Homemade Hamburger Helper
Published March 18, 2023
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
1 large yellow onion, diced into ½-inch pieces
Salt and black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 strips uncooked smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock or water
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ to ⅓ cup hot sauce
2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
8 ounces elbow pasta
5 slices American cheese, ripped into small pieces
1 ½ cups grated Cheddar
½ cup finely chopped chives
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
62 grams carbs; 226 milligrams cholesterol; 1343 calories; 36 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams saturated fat; 92 grams fat; 2 grams trans fat; 4 grams fiber; 1646 milligrams sodium; 55 grams protein; 9 grams sugar
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.
Powered by
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’m pregnant and I’ve been craving comfort food. Hamburger helper was a big staple in my house growing up with a mom who was both working and studying full time. I don’t think that my midwife would appreciate me whipping up a box of the real thing so homemade will have to do. This is the first thing I’ve been able to eat without immediately getting queasy so I’d call this recipe a win! Though I question if I’ll ever make this again not pregnant.
Love this recipe, but I'm curious - what does the wine step really add? To be fair, like everyone else on here, I took the recipe as suggestion and not instructions, but I did do the wine step, I'm just not sure why or what it adds.
I used beer instead of white wine because it was all I had, then I used a combo of other cheese because I usually don't keep American cheese. I also used protein/fiber low carb bowtie pasta. I had a little guanciale in the freezer that I used instead of bacon, and then used Frank's red hot (the amount suggested) and it was perfect level of seasoning. Very very good and I appreciate how adaptable it is.