Homemade Hamburger Helper
I have a confession to make: I’ve actually never eaten original, authentic, store-bought Hamburger Helper from a box. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always wanted to, and I would beg my mom to buy it from the store and make it for dinner, but she always said no. Yes my friends, I was deprived as a child. Food deprived, and that’s the worse kind. We ate a lot of ground beef recipes growing up, because it was so economical, so I don’t really know why she never wanted to make it for me. Probably because one of my sisters hates mac and cheese and it’s essentially a beefy mac and cheese. I guess I really have my sister to blame for it. Anyhow, now as an adult, I’m still drawn to it for some reason, but have yet to actually buy a box of the stuff.
You can also make this with ground chicken or ground turkey if you’d prefer, add in a few more veggies (whichever you might have on hand), or try adding in pickled jalapeños (that would be DELICIOUS). Basically, I’m saying that this dish is completely versatile and you can adapt it according to your tastes.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small jalapeño sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups warm water or chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
- 1/2 cup chopped American cheese about 6 slices
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup panko Japanese-style breadcrumbs
- 1 scallion sliced
Instructions
- Melt he butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and crumble with a wooden spoon, cooking until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, jalapeño (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Reduce stovetop heat to medium, and stir in the macaroni. Add the milk, water, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a low simmer; cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender, about 12 minutes.
- Add the cheeses, and cook, stirring constantly, until melted through and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chives, and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt or pepper. Sprinkle the panko over the top and place under a preheated broiler until the top is golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately. Enjoy!
