Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper. Baked Apple Cider Hamburger helper box with Cinnamon Maple Glaze. This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Swapping the boxed stuff out and making everyone’s childhood dinner completely homemade, and healthier too. Think of this hamburger helper as the tastier, creamier version of what you’d eat as a kid. Comfort food at its best, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. I didn’t grow up eating hamburger helper, neither did my brothers. But for whatever reason, this has been a recipe I wanted to try and recreate for a while now. Not going to lie, it’s obviously not my usual kind of recipe, as I tend to sway towards recipes with a bit more color.
But something about recreating this in a healthier, tastier, way really excited me. So while it may have taken me over a year to finally test this out and share, the day is here. And I’m excited because this really is that perfect early fall, September dinner. I wasn’t excited at first, but then I started to think about the upgrades I could make.
I make it healthier, but still creamy? Could we add a little flavor, but still keep it classic? And could I make it all in one pot just like the box? All of the challenges started to excite me, so I figured if I could get each one checked off, then I would have a great recipe! This is a one pot dinner, so the details are simple First of all, find yourself a nice big pot or braiser to cook this in.
I love this one and think it’s the perfect size for this recipe. Simply add the beef and onion to your pot and brown it all over, add in some spices, and then the pasta. I love adding shredded zucchini to pasta dishes like this. Not only does the zucchini incorporate a vegetable into the recipe, but it also adds moisture and creates an even creamier sauce. Finish it up Once the pasta and zucchini are both added, pour over the broth and milk.