Homemade Hamburger Helper
Published March 19, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
- 1large yellow onion, diced into ½-inch pieces
- Salt and black pepper
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 5strips uncooked smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 1pound ground beef
- 1cup dry white wine
- 3cups chicken stock or water
- ¾cup heavy cream
- ¼ to ⅓cup hot sauce
- 2teaspoons hot smoked paprika
- 1bay leaf
- 8ounces elbow pasta
- 5slices American cheese, ripped into small pieces
- 1½cups grated Cheddar
- ½cup finely chopped chives
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1343 calories; 92 grams fat; 39 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 36 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 55 grams protein; 1646 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a large (12-inch) sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low, and add oil and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper. (The hot sauce added in Step 6 will add a lot of flavor, so be careful not to overseason here.) Let cook until the onions turn light beige in color and begin to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Step 2
Add garlic and cook until fragrant and starting to brown ever so slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Increase heat to medium-high and add bacon and ground beef, using the back of a large spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sear and develop a crust on the bottom of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Step 4
Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving a little in the pan to keep the meat moist.
- Step 5
Return pan to medium-high heat and add white wine, allowing it to reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.
- Step 6
Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, hot sauce, paprika and bay leaf to the pan. Mix until combined and bring to a boil.
- Step 7
Once the mixture is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 9 minutes.
- Step 8
Reduce the heat to low and stir in both types of cheese, stirring until completely melted and sauce is thickened.
- Step 9
Remove the pan from heat, stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
I got drunk and made this when my fiancee wasn't home and got all these stains on my undershirt when I ate it (I spilled on myself) and it was so good and I don't even care.
This 4-serving gutbuster clocks in at over 1,100 calories per serving. I lightened it up by omitting the bacon, using half-and-half and 93% ground beef. I easily divided it into 6 servings with a salad on the side.
Made as directed, following others' suggestions to cut down on the hot sauce. Delicious! And worked very well using gluten-free macaroni. Although after spending a good hour and a half in the kitchen -- on a recipe inspired by a convenience product, of all things -- my teen son and I decided it would more accurately be titled "Hamburger Complicater."
I agree with the rest of the posters that you can’t cook this recipe as is. Nutritionally, it’s way too fatty and takes way too long to cook. Sorry, Ms. Krishna! That being said, this is a good idea and is going into the rotation. Here are my suggested changes: Don’t use all that oil. Don’t use the bacon. Use whatever meat or soy crumbles you have on hand. Instead of just onion and garlic, add an equal amount of small diced onions, carrots, celery, and jalapenos. (I keep a homemade mirepoix in the frig that I chop up weekly). Don’t use sharp paprika, just use regular and fry it up with the onion mix and garlic to bloom the spice. Don’t use cream. Instead, use 1/4 brick of neufchatel or whatever cream cheese you have on hand and melt it in. Don’t use all pasta. Instead, use half pasta and half chopped cauliflower.
Argh, forgot to say, you don't need any fat, especially if you cook the bacon first and use whatever you need to cook your beef and onions. Our Midwestern family with a middle schooler only gets one teaspoon of hot paprika and one dollop of hot sauce. Honestly the original recipe was really spicy for me, but I'm a level 2 spicy person.
We love this recipe in my family, but there are DEFINITELY fussy, unnecessary steps that do not make it more delicious. You absolutely should brown the bacon separately if you prefer not to spend an hour browning meat. Don't bother caramelizing the onions separately, just do them with the beef. Add the garlic any time while browning the beef. Even with these changes, we still call it hamburger complicator! We use imported orchiette that cook for like 20 minutes, it's amazing.