Homemade Hamburger Helper

By Priya Krishna

Published March 18, 2023

  • A Dutch oven holds homemade Hamburger Helper, with a serving portioned out into a white bowl. An open bottle of hot sauce sits nearby.
    Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(9,984)
Comments
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Think of this as the most luxurious Hamburger Helper you’ve ever had. It’s how Mark Rosati, the culinary director of Shake Shack, turns leftover ground beef into a complete weeknight dinner. The entire dish — even the pasta — is made in one pot, and melds the indelible comfort of macaroni and cheese with the complexity of a good Bolognese. This definitely has a kick, so adjust the hot sauce according to taste.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced into ½-inch pieces

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 5 strips uncooked smoked bacon, finely chopped

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 3 cups chicken stock or water

  • ¾ cup heavy cream

  • ¼ to ⅓ cup hot sauce

  • 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 8 ounces elbow pasta

  • 5 slices American cheese, ripped into small pieces

  • 1 ½ cups grated Cheddar

  • ½ cup finely chopped chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

62 grams carbs; 226 milligrams cholesterol; 1343 calories; 36 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams saturated fat; 92 grams fat; 2 grams trans fat; 4 grams fiber; 1646 milligrams sodium; 55 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large (12-inch) sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low, and add oil and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper. (The hot sauce added in Step 6 will add a lot of flavor, so be careful not to overseason here.) Let cook until the onions turn light beige in color and begin to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add garlic and cook until fragrant and starting to brown ever so slightly, about 2 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Increase heat to medium-high and add bacon and ground beef, using the back of a large spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sear and develop a crust on the bottom of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving a little in the pan to keep the meat moist.

  5. Step 5

    Return pan to medium-high heat and add white wine, allowing it to reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, hot sauce, paprika and bay leaf to the pan. Mix until combined and bring to a boil.

  7. Step 7

    Once the mixture is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 9 minutes.

  8. Step 8

    Reduce the heat to low and stir in both types of cheese, stirring until completely melted and sauce is thickened.

  9. Step 9

    Remove the pan from heat, stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
9,984 user ratings
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Comments

Dan_Dags

I got drunk and made this when my fiancee wasn't home and got all these stains on my undershirt when I ate it (I spilled on myself) and it was so good and I don't even care.

Cassie W.

This 4-serving gutbuster clocks in at over 1,100 calories per serving. I lightened it up by omitting the bacon, using half-and-half and 93% ground beef. I easily divided it into 6 servings with a salad on the side.

kimball99

Made as directed, following others' suggestions to cut down on the hot sauce. Delicious! And worked very well using gluten-free macaroni. Although after spending a good hour and a half in the kitchen -- on a recipe inspired by a convenience product, of all things -- my teen son and I decided it would more accurately be titled "Hamburger Complicater."

Ellie

Made this after reading the comments, and just based on preference/what we had I subbed whole milk for most of the heavy cream, left out the hot sauce (didn't have any), left out the chives, and didn't add the bacon. Obviously that makes a different recipe but omg it was fantastic. Makes great leftovers to take to work and is going into our regular rotation. Even my sister who is not at all a fan of American cheese thought it worked well in this! Definitely recommend making!

Yezzen

Adding red wine vinegar at the end was a game changer, it does a really good job of cutting through the fattiness and richness

Dawn

I used cheddar and a Dutch Gouda which was fine. I used chicken bouillon and I should've reduced the amount because it was too salty (cheese has plenty of salt). Bacon had salt too so keep that in mind and adjust to your taste. otherwise it's a great recipe!

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