, noodles, and water, and let the ingredients cook together until the flavors mingle together and the noodles soften.
As the pasta cooks, it releases starch, which gives the sauce a creamy texture and a thick consistency that coats every noodle and bite of meat!
It’s a great option for those busy weeknights when you’re in a rush to get dinner on the table, and even better, kids love this delicious meal!
Homemade hamburger helper
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Why We Love This Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper
- Quick & Easy: This one pot homemade hamburger helper couldn’t be easier. You’ll make the whole dish in one pot for minimal clean-up!
- Healthy: Since the boxed version is so high in sodium and other processed ingredients, it’s much healthier to make your own DIY hamburger helper at home. Plus, it’s naturally rich in protein thanks to the ground beef, and if you use whole grain pasta, it offers some extra fibre to fill your kids up.
- Delicious: With ground beef, aromatic spices, savory tomato paste, and pasta, what’s not to love about this cheeseburger macaroni? It’s a kid-friendly meal your little ones will want to eat again and again!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: For a leaner option, use extra lean ground beef (90/10). Be sure to start with thawed ground beef for best results.
- Onion: Although many kids don’t love onions, you don’t even notice them in this dish. Chop them finely and they will soften nicely and add a little sweetness and flavor to this beef pasta hamburger helper.
- Tomato paste: This is one of the best ingredients for adding a punch of flavor to recipes quickly! A little goes a long way.
- Spices: To add a lot of flavor, you’ll need smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I recommend adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Flavoring agents: Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard add a pop of extra flavor to the sauce.
- Pasta: My kids like elbow macaroni for its fun shape, plus it’s easy for little ones to scoop up and chew. Use whole wheat or fibre-enriched to make it more filling.
- Beef broth: Instead of water, use reduced-sodium beef stock to soften the noodles while adding more flavor. You can also use water and a low-sodium bouillon cube if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cheddar cheese: The cheese is what contributes the nice creamy consistency since it melts right into the noodles and meat. If you prefer to skip the cheese to keep this recipe dairy-free, you can try adding in nutritional yeast instead, or use a plant-based cheese.
How to Make Hamburger Helper without Milk
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onions to the pot. Cook until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard.
- Add the beef broth and increase the heat to high to allow it to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add in the uncooked macaroni noodles.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the pasta uncovered until it’s tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes), stirring every minute or so.
- While it’s cooking, grate the cheese.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes before serving to soak up the additional liquid and flavor.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
TIPS FOR THE BEST HAMBURGER HELPER
- Be sure to stir the mixture frequently after adding the noodles to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. I typically like to keep an eye on it and stir it every 1-2 minutes as it simmers.
- For a more saucy dish, use 3 cups of broth. If the mixture still seems a little soupy at the end, continue cooking for a bit longer to allow some of the liquid to cook off.
- The hamburger helper tends to get less creamy as it sits since the noodles start to absorb some of the sauce. Add a bit of extra broth and stir before serving to make it creamy again.
- You can make hamburger helper with veggies too! Add in some finely grated carrot, zucchini, or diced spinach, peppers or mushrooms.
- If making this recipe for babies, you may wish to use a no salt added beef broth and avoid adding salt to limit sodium consumption.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! It really depends on the type of hamburger helper you want to make. If the recipe calls for regular milk, you can use plant-based milk in place of milk (rice milk, coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc).
You can also thin out a different dairy product, like heavy cream, plain yogurt, or even evaporated milk with a little water. Broth or water make a great substitute as well!Â
Great question! People always wonder about how healthy processed foods are, and although Hamburger Helper is a little different than prepackaged meals, it is still processed.
The main concern about boxed Hamburger Helper is its high sodium content. One serving of beef pasta has 640 mg of sodium, which is nearly a third of your daily sodium content in one serving!Â
Hamburger Helper also tends to be low in fibre and nutrients. You can add canned beans or extra vegetables to supplement the boxed mix or serve them on the side for more nutrients and fibre.
Or better yet, make your own unprocessed homemade version! You’re able to control the quality of every ingredient, from the beef to the spices to the broth and even the sodium content. This makes it healthier for young kids who don’t need that much sodium anyway.
Plus, since many of us already have the fixings for this delicious hamburger helper meal on hand, it can also be more affordable!
Storage Guidelines
- Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave your serving for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
What Goes with Hamburger Helper
Although we often think of Hamburger Helper as a complete meal, I recommend adding a nice serving of veggies on the side to round it out!
My kids tend to prefer veggies on the side rather than added into the beef and pasta, so we like serving it with:
- Raw veggies and dip
- Air fryer veggie tots
- Roasted or steamed broccoli
- Sauteed zucchini or air fryer zucchini fries
- Steamed or roasted green beans
- Salad
What to Add to Hamburger Helper
Whether you’re trying to make it more nutritious or just want to change up the flavor of this dish, consider adding any of these add-ins!
- Finely shredded zucchini and/or carrots
- Finely chopped spinach
- Frozen corn or peas
- Frozen broccoli
- Canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- A dollop of plain cream cheese or sour cream
- A can of mild green chiles
Recipe Variations
- Southwestern Hamburger Helper: Add a can of black beans and green chiles for more fibre and a nice mild, smoky heat.
- Italian style: Replace the chili powder, mustard powder, and smoked paprika with two teaspoons of Italian seasoning for a completely different flavor profile!
- Chicken Helper: Although it’s called “hamburger” helper, you can easily substitute ground chicken (or ground turkey). Use chicken broth instead.
More Kid-Friendly Meals
- Meatloaf Recipe without Eggs
- Chili Con Carne with Vegetables
- Disneyland Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
- Chicken Pastina Soup
- Mexican Fiestada Pizza
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Best Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper {without Milk}
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 3/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni pasta (I use whole wheat or fiber-enriched)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onions to the pot. Cook until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard.
- Add the beef broth and increase the heat to high to allow it to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add in the uncooked macaroni noodles.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the pasta uncovered until it's tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes), stirring every minute or so.
- While it's cooking, grate the cheese.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes before serving to soak up the additional liquid and flavor.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to stir the mixture frequently after adding the noodles to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. I typically like to keep an eye on it and stir it every 1-2 minutes as it simmers.
- For a more saucy dish, use 3 cups of broth. If the mixture still seems a little soupy at the end, continue cooking for a bit longer to allow some of the liquid to cook off.
- The hamburger helper tends to get less creamy as it sits since the noodles start to absorb some of the sauce. Add a bit of extra broth and stir before serving to make it creamy again.
- You can make hamburger helper with veggies too! Add in some finely grated or chopped carrot, zucchini, or diced spinach, peppers or mushrooms.
- If making this recipe for babies, you may wish to use a no salt added beef broth and avoid adding salt to limit sodium consumption.
- If serving this meal to older children or adults, you may wish to drizzle on a bit of hot sauce for an extra kick.
My kids love this hamburger helper! This is the one dinner that they always ask for seconds (which doesn’t happen very often). I love how it’s made all in one pot too!
I’m so happy your kids have been loving the recipe! Gotta love those one pot meals 😉