Main Dishes
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Description
This one-pan Homemade Hamburger Helper features ground beef cooked with macaroni in a rich and creamy sauce with cheese. It’s scrumptious, simple, and cooks entirely in a single skillet, even the pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 3 medium carrots scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 (14-ounce) can reduced sodium beef broth
- 2 cups water plus additional as needed
- 8 ounces whole wheat elbow pasta
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped chives divided (optional)
Directions
- Heat a Dutch oven or a large, deep 12-inch skillet with a sturdy bottom over medium-low heat. Add the oil onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Let cook until the onion turns brown and soft, about 10 minutes (don't shortcut this step; it builds a lot of flavor).
- Add the garlic and let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. With the back of a large spoon or a sturdy spatula, break the meat into small pieces. Continue to brown, stirring periodically, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off any excess fat, leaving just a little bit in the pan to keep the meat moist (if you are using meat that is 93% lean, you likely will not need to drain it).
- Return the pan to medium-high heat. Stir in the hot sauce, Dijon, and smoked paprika. Add the beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan.
- Add the water and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the liquid is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions, stirring often and scraping a spoon along the bottom of the pan to keep it from sticking. If at any point the pasta becomes too dry, splash in a bit of water.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 1 minute. Add the Greek yogurt and cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted and the ingredients are well combined.
- Stir in half of the chives, then sprinkle the remaining chives on top. Enjoy hot.
