You asked for my best hamburger recipe, and this is it! It’s lightening fast, can be on the table in minutes, and pleases even the pickiest palettes. Think of it as a homemade Hamburger Helper recipe, except it’s even yummier. I hope you love it! My family sure does.
It goes on the table in less than 30 minutes, start to finish. I double the recipe, since we’re a family of 6 with teens and big appetites, and it makes a HUGE pan and leaves me some lunch leftovers.
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I like to serve it with a side salad, or raw veggies with ranch dipfor a well rounded meal.
Another reason this is the best hamburger recipe, is that itcan easily be made low carb, so it works on plan with the Trim Healthy Mama plan as an S recipe if you useDreamfields pasta. Or you can make it with gluten free pasta if necessary- most gluten free pastas are not Trim Healthy Mama friendly, but you can use (Amazon affiliate links)black bean pasta or quinoa pastas to keep it on plan as a crossover.
This is also really easy to crossover for kids or people who don’t need to lose weight. Simply add some fruit or some garlic toast for those who need to gain or maintain.
Best Hamburger Recipe- EVEN Faster!
Some of you have asked for SUPER fast, easy recipes. For those busy nights where you’re running to soccer practice, or coming home late from work. Here are my best tips for making this recipe even faster.
Pre-mix 4-5 extra batches of spices into little snack sized baggies when you make this the first time. Label thebags, and stash them in the pantry for the future.
Pre-brown and drain ground beef, and spread out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Crumble frozen ground beef and freeze in a bag- this can be used in any type of recipe calling for ground beef: tacos, chili, hamburger beef soup, cheeseburger quesadillas, and even this delicious Cheeseburger Helperrecipe. You can brown up several pounds of ground beef on a slower day, and freeze several pounds at once to use for later.
Menu plan (like this!) So you know exactly what to take out to thaw ahead for every meal.
Following these quick steps can get this on the table in less than 15 minutes!
This is my favorite "get it to the table fast" best hamburger recipe. My whole family loves it! To make it even quicker, premix extra batches of the spices, and keep them on hand for the future.
Author: Gwen
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
spice packet (see below)
1 cup hot water
1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
1 cup half & half (or sub with additional almond milk- but this is creamier)
4 oz. or 1½ cups pasta- Dreamfields keeps you low carb or THM compiant, but any pasta may be used in this recipe
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more cheese for topping (topping is optional)
Hamburger Helper Spice Packet
2½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
1 teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon glucomannan thickener or xanthan gum
Instructions
Brown ground beef in a skillet or dutch oven that has a lid.
While beef is browning, mix together your spices. (This is a great time to go ahead and measure out a few extra snack sized baggies for the future!)
When the beef is starting to get a deep brown and smell amazing, add in the spices, hot water, almond milk, and half & half.
Stir, and bring to a simmer.
Add pasta to the pot and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
Remove lid & add cheese. Check pasta for doneness. If it's done, simply allow the cheese to melt into the sauce. If your pasta has a few more minutes, return the lid and simmer until the pasta is tender.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve.
Notes
Trim Healthy Mama Notes: Use Dreamfields Pasta to keep this in an S setting, and avoid reheating, as this breaks down the pasta and makes it higher carb. If you're gluten free, you can use the black bean or quinoa pastas if you're comfortable with those, and consider it a crossover recipe.
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. Spice it up: if you'd like you can add some red pepper flakes on top.
If you've got a 12-inch cast iron skillet, I'd sure love for you to make it in that. But a large stew pot will work well, or you can even divide this into 2 smaller skillets.
Almost any of the “helpers” benefit from the addition of sautéed diced onion and minced or grated garlic. This adds another layer of flavor. Or try adding diced red sweet peppers. If it is a cheesy mix add a half cup of freshly grated parmesan and a handful of minced fresh flat leaf parsley.
Add dry seasonings; Italian seasoning, Lawry's season salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, and a dash of dry mustard. Finish with a few dashes of Crystal hot sauce. Add your uncooked medium shell pasta noodle of choice to your pot of meat, onions, garlic, and dry seasonings.
Is There Anything You Shouldn't Cook in Your Cast-Iron Skillet? Experts Weigh In. While there's nothing that's technically off limits, the pros say you should be careful with acidic foods, like tomato or wine sauce, which can corrode the seasoning if left in the pan for too long.
Flaky white fish like flounder or tilapia are at risk of falling apart and not flipping well when cooked in cast iron. Even with heartier fish like salmon, the skin is likely to stick to the cast-iron surface, making flipping difficult.
For the best results, make sure to keep your cast iron pan seasoned, and preheat the skillet for a few minutes before you add any food to it. This allows the pan to heat evenly and prevents most food from sticking. Add fat as needed.
Heat: Add meatballs, hot water, milk, Sauce Mix and Pasta to 10-inch skillet; stir well. Heat to boiling. Simmer: Reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
How do I make Hamburger Helper taste better? Originally Answered: How do I make a hamburger helper taste better? Add fresh vegetables to the dish. Brown the ground beef and saute some onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic on the side.
Water: or you can use beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth to add extra flavor. Milk: adds to the creaminess along with the cheddar cheese. You could sub sour cream if you were feeling like experimenting in the kitchen.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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You asked for my best hamburger recipe, and this is it! It’s lightening fast, can be on the table in minutes, and pleases even the pickiest palettes. Think of it as a homemade Hamburger Helper recipe, except it’s even yummier. I hope you love it! My family sure does.
