ONE POT HEALTHY HAMBURGER HELPER
This One Pot Healthy Hamburger Helper is customizable with ground turkey, chicken, or lean beef! It’s creamy, cheesy, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion white, sweet, or brown
- 1 light spray of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 8 ounces dried elbow macaroni
- 2 cups beef broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder
- 1/2 cup light shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly spray a large pot with olive oil spray over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent, then add the ground meat.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Break it apart with a spatula and cook until browned and fully cooked through. If using ground beef, drain the fat if needed.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the pot. Then, mix to incorporate these ingredients.
- Pour in the dried elbow macaroni, broth, and milk. Mix well, then add the cheddar cheese powder and mix again.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then cook for 6-12 minutes, depending on your pasta, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Mix, then stir in the shredded light cheddar cheese until melted and creamy.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve warm, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Stir Often: Stir the pasta as it cooks so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Gentle Boil: A gentle simmer is best to cook the pasta without curdling the milk.
- Pasta Cooking Time: Check the pasta as it cooks since the timing will vary based on the type you use. Aim for al dente pasta. Look at the package directions on the pasta you use for the cooking time as a guide.
- Italian Seasoning Swap: Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil.
- Pasta Options: Elbow macaroni is classic, but small shells are a great swap too. You can also use whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, low-carb pasta, or gluten-free pasta if preferred.
- Cheddar Powder Substitution: If you don’t have cheddar powder, just use a box of macaroni and cheese! The pasta from the box replaces the dried pasta, and the cheese packet replaces the cheddar powder.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.5g | Protein: 27.7g | Fat: 5.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 487mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 4.6g