Growing up my sister and I loved it when mom cooked up a box of Hamburger Helper for dinner. Ground beef with noodles in a beefy sauce…YUM! Being a busy working mom I served it up over the years to my kids and they loved it too. I have to confess, it sure came in handy on those nights when I just didn’t know what I was going to make for dinner. Keeping a box in the pantry and some ground beef in the freezer meant I could always whip up a quick dinner that my kids would happily eat.
After a close look at the ingredients I decided to give this homemade version a try. It comes together just as quickly as the boxed variety, and I love that you know exactly what’s in it. No unpronounceable chemical ingredients, or preservatives, and it tastes so much better than the boxed variety. I found the inspiration for this recipe in the Pioneer Woman Cooks, Super Easy Cookbook. A huge shout out to Ree Drummond for the inspiration for this tasty, simple to make, meal! The recipe caught my attention because of the addition of smoked paprika in the dish. The Hungarian in me just had to give it try!
Start by cooking the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the beef into small crumbles with a wooden spatula as it cooks.
Cook until the beef is cooked through and onions are soft. Drain off the excess grease.
Add tomato paste to the pan and combine with the beef and onion in the skillet. Cook for about a minute.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, until garlic is fragrant.
Add salt, pepper, mustard and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir to combine with the beef.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and can of beef broth.
Add all the noodles and stir to coat them with the beefy sauce mixture.
Stir in 2 cans of water and stir to combine everything in the skillet.
Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Stir in the sour cream and stir to combine.
Cook for a minute or two until everything is heated through. Add a couple tablespoons water to thin the sauce if it seems too dry.
Serve garnished with sliced green onions.
My teenager, scarfed this meal down! He LOVED it!!! He told me three times, “This is really good Mom.” I have to agree, this meal was very tasty and I love how super easy it is to make! This one is definitely a keeper and will be making regular appearances at the table. Thank you Ree for this really yummy recipe! A new family favorite and it’s kid approved!
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- large skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 10 oz can condensed beef broth
- 2 cans water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 stalks sliced green onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the beef into small crumbles with a wooden spatula as it cooks.
- Cook until the beef is cooked through and onions are soft. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add tomato paste to the pan and combine with the beef and onion in the skillet. Cook for about a minute.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, until garlic is fragrant.
- Add salt, pepper, mustard and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir to combine with the beef.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and can of beef broth. Stir in 2 cans of water and stir to combine everything in the skillet.
- Add all the noodles and stir to coat them with the beefy sauce mixture.
- Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Stir in the sour cream and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two until everything is heated through.
- Serve garnished with sliced green onions.
Did You Make This?
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