This recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper is a gluten free version of the popular store bought package! It comes together in one pan, with only a handful of simple ingredients, and is just as tasty. Add a salad or some roasted veggies on the side for a well rounded, easy weeknight meal.
Copycat Homemade Hamburger Helper
Believe it or not, we used to eat the boxed stuff....a lot.
Because it was easy & quick and looked like the perfect homemade meal at the end of a busy day. That was, until our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and we realized many of our go-to quick meals were filled with not only gluten, but a long list of other questionable ingredients too.
At the time, she had just turned seven and this was one of her favorite meals. For all the moms out there, you know how picky they can be at this age and you do whatever you can to have a peaceful mealtime, right?
So I quickly had to get creative and come up with a replacement!
What ingredients do I need to make this Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe?
This homemade version is super kid-friendly and takes 20 minutes at the max to come together! It's made with ingredients we typically have in the pantry, and there's no reason to dirty more than one dish because this skillet hamburger helper comes together in one pan. Gluten Free skillet meals are the best!
Here's what you'll need:
- Ground Beef
- Gluten-Free Pasta. I use Barilla gluten free elbows, but gluten free rotini pasta works great too!
- Beef Broth
- Marinara Sauce
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper.
- Cheese is optional to make a Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
How to make this Quick Homemade Hamburger Helper
Start cooking by browning the ground beef in a large skillet until it's no longer pink. Drain all of the grease from the skillet, then add the seasonings, broth, marinara sauce and uncooked pasta to the beef. Give everything a good stir!
Cover the skillet and bring to a simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice until the pasta is soft. Once the pasta is completely cooked, remove the pan from the heat and let stand uncovered for at least 5 minutes. It will be hot! At this point, you can serve immediately or stir in cheese to make a cheeseburger macaroni.
The end result is a healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper that has incredible flavor without any packaged powdered products and no gluten. We know what we're eating, and have happy kids to go along with it!
Let's eat!
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 2 cups GF Pasta of your choice we use Barilla GF Elbows
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 cups Marinara Sauce
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Pepper to taste
Optional
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shreds regular or vegan for a "cheeseburger" hamburger helper
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet on medium heat breaking into small pieces. Drain any excess grease.
- Add spaghetti sauce, broth, and seasonings to the pan and mix well.
- Stir in pasta and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to let simmer until pasta is cooked. Depending on what type of pasta you use, follow the time according to the package directions, usually 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Once pasta is cooked through, uncover. Sauce will thicken as it stands. If using cheese, stir in until melted.
Notes
Looking for more easy weeknight meals? Check out these recipes!
- One-Pan Taco Skillet
- One-Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice {Gluten Free & Dairy Free}
- Easy BBQ Meatloaf {Gluten-free & Grain-Free}
- Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Dinner
Kelly
My family and I love this recipe!
They are super picky, don’t even realize that’s it’s gluten free!
Thriving Gluten Free
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback Kelly! I'm so glad your picky kids loved the recipe too, that's a win for sure!!
Christina
Very simple and delicious. Thank you. Made as stated just adding a little extra cheese. Thank you for this!