One Pot Healthy Hamburger Helper With Veggies
We love a one pot meal over here, and this healthy hamburger helper is the perfect weeknight dinner! This healthier version of boxed hamburger helper is perfectly hearty and creamy, made with ground beef, grated veggies, and bone broth for a nourishing meal. The best part is it comes together in only about 30 minutes! Don’t worry, if the words “hamburger helper” bring back bad memories from your childhood, this meal will taste nothing like what you remember.
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Personally I never ate hamburger helper growing up, but I know my parents did. My dad often talks about eating hamburger helper, and he doesn’t have many good things to say! This homemade version is nothing like the boxed stuff though, I promise. Real ingredients go a long way, and this dinner has such a delicious creamy texture and is much more nutritious.
Why You Will Love This Healthy Hamburger Helper Recipe
A Family Friendly Meal: The entire family will love this hamburger helper! It tastes like a creamy pasta dish, but has lots of nourishing ingredients like grass fed beef, bone broth, and grated veggies that parents can feel good about. Kids and adults approved, even the picky eaters!
30 Minutes Start To Finish: This recipe will work great for any night of the week, because it’s really easy to throw together. Whether you need a meal for busy weeknights, or you are just craving a warm comfort dish, 30 minutes is all that you need.
A One Pot Easy Meal: One-pot recipes mean less dishes, and that is always a yes from me! This dish cooks start to finish in just one pot.
Ingredients For Homemade Healthy Hamburger Helper
Nourishing, simple ingredients make this hamburger helper the best! You will need:
- Butter or avocado oil
- 1 lb grass-fed beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, thinly shredded – Make sure you use the smallest size on your cheese shredder. If the carrots are too big, they won’t cook all the way through and this dish will taste more like “carrot helper” (no one wants that, trust me).
- 1 zucchini, thinly shredded
- 2 cups bone broth (or beef broth) – I love to use homemade bone broth in this recipe because it adds amazing depth of flavor and bonus nutrients.
- 1.5 cups of milk (use whatever you drink) – I like to use raw, whole milk
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 16 oz organic pasta
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or use your favorite cheese)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
Other Supplies You Will Need
- Large dutch oven or deep skillet
- Cheese grater
- Cutting board & Knife
How To Make Healthier Hamburger Helper
- Heat your large pot over medium heat, and add your butter or avocado oil. Once it is hot and sizzling, add the diced onion and ground beef.
- Cook until the beef is nearly browned, breaking it up as you go.
- Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper, and paprika and chili powder.
- Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the garlic is fragrant. 1-2 minutes
- Add the dry pasta, bone broth, milk, and grated zucchini and carrot. Stir to combine
- Season with salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often to prevent anything from sticking
- Simmer according to the pasta package instructions and let the pasta cook until it is al dente, typically about 8-10 minutes
- Stir in the cheese until really creamy, and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve warm!
Variations & Serving Suggestions
My husband and I both love spice, so we like to top our hamburger helper with a dash of hot sauce or red pepper flakes. You can also serve it with fresh parsley.
This recipe is really adaptable and you can change it up based on what you like. You can always add extra veggies like diced bell peppers, or I’ve made it with grated cauliflower and its delicious! I think another really good variation would be to add some diced green chiles for some spice.
One Pot Healthy Hamburger Helper With Veggies
Equipment
- 1 large dutch oven or deep skillet
- 1 Cheese grater
- 1 cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- butter or avocado oil
- 1 lb grass-fed beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 large carrots thinly shredded
- 1 zucchini thinly shredded
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 cups bone broth or beef broth
- 1.5 cups milk
- 16 oz organic pasta
- 1 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese or use your favorite cheese
Instructions
- Heat your large pot over medium heat, and add your butter or avocado oil. Once it is hot and sizzling, add the diced onion and ground beef.
- Cook until the beef is nearly browned, breaking it up as you go.
- Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper, and paprika and chili powder.
- Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the garlic is fragrant. About 1-2 minutes.
- Add the dry pasta, bone broth, milk, and grated zucchini and carrot. Stir to combine
- Season with salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often to prevent anything from sticking.
- Simmer according to the pasta package instructions and let the pasta cook until it is al dente, typically about 8-10 minutes
- Stir in the cheese until really creamy, and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
There you have it! A healthier homemade hamburger helper that is much better than the boxed version. Its a favorite meal in our house, we make it a few times a month, minimum. If you liked this recipe, I would so appreciate it if you left me a review and 5 stars!
