To be honest, when we were growing up old order Amish, we weren’t beyond having some boxed meals on hand for a quick dinner. My mom was very busy with her Amish catering business and although we enjoyed lots of her fresh foods from that, sometimes for a quick lunch or dinner we had canned ravioli or other prepared foods. However, for the most part our food was from scratch or canned from our garden. When I found this Amish recipe for homemade hamburger helper, I didn’t have high expectations simply because it looked too easy to be that tasty, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was not only simple, but also delicious and hearty. My little ones love this homemade hamburger helper, and I love that it is all made in one pot for a quick and easy dinner with little cleanup!
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Amish Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2/3 cup diced fresh tomato
- 1 cup macaroni pasta uncooked
- 1 1/2-2 cups beef or chicken broth *see note
- 1 cup milk or half and half
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, place ground beef and season with salt and pepper, chili powder and garlic powder. Brown the beef until almost cooked through, then add diced onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent.
- Add diced tomato, uncooked macaroni, beef or chicken broth and milk (if using half and half add later with peas). Stir all together, then bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering until the pasta is cooked through and soft. If the pasta soaks up too much liquid, you can add more broth.
- Once the pasta is nearly al-dente (soft), add the frozen peas (and half and half if using), continue cooking for several minutes longer until the peas are cooked through. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, then allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
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Ingredients needed for this easy Hamburger Helper: broth, diced onion, shredded cheddar, macaroni pasta, garlic powder, ground beef, chili powder, milk, fresh tomato, salt and pepper.
Can I use canned tomatoes and onion powder to skip the dicing process?
Yes, you can. If you wish to simplify this recipe even farther, you can add onion powder (to taste) and canned stewed tomatoes that have been drained. If you prefer to add the tomatoes with liquid you may need to reduce how much broth is needed, however the pasta does soak up a lot of liquid so I would not reduce the broth by much.
Step 1: In a large skillet, place ground beef and season with salt and pepper, chili powder and garlic powder. Brown the beef until almost cooked through, then add diced onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent.
Step 2: Add diced tomato, uncooked macaroni, beef or chicken broth and milk (if using half and half add it later with peas). Stir all together, then bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering until the pasta is cooked through and soft. If the pasta soaks up too much liquid, you can add more broth.
Note*
I did end up having to add another cup of broth to the pasta shown in this photo (having only added 1 cup of broth as shown in the photo). The pasta should be covered in liquid or mostly covered. If you aren’t sure how much to add, you can always add more as the pasta begins to soak up the broth.
Step 3: Once the pasta is nearly al-dente (soft), add the frozen peas (and half and half if using), continue cooking for several minutes longer until the peas are cooked through. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese, then allow to cool slightly before serving.
Last but not least, serve and enjoy! In my opinion, this hamburger helper is enough of a meal on its own with applesauce or Amish pickled red beets, but if you are feeling ambitious you can also add a side of fresh homemade whole wheat bread or copycat pizza hut breadsticks. Homemade buttermilk biscuits are a quicker no rise option if you are craving bread but are short on time.
Storage notes:
Leftover hamburger helper can be stored in airtight containers and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for several months.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope that you can feel the love of Jesus Christ throughout your day today. Feel free to pin or print this recipe using the icons in the recipe card, but please leave a comment and recipe rating in exchange. Thank you for your support! -Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight.
