Homemade Hamburger Helper Beef Noodle
on Feb 13, 2023, Updated Jan 29, 2024
No need to buy store bought when you can make this Homemade Hamburger Helper Beef Noodle right at home. With a few simple ingredients and 30 minutes time, you can avoid the boxed stuff.
I always found really great deals on boxed Hamburger Helper when I spent time using coupons. My family loves the stuff, especially my hubby. Our favorite has been the Beef Noodle variety. We think it’s the BEST Hamburger Helper recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
- It’s a great ground beef recipe for a busy weeknight meal. Copycat Hamburger Helper is perfect for making when you are pressed for time. You can quickly brown ground beef and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
- The recipe is a from scratch version, it’s so much better than the store-bought boxed version.
- You can easily customize to your families likings. Even the pickiest eaters will devour this dish. See some variation ideas below.
- Make it all in one pan. This is a One Pot Meal that makes for easy after dinner cleanup.
Did you grow up with Hamburger Helper on your dinner table? I know I did. My mother always reached for the boxed stuff when she was busy. I can’t say as I blame her. I have memories with helper being in our dinner rotation frequently. It was one of my childhood favorites and I love this stuff to this day.
Over the years, Betty Crocker has made quite a few different variations of the quick and easy dinner idea. When surfing the web, I came across a blog, The Chickens In the Road. This site has quite a few different recipes for Hamburger Helper but they did not have one for our favorite Beef Pasta.
I decided to create a from scratch Hamburger Helper Beef Noodle version. As it turns out, it was so quick and easy to make. I had everything right in my pantry to make homemade.
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Ingredients To Make Hamburger Helper
- Ground Beef – It’s best to use a lean ground beef. The less fat content makes for a less greasy dish. You could also substitute the protein with ground chicken or ground turkey to make the meal a bit healthier.
- Pasta – I kept our replicated hamburger helper authentic by using wide egg noodles.
- Bouillon Cubes – I use 3 cubes for this recipe. Readers have since commented that they have successfully used 2 cubes or subbed with Beef Broth in place of the Bouillon and water. These modifications do make the dish a bit healthier and with lower sodium.
- Water – As noted above, you can make the hamburger helper without the Bouillon Cubes and replacing the water with broth.
- Milk – I use a whole milk when making this beef pasta recipe for my family. Readers have mentioned subbing the 2 cups of milk with 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. I have not tested but they have had great results.
- Cornstarch – Will thicken the beef sauce.
- Garlic Powder – adds some additional flavor.
- Onion Powder – keeps the recipe kid- friendly but makes the dish less bland.
- Sugar – Balances the flavors from the savory ingredients.
- Salt & Pepper – in my original recipe I included measurements. Since having feedback from readers (Thank you much), I am going to mention salting and peppering to taste.
How to Make Hamburger Helper
Note: detailed measurements and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
- Mix together cornstarch, sugar, onion powder and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then then drain off excess grease.
- Make bouillon mixture by microwaving water and then dissolving the cubes. Add to the ground beef.
- Stir in milk and then seasoning mix until fully incorporated. Add in egg noodles then bring to a boil before reducing heat to low.
- Cover Beef Noodle and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until egg noodles are tender.
Variations for this Easy Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta Recipe
- Protein: As mentioned, ground turkey, ground chicken, sausage or vegetable protein can be used as a substitute for the ground beef.
- Pasta: Most any will work with this recipe, even a whole wheat pasta. Consider using elbow macaroni, shell pasta, farfalle, penne or a bowtie… use your family favorite. Note that my recipe has only been tested with egg noodles. If using a different noodle you may need additional liquids and a bit longer cook time.
- Veggies: Consider adding your family favorite canned vegetables to your hamburger pasta. We like to add mushrooms, corn, peas, green peppers and onions. You could even add some spinach. Just add the vegetables near the end of cooking.
- Spices: Paprika, chili powder, a dash thyme or even a sprinkle of red pepper will amp up the flavor profile. Experiment with spices that you like most.
- Cheese: You could certainly top the hamburger pasta with cheddar cheese, or maybe provolone. Add at the end of cooking then place a lid over the pan for a few minutes to melt.
- Sour Cream: Many readers have mentioned adding a bit of sour cream to their Homemade Helper for extra creamy pasta. This will make the dish a bit more like a Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. Just add 1/2 cup of sour cream near the end of cooking.
- Dairy Free: This recipe can be made without the milk. But, it will need to be replaced with water, beef broth, vegetable broth or unflavored soy milk. Some readers have used oat milk but noted this substitution does change the flavor profile.
FAQs about Hamburger Helper
Hamburger Helper is the product created to stretch meat in meals. The concept is to provide the starch or fiber (usually pasta) along with a seasoning packet (with associated nutrients and preservatives) in a box. This is then combined with browned meat and specified liquids and allowed to simmer until a one pot meal is ready.
Hamburger Helper is made by General Mills through their Betty Crocker division.
The product was invented in the labs of Betty Crocker and introduced in 1971 to help families working on a budget use less meat when making a meal.
There are dozens of flavors of Hamburger Helper, not to mention Cheeseburger Helper, Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper. You can find the current product lineup on their site.
You make it in the same basic way we make our home made Hamburger Helper, except they use a powdered beef flavor in with the spice packet to eliminate a step (and add preservatives).
They are basically the same. This is an example of marketing. Thanks Hambuger Helper.
The simple answer is no, but you’ll need to add something to replace it. Milk is what makes the final dish creamy. What to use depends on whether you are dairy averse or just out of milk. You could use heavy cream, evaporated milk or even plain yogurt diluted with a little water. If you want to avoid dairy, unflavored soy milk, oat milk or even just bouillion can work.
Using whole milk adds more milkfat to the final dish. If it is still not enough for you, you can add a tablespoon of butter, sour cream or cream cheese during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
No. The pasta should cook in the pan during the normal process described in the Hamberger Helper recipe.
This depends on what you feel is lacking in the final dish. If it is just bland, you can increase the amount of dry bouillion and dry spices by about 25%.
Tips for Making the Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta
- Cook in a large skillet or grab your favorite Dutch Oven– either will work great for this recipe.
- After browning the meat and you are ready to drain the excess grease consider using the “paper towel” method to remove the unwanted fat. Press all of the cooked meat to one side of the pan. Then use a clean paper towel to soak up the grease. No need for a strainer!
- If your sauce appears thick and you have quite a bit of cook time left (the pasta is not yet al dente), you can add add about 1/4 -1/2 cup additional liquid. I use additional water.
- To dress up the finished meal, garnish with a little fresh parsley.
Leftovers and Reheating Hamburger Helper
- If you miraculously have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
- To reheat Hamburger Helper, simply add a cap full of milk and cook in a pan over low heat. Stir occasionally. Pasta is ready to serve after noodles and ground beef are at desired temperature.
- Hamburger Helper can be stored in the freezer, but it does not freeze well. The noodles can become very mushy when frozen and then reheated.
What to Serve with Hamburger Helper
Hamburger Helper is a meal in itself. There really is no need for side dishes. That’s what makes one pot meals great. But, here are a few ideas if you are looking to stretch the helper to feed a larger family.
- A simple tossed garden salad is perfect. Add on some CopyCat Olive Garden Dressing!
- Bread – Grab a french loaf or even leftover hamburger or hot dog rolls. Then, top it with my Garlic Butter Spread for a quick and easy side.
- Vegetables – any of your favorites alongside. Give my Roasted Green Beans a try. They are simple to make and everyone will enjoy them.
Other Delicious Ground Beef One Pot Meal Recipes
- This One Pot Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Meal comes together in no time at all and was a perfect meal for my larger family. This pasta dish can be made with your favorite pizza toppings.
- If you are needing a simple and comforting meal, you will want to make this One Pot American Goulash. This dish is super simple, all made in just one pot on your stove top.
Did you make this recipe? If so, be sure to rate with a star rating and drop a comment below.
Homemade Hamburger Helper Beef Noodle
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 2 cup Wide Egg Noodles
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- 1 1/2 cup Milk
- 3 Beef Bouillon Cubes
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. set aside.
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet and drain excess fat.
- Boil water in microwave safe bowl.
- Add bouillon cubes and stir until dissolved.
- Add bouillon mixture to skillet and stir to incorporate.
- Add milk and stir to incorporate.
- Add seasoning mixture and stir until blended.
- Add egg noodles, stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until noodles are tender.
- Remove from heat and let stand for several minutes to thicken.
Notes
- Cook in a large skillet or grab your favorite Dutch Oven- either will work great for this recipe.
- After browning the meat and you are ready to drain the excess grease consider using the “paper towel” method to remove the unwanted fat. Press all of the cooked meat to one side of the pan. Then use a clean paper towel to soak up the grease. No need for a strainer!
- If your sauce appears thick and you have quite a bit of cook time left (the pasta is not yet al dente), you can add add about 1/4 -1/2 cup additional liquid. I use additional water.
- To dress up the finished meal, garnish with a little fresh parsley.
just what I was craving, DELICIOUS!
I thought it was a good basic recipe for hamburger helper.cooked as read the first time I thought it was good. What I cook it the next time I will cut back the salt. And experiment with added veggies to it yum.
Made this tonight and it was Very good. I did tweet it a bit, added the corn starch to 1/2 cup of sour cream then stored in 1cup milk, also add a splash of good balsamic vinegar.
Will be making this again.
Could I sub non dairy milk like almond milk for this recipe?
I tried almond milk substitute and it was TERRIBLE. :(
I always use regular almond milk and it turns out great
Excellent! Came out perfect! Thank you!!
I made this dish today and it was so easy. The taste is so much better than Hamburger Helper box… No one could believe me that it wasn’t out of the box. Fresh ingredients and healthier than the box. My family favorite now….
Love the recipe I used beef broth instead of water. Also added onion and peppers to add depth. Omitted the salt because bullion cubes are very salty. Family loves it.
I thought this turned out really good! It tastes just like the real thing! I would consider using canned beef broth next time instead of the bouillon. I did add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and it was a great addition. We will definitely have this again!
I made this by using 2 1/2 cups whole wheat penne pasta, and omitted the salt as well as the sugar, as I didn’t find it necessary. It turned out perfect this way.
Super easy, and tastes like the real deal but better. It was a little too peppery, but it might be personal preference. I also added a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
Okay I just finished cooking this and I am letting it sit on the back burner hoping that it will thicken a bit. Now, I used rotini pasta because that’s just what I had. I let it cook for the full 16 minutes because it was so liquidy. And honestly, this came out a little anemic looking for beef pasta. Too much milk maybe. It looks more like stroganoff helper to be honest, but it smells really good and what I have tasted of it tastes pretty good but yes, a little on the salty side. Thank you for sharing, it certainly works. Especially since I have not been able to find beef pasta lately at the store with coronavirus going on lol. I could see this being a regular staple in my home with a couple of tweaks. Again, thank you. :-)
This really captures the boxed Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper, which I don’t mind saying, I enjoy sometimes. I had no idea It was this easy to “make your own” version. Thank you for sharing!!
Way too salty. Gets enough from the bullion. Skip the salt in the recipe and it will probably be fine. Flavor is spot on though.
I agree. The bullion cubes were way too salty. I use low sodium beef broth instead.
I skipped the salt, and it was still crazy salty. :/
If you use bouillon concentrate instead, follow the directions on the bottle. It’s not as salty. I followed the recipe too and the first time it was way too salty. I made it tonight with the concentrate, it was perfect.
Used 1/2 the salt and 2 bullion cubes. Subbed 1/4 water with 1/4 of red wine to get the “brown” color HH has. Was fa good meal. Nice starting point recipe.
I didn’t have quite enough milk so I added red wine! The color was perfect and it added so much depth to the flavor! Thanks for that suggestion!
Don’t have bullion cubes, can I use beef base paste instead. Can’t wait to try this.
Thank you! My husband LOVED this recipe! The first time, I did not have beef bouillon cubes, so I boiled down two cups of beef broth. It was still very good! I currently have it cooking on the stove having used the bouillon, so I’ll have to see! But thank you for putting out an easy recipe that my husband loves, and one that is made at home from scratch instead of the traditional from-the-box hamburger helper that I just never could get myself to buy!
Made this tonight! Super easy to follow recipe and it tasted delicious! I had to differ a little with what I had, flour and linguine noodles. Quick and easy recipe!
I really thought easy and delicious
Spot on! Very easy to follow & delicious without the processed stuff. My only changes were to add diced onions & some half & half replacing 1/2 cup of the milk. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you
Made this today. Delicious and so easy. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Made this for dinner. We LOVED it! The recipe goes in my recipe box. I had all of the ingredients on hand. Thank you
Great recipe! I haven’t tried adding more bouillon cubes yet, probably will the next time. I usually add some Worstershire to this, cut the salt in half, and put some frozen peas in as well. I’ve also always used 3 cups of egg noodles instead of 2 and it seems about the right proportion.
Thanks for the great recipe!