Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

Step 1

Add the beef and onions to a soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along. If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.

Step 2

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.

Step 3

Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.

Step 4

Reduce the heat so it's not furiously boiling (a rapid simmer is good). I ended up cooking mine over medium heat. Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes). I stir it every couple of minutes.

Step 5

While it's cooking, grate the cheese (this saves prep time at the start of the recipe).

Step 6

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt & pepper as needed. I let it sit for a couple minutes prior to serving (soaks up the sauce and flavors more), but you can serve it right away.