One Pan Lightened Up Hamburger Helper

It’s time to take a trip down memory lane because I made you a homemade, creamy, nostalgic, lightened up hamburger helper recipe that you’re going to LOVE.

This healthy hamburger helper is just as easy to make as it is delicious. You’ll literally cook everything right in one pan with a handful of pantry staples and the result tastes 100x better than the boxed stuff you grew up on. I’ve included tons of ways to customize it with different meat options, veggie add-ins, and even a hint of spice if the kiddos aren’t involved.

OH and it takes just about 30 minutes from start to finish. AKA the ultimate weeknight dinner you’ll make again and again.

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What is hamburger helper?

Oh, hamburger helper. The nostalgic, delicious Betty Crocker dinner of my childhood (and probably many of yours!) The OG hamburger helper contains a box of noodles, powdered seasonings and starches and it’s meant to be combined with ground beef for a complete meal. The boxed dinner was actually created in the ’70s during a meat shortage for a quick and easy meal for families.

My lightened up version is almost just as quick and easy, and filled with ingredients you can actually pronounce!

Ingredients in this healthy hamburger helper

I took the original boxed magic and replaced the fillers and pouches with flavorful seasonings, a wonderful homemade sauce, and lean ground turkey for savory protein. You’ll LOVE this lightened up version made with wholesome ingredients you can feel good about. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Ground turkey: we’re skipping the beef and using lean ground turkey for that protein boost. You’ll cook it down with onion and garlic for extra flavor. I’ve also made this with ground chicken sausage and it is fantastic! Just be sure remove the casings first.
• For the sauce: the easy sauce is made extra creamy with tomato paste, low sodium chicken broth, milk, and tomato sauce.
• Seasonings: the true healthy hamburger helper taste comes from paprika, dried oregano, and plenty of salt and pepper.
• Pasta: the star of the show! I used pipe rigate pasta because I love how the sauce gets into every little nook and cranny of the noodle.
• Cheese: don’t forget plenty of sharp cheddar cheese. I used my fav Cabot sharp cheddar in this recipe.

Make it your own

This easy hamburger helper recipe is perfect for customizing with ingredients you have on hand. Here are some recommended swaps and add-ins you can try:

• Add a boost of veggies: feel free to throw in shredded zucchini, sauteed chopped red bell pepper, or mushrooms or a few cups of chopped spinach! My kids usually never know that it’s in there. I like to sauté them first for extra flavor.
• Spice it up: if you’d like you can add some red pepper flakes on top.
• Choose your meat: you can absolutely use ground beef or ground chicken if you’d like! Alternatively, you could fold in cooked, cubed chicken breast or use ground Italian sausage (remove from the casings!)
• Pick your pasta: I’ve found that pipe rigate, shells, or large elbow noodles are best for this pasta so that you get the noodles nicely coated with all the creaminess of the sauce, but up to you! You can also, of course, use your favorite gluten free pasta to keep the recipe gluten free.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Sure! Simply omit the ground turkey and fold in a can of chickpeas, black beans, or your fav plant-based meat substitute.

One pan healthy hamburger helper in 3 steps

1. Cook your meat. Start by cooking down the ground turkey in a large pot or skillet with olive oil, garlic, onion, salt & pepper.
2. Add the sauce & pasta. Stir in all of your sauce and seasoning ingredients until they’re well combined, then fold in the pasta. Bring everything to a gentle boil and cook it uncovered until your pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Tip: stir it every so often so the pasta doesn’t get stuck!
3. Cheese it & devour. Finally, remove it from the heat and stir in all of the cheddar cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste, then garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes if you’d like!

Get fancy with a breadcrumb topping

This hamburger helper recipe would also be delicious baked with a breadcrumb topping! Here’s how to do it:

1. Step 1: cook the whole recipe as directed and pour it into a 9×9 inch or 11×7 inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Step 2: make your breadcrumb topping by mixing together 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon of butter.
3. Step 3: sprinkle the breadcrumb topping onto the pasta and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F until the topping is golden brown.

Storing tips

You can store any leftover homemade hamburger helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave.

More pasta recipes you’ll love

• Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
• One Pot Cheesy Mushroom Spinach Beef Pasta
• The Best Healthy Turkey Lasagna You’ll Ever Eat
• Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Incredible Caramelized Onion Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake

Get all of my cozy pasta recipes here!

I hope you love this lightened up hamburger helper recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

The Best Healthy Hamburger Helper

4.94 from 131 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

The creamiest one pan lightened up hamburger helper made with simple ingredients for a nostalgic, comforting dinner the whole family will love. This healthy hamburger helper takes just 30 minutes to make and is packed with flavorful and protein! Options to add your fav veggies or spice it up if you'd like.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground turkey (93% is good)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk of choice (whole milk, 2% or unsweetened almond or cashew will work)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 cup)
• 16 ounces (1 pound) pipe rigate pasta or shellbows
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (we use Cabot)
• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
• For garnish:
• Freshly chopped parsley or red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in diced onion, garlic, ground turkey and salt and pepper; breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next stir in the tomato paste, paprika, and oregano, and cook for 1 minute until tomato paste deepens in color, which will allow the flavor to bloom.
• Add in the chicken broth, milk, and tomato sauce to the pot; stirring until well combined. Next, stir in the pasta and bring to a slight boil; you’ll cook UNCOVERED, stirring frequently, until the pasta is nice and tender, about 10-12 minutes (depending on your pasta shape) and most of the liquid (but not all!) is absorbed. You’ll want a little bit of liquid left to make the sauce nice and creamy. Remember you don’t need to have this over a roaring boil, just a gentle boil. Also, don't forget to stir often so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan!
• Remove from heat and stir in the sharp cheddar cheese and add additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes on top, if desired! Serves 4-6.

Recipe Notes

To make it more nutritious: feel free to throw in shredded zucchini, sautéed chopped red bell pepper, mushrooms or a few cups of chopped spinach! My kids usually never know that it’s in there.!

Spice it up: If you’d like you can add some red pepper flakes on top or directly into the meat mixture with the spices.

I’ve found that pipe rigate, shells or large elbow noodles are best for this pasta so that you get the noodles nicely coated with all the creaminess of the sauce, but up to you!

See the full post for tips, tricks, and even more ways to customize this recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 467calCarbohydrates: 43.7gProtein: 27gFat: 21.3gSaturated Fat: 7.5gFiber: 3gSugar: 6.2g