Best Hamburger Recipe- Skillet Cheeseburger Helper - Gwen's Nest (2024)
By Gwen Brown43 Comments
You asked for my best hamburger recipe, and this is it! It’s lightening fast, can be on the table in minutes, and pleases even the pickiest palettes. Think of it as a homemade Hamburger Helper recipe, except it’s even yummier. I hope you love it! My family sure does.
It goes on the table in less than 30 minutes, start to finish. I double the recipe, since we’re a family of 6 with teens and big appetites, and it makes a HUGE pan and leaves me some lunch leftovers.
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I like to serve it with a side salad, or raw veggies with ranch dipfor a well rounded meal.
Trim Healthy Mama Tips
Another reason this is the best hamburger recipe, is that itcan easily be made low carb, so it works on plan with the Trim Healthy Mama plan as an S recipe if you useDreamfields pasta. Or you can make it with gluten free pasta if necessary- most gluten free pastas are not Trim Healthy Mama friendly, but you can use (Amazon affiliate links)black bean pasta or quinoa pastas to keep it on plan as a crossover.
This is also really easy to crossover for kids or people who don’t need to lose weight. Simply add some fruit or some garlic toast for those who need to gain or maintain.
Best Hamburger Recipe- EVEN Faster!
Some of you have asked for SUPER fast, easy recipes. For those busy nights where you’re running to soccer practice, or coming home late from work. Here are my best tips for making this recipe even faster.
Pre-mix 4-5 extra batches of spices into little snack sized baggies when you make this the first time. Label thebags, and stash them in the pantry for the future.
Pre-brown and drain ground beef, and spread out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Crumble frozen ground beef and freeze in a bag- this can be used in any type of recipe calling for ground beef: tacos, chili, hamburger beef soup, cheeseburger quesadillas, and even this delicious Cheeseburger Helperrecipe. You can brown up several pounds of ground beef on a slower day, and freeze several pounds at once to use for later.
Menu plan (like this!) So you know exactly what to take out to thaw ahead for every meal.
Following these quick steps can get this on the table in less than 15 minutes!
This is my favorite "get it to the table fast" best hamburger recipe. My whole family loves it! To make it even quicker, premix extra batches of the spices, and keep them on hand for the future.
Author: Gwen
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
spice packet (see below)
1 cup hot water
1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
1 cup half & half (or sub with additional almond milk- but this is creamier)
4 oz. or 1½ cups pasta- Dreamfields keeps you low carb or THM compiant, but any pasta may be used in this recipe
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more cheese for topping (topping is optional)
Hamburger Helper Spice Packet
2½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
1 teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon glucomannan thickener or xanthan gum
Instructions
Brown ground beef in a skillet or dutch oven that has a lid.
While beef is browning, mix together your spices. (This is a great time to go ahead and measure out a few extra snack sized baggies for the future!)
When the beef is starting to get a deep brown and smell amazing, add in the spices, hot water, almond milk, and half & half.
Stir, and bring to a simmer.
Add pasta to the pot and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
Remove lid & add cheese. Check pasta for doneness. If it's done, simply allow the cheese to melt into the sauce. If your pasta has a few more minutes, return the lid and simmer until the pasta is tender.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve.
Notes
Trim Healthy Mama Notes: Use Dreamfields Pasta to keep this in an S setting, and avoid reheating, as this breaks down the pasta and makes it higher carb. If you're gluten free, you can use the black bean or quinoa pastas if you're comfortable with those, and consider it a crossover recipe.
Almost any of the “helpers” benefit from the addition of sautéed diced onion and minced or grated garlic. This adds another layer of flavor. Or try adding diced red sweet peppers. If it is a cheesy mix add a half cup of freshly grated parmesan and a handful of minced fresh flat leaf parsley.
Using beef broth in this recipe is important for creating the rich, savory sauce flavors. Carrots + Onion + Garlic. While some recipes call for onion powder and garlic powder, I found that a combination of fresh onion and garlic with carrots helps pack in added nutritional value and creates a deep base of flavor.
Moreover, you can also combine two kinds of cheese and use them in this dish for extra richness and cheesiness. Spices and herbs: spices and herbs are the best way to improve the flavors of any dish. Add cumin, cayenne, paprika, or Italian herbs to the hamburger helper to make it taste better.
Simply add ground beef or hot dogs, water, and milk to create an irresistible, delectably cheesy meal option for any day of the week. Add your own twist with cooked bacon, shredded cheese or sliced tomatoes for an extra dose of flavor.
Since milk adds a creamy texture to the Hamburger Helper sauce, it or its substitutes are recommended as a major ingredient to flavorful Hamburger Helper meals. For best results, choose plant milk or a milk substitute that is sweet or savory, depending on the meal type.
Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor. Add vegetables: Finely chop vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers and add them to the ground beef while it cooks.
How do I make Hamburger Helper taste better? Originally Answered: How do I make a hamburger helper taste better? Add fresh vegetables to the dish. Brown the ground beef and saute some onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic on the side.
Heat: Add meatballs, hot water, milk, Sauce Mix and Pasta to 10-inch skillet; stir well. Heat to boiling. Simmer: Reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
Cornstarch will help thicken the sauce for a creamier and more silky cheese sauce. What is this? 4. Add them to the ground beef and noodle mixture and give it a quick stir.
Add 2 1/4 cups of milk and 2 2/3 cups of hot water to the pan, along with the pasta and seasoning mix from the Hamburger Helper package. Stir everything well and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes.
If your Hamburger Helper is too runny or juicy, the best way to thicken it up is to put the lid on the pan and let the mixture steam for at least five minutes. The macaroni will continue to absorb the liquid and the mixture will become thicker. If it always seems too thin, reduce the amount of liquid added.
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.
It's very easy to adapt. We like to ad cream cheese and/or sour cream, a little spicy brown mustard, and whatever cheese we have on hand. Sometimes we ad ground beef, ground turkey, sliced ot dogs or bacon, but its the rits topping on the top that makes it sooo good.
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You asked for my best hamburger recipe, and this is it! It’s lightening fast, can be on the table in minutes, and pleases even the pickiest palettes. Think of it as a homemade Hamburger Helper recipe, except it’s even yummier. I hope you love it! My family sure does.
