No need for a box of Hamburger Helper. You have this tasty recipe for a complete one-pot meal ready in under an hour.
Who didn't like that goofy-looking hand + 1 pound of meat when they were younger?
I know I did. I miss that stuff. I still think it looks so tasty when I see commercials, and I wish I could eat that for dinner.

I decided to make my own version since I think it's fun to try a homemade version of your childhood faves.
I haven't compared this recipe with the delicious out-of-the-box dinner. But it's good and definitely worth trying.
Variations
To make gluten-free, use gluten-free noodles. Replace the 2 tablespoons flour with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and follow the directions as written.
The recipe can easily be halved, or you can freeze leftovers.

Hamburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 10 ounces mushrooms finely chopped
- 4 medium carrots finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups beef broth preferrably no-salt added or low-sodium
- ¾ cup water divided
- 2 tablespoon red wine optional
- 2 cups elbow noodles whole grain
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup plain yogurt greek or regular, preferably not fat-free
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook beef, and drain fat. Return beef to the Dutch oven.
- Add in onions, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, thyme, salt, peppers, and seasoning. Cook until veggies are softened and mushrooms release their juices, about 10 minutes.
- Pour in broth, ½ cup water, red wine, noodles, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Whisk flour and remaining ¼ cup water together until smooth in a small bowl. Stir into beef mixture. Cook 3 minutes.
- Stir in yogurt. Simmer mixture, stirring often, about 2 minutes until sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
June @ Coffee Under The Umbrella says
Was googling around for ground beef recipes and found yours. Tried this tonight - awesome. Didn't have beef stock or thyme and we don't drink, so I just used homemade chicken stock, Italian seasoning, and some splashes of balsamic vinegar. Wonderful recipe and thanks for posting.
memeinge says
I'm so happy you tried it and used things you already had in your kitchen!! Your version sounds delicious ๐