Mom’s Homemade Hamburger Helper

Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Annie

Homemade Hamburger Helper makes the perfect pantry staple recipe for a busy weeknight. Filling, flavorful, and dairy-free, this comfort food classic is made with a meat sauce and elbow noodles.

A bowl of hamburger helper with a baking dish of hamburger helper in the top left.

I have been struggling a bit with quarantine, and if I am being honest comfort food has been a huge part of my self-care routine. From chicken pot pie to warm chocolate chip cookies, I’ve been hitting the classics hard. It’s a good thing stretchy pants and thick sweaters have also been part of this routine…

One of the things I keep coming back to are recipes that remind me of home. Since we have been self-quarantined (we’re in this together y’all), we missed a few planned trips home and a couple house-hunting trips. With our move just 5 weeks away and nowhere but a basement apartment to move into, my stress levels could be lower.

To take my mind off the move and the fact we haven’t seen our family since December, I turned to the one thing that reminded me of home, food. For years (and still to this day) my mom made a homemade hamburger helper with pasta, meat sauce, and cheese.

When we went home over Christmas my mom was also eating dairy-free to see if it would help her tummy troubles. We made her hamburger helper casserole and she coated about 2/3rds with cheese, for the dairy eaters, and left a third for the two of us to enjoy.

A white bowl with homemade hamburger helper, a spoon, and some basil to the bottom left.

WHY I LOVE MOM’S HAMBURGER HELPER

Every single bite takes me back home. When a dish has that strong of a power, it’s the one you want to make again and again. Some other reasons we love making this simple casserole include:

  • It easily feeds a family and then some. This casserole makes enough for about 8 servings.
  • Pantry-staple recipe. Made with easy to find ingredients that you probably already have in the kitchen.
  • Easy to make a meal out of it. Pair with a simple salad and a few dinner rolls and you’ve got yourself a full meal.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe comes together with pantry staple ingredients you probably already have on hand. To make this simple dish you will need:

  • Pasta– I love making this dish with elbow pasta but you can truly use any shape you want.
  • Ground meat– This dish works well with both ground turkey or ground beef.
  • Pasta Sauce– Pick your favorite jarred pasta sauce to keep this recipe simple.
  • Onion + Garlic– Gives a little extra flavor to the sauce.
  • Olive oil– For cooking and flavor.
  • Seasoning– A blend of salt, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper season this casserole.

MAKE THE PASTA

  • Fill a large pot with water.
  • Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
  • Once boiling, generously salt the water (not just a pinch y’all)
  • Add the pasta to the water and stir occasionally to prevent the pasta sticking to the pot.
  • Cook based on the package directions.
  • Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
  • Pour the cooked pasta into a 9×13-inch pan or casserole dish. Set aside.

MAKE THE MEAT SAUCE

While the pasta boils, begin making the meat sauce.

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil.
  • Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Next, add the ground meat to the pan and brown. Crumble as you cook.
  • Stir in garlic: Once the meat is cooked through add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Sauce and seasoning: Next add tomato sauce, reserved pasta water, and seasonings to the pan. Stir until everything is combined.
  • Cover and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Top the pasta with sauce: Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the pasta.
  • Mix together and until combined. Serve with fresh basil and enjoy.
  • To make a cheesy top, simply spread dairy free cheese shreds on top and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until bubbly and melty.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Here are just a few of the tools I find helpful in making this filling pasta recipe.

  • Large Skillet– A big, deep skillet works best for making the meat sauce for this homemade hamburger helper recipe.
  • 9×13-inch Baking Dish– Used for both serving and storing the homemade hamburger helper.
  • Pasta Strainer– Great for draining the pasta after it cooks. I love how it hands on the edges of the kitchen sink.

DAIRY-FREE CHANGES TO HAMBURGER HELPER

I chose to omit cheese from the sauce and the topping to keep this simple and dairy-free. You can also top with shredded dairy-free cheese if you are hankering for that cheesy goodness.

Serving Suggestions

I’m not going to lie when I say I have just taken a fork to the casserole dish and gone to town on this homemade hamburger helper a time or two. But if you are looking for some other ways to dish out this dinner, here are some other alternatives:

Homemade hamburger helper in a baking dish with a wooden spoon.

THE BEST PASTA TO USE FOR HAMBURGER HELPER

Traditionally, mom’s homemade hamburger helper sports an elbow pasta. I stuck with the classic, but if choices are limited you might just want to use what you have on hand. Other pastas to try include:

  • Shells
  • Shellbows– the hybrid your pantry needs
  • Ditalini
  • Rotini
  • Gemelli
  • Cavatappi
  • Orecchiette

Basically if it can scoop or cup the sauce, it’s a solid choice.

Filling Pasta Dishes to Try Next

If you tried this homemade hamburger helper recipe feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear how it went! You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!

Check out my newsletter for even more dairy-free goodness!

A white bowl of hamburger helper on the left with a baking dish of hamburger helper on the right.

Mom’s Homemade Hamburger Helper

A comfort food classic, this homemade hamburger helper is packed with fresh pasta, a meaty sauce, and filling bites that remind you of home.

Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Casserole, Dairy-Free, Pasta, Sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Elbow Pasta
  • 1 pound Ground Meat beef or turkey work best
  • 24 ounces Pasta Sauce
  • 1 Onion diced
  • 3 pods Garlic chopped or microplaned
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Water or reserved pasta water
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot of water. Bring to boil. Once boiling, season generously with salt. Add 1 pound pasta and cook according to package directions.

  2. Reserve 1 cup water then drain the pasta and pour the cooked pasta into a 9 X 13 baking dish.

  3. Meanwhile, dice 1 onion and the 3 pods of garlic and set aside.

  4. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and cook the onion until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

  5. Add 1 pound ground meat. Cook and crumble until brown. Once cooked through add 3 pods of diced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  6. Next pour in the 24 ounces of pasta sauce and add the reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

  7. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon papper. Stir until combined, cover and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes.

  8. Remove the skillet from heat and add the sauce to the dish with the pasta, stir to combine. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.

  9. Optional: If you would like to add a cheese topping, sprinkle non-dairy cheese shreds on top of the hamburger helper. Bake in the oven at 350°F until melted, about 5-10 minutes.

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