This from scratch hamburger helper is so easy to make, it is crazy that boxed hamburger helper ever became a thing! In still less than half an hour, you can have this dish on the table while dirtying only one skillet. It is a perfect go to meal for those busy days when you don’t have meat thawing at home!

Begin by browning the meat and onions in a skillet. Add your seasoniongs. Add the broth and the milk and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and let it cook. Lastly, sprinkle in a little flour for thickening, add your cheese, and stir to combine. The process is so simple, and literally just as easy as the box packets!

Jump to the recipe to follow detailed instructions, or keep reading to learn about some substitutions and fun twists you can put on this dish. First, I’ll address the benefits to learning how to make this meal from scratch instead of buying it boxed!

Why make it yourself?

I don’t know about you, but I would rather know what it is I am eating on a regular basis. When it comes to the food I feed my family for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have established that I want to know what it is and limit the processing involved. I would not call myself a super health nut. I would make myself go crazy if I went down every rabbit hole. However, avoiding processed foods and feeding my family a nutritious and varied diet (as much as is possible) is one simple way that I can prioritize my family’s well-being as a homemaker.

Growing out of the dependency culture:

When I first started learning the skills of baking bread and cooking from scratch, I was shocked at how much I did not know. I assumed that the processes for many of these meals must be time consuming and difficult if there was a market for a boxed version, but that is not the case every time. When I learned how easy hamburger helper actually is to make, I could not believe that boxed hamburger helper had become so popular. I could see grabbing the boxed version of certain meals if it saves you a lot of time and hassle in the kitchen, but in this case especially-it truly does not! It dirties no more dishes to do it yourself; it takes no more time; and it really does not take any more planning so long as you have spices in your cabinet and broth in your fridge or freezer. What it does take for this meal to be as easy as the box is simply knowing the process, and being comfortable with it, and that just comes with practice.

We are so dependant on convenience culture that many of us have little knowledge of how to do simple things for ourselves. Meals that our grandparents and generations before them made routinely to simply provide and care for their families. This is a dangerous place to be in as a culture. Even if you do not care about the health benefits of cooking from scratch, if you have a home and a family, it is good to seek to learn basic ways to meet their needs outside of the convenience culture. Convenience is not guarranteed, but developed skills will serve you whether you need them or not.

The ingredients and their substitutions

Hamburger: Hamburger obviously has a very distinct taste, but you can still substitute this for any other kind of ground meat. The taste and flavor of the dish will definitely be affected, but the general texture and make up of the dish will stay the same. Feel free to experiment here if you have another type of ground meat that is your go to due to budget or health reasons.

Beef broth: In the recipe ingredients I actually have this labelled as just broth. It truly does not matter what kind you use. I generally use chicken bone broth, because that is what I make the most of and have on hand. The bone broth tends to be strong enough to blend well with the flavor of the beef versus regular chicken broth. I had chicken broth which I seasoned for a soup one day but changed my mind and made hamburger helper with it. It greatly affected the flavor in a way I did not like, but not to the extent that it couldn’t be enjoyed. Be aware that the flavor of the dish will be impacted depending on the type of broth you use, but again, feel free to experiment. If you have access to beef broth or beef bone broth, that would likely lend you the best flavor combination.

Shredded cheddar: I like the stronger cheese in this dish, and that is why I generally use sharp shredded cheddar cheese. You can definitely try other combinations of shredded cheese to spice it up.

Whole wheat elbow macaroni: This can obviously be substituted with any other type of pasta. They all cook very similarly. I use whole wheat pasta for the nutritional benefit. If substituting whole wheat elbows for regular elbow macaroni, do everything exactly the same. If using a different shaped pasta noodle, you may just want to pay closer attention to notice when it is cooked and prevent overcooking it.

Fun additions

This and other skillet or casserole type meals are a great way to sneak in various veggies to your family. Especially if you have picky eaters! I will always use this opportunity to see what veggies I have in my fridge that are on their way out, and add them to the skillet. Some great options, and ones I have used a number of times are: Carrots, celery, and peppers. You could also add beans, broccoli, spinach, or even zucchini, to name a few options.

Add a half a cup of water, broth, or milk for every cup of veggies excluding veggies with a high water content like zuccini or spinach. These can just be added straight in. Adding just a bit of extra liquid for other veggies, like carrots, will allow the hamburger helper to keep the creamy sauce texture. Have fun and experiment here, and if you try a different vegetable than I have listed, please comment and share how it came out!

The Recipe

If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts! You can pin and share this recipe with other like-minded moms looking for some easy dinner inspiration for their busy homes!