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Hamburger Helper

a pan of homemade hamburger helper made with pasta, ground beef, milk, butter, beef stock, cheese and spices
  • Serves:  4
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 93/7 ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch (see Note)
  • 2 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or hot water (we like a combination of beef and chicken stock)
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 8 ounces macaroni pasta
  • 8 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese, (about 2 cups)
  • Minced fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Method

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a colander set over a bowl to drain off the fat.
  2. Return the beef to the pot. Stir the tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, sugar, salt, and pepper into the browned beef. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined, about 1 more minute.
  3. Add the stock and milk and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, add the macaroni and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Serve sprinkled with parsley if using.

Note:

If using cornstarch, make a slurry by combining it with ¼ cup of cool water. Then you’ll skip adding the flour in step 2 and instead add the slurry to the pot in step 3 along with the stock and milk.