Description
A quick and easy homemade version of the classic Hamburger Helper, featuring ground beef, elbow macaroni, and a savory tomato and cheese sauce made from simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (80-85% lean)
- 1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked (8 ounces by weight)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil and brown beef: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven, large skillet, or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion and cook, crumbling the beef, until browned. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add seasonings and tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste, sweet paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Pour in broth: Stir in the low sodium beef broth to the meat mixture, ensuring it is well incorporated.
- Add pasta and simmer: Stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a moderate simmer. Cover the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent pasta from sticking, until pasta is tender, about 12 minutes. The sauce will remain slightly brothy.
- Finish with cheese: Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use 80-85% lean ground beef for optimal flavor and fat content.
- Add extra vegetables like finely chopped carrots, bell peppers, celery, peas, or fresh spinach to boost nutrition and flavor.
- For a lighter dish, substitute half of the beef broth with water.
- Make it creamier by replacing 1 to 1 ½ cups of broth with whole milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
