Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper — this nostalgic hamburger helper recipe packs all of the flavor of your favorite cheeseburger skillet meal without any questionable ingredients. And best yet? It comes together in the same amount of time as the box stuff thanks to the Instant Pot.
This post is the first in an ongoing partnership with sponsor Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats. We have scaled back the amount of animal products we consume in our household, so when we do choose to eat meat, quality is of the utmost importance, as is the respect for and humane treatment of the animals. Panorama Meats is one of the most high quality, sustainable and humane companies we’ve found in this space — and, happily, their products are widely available at many Whole Foods stores. I’m genuinely so excited to be partnering with them this year. Now, onto the recipe: Homemade Hamburger Helper!
If you’ve been reading along for some time, you know I’m a child of the 80’s and 90’s through and through, especially when it comes to my weakness for the nostalgic convenience foods of that era. My mom — who raised me on her own, working overtime and weekends and still made it seem like parenting was as natural and simple a thing as can be (for which I’ve never properly given her credit) — has always known her way around a kitchen. She has many a recipe in her back pocket that are true labors of love — peach pie, crab with black bean sauce, sticky baked ribs. She introduced me to the joy that is grocery shopping and the bustle of Sacramento’s famous Sunday morning produce market, set to the rumble and hum of the freeway overhead.
She also — and I say this not with judgement but with glee — introduced me to some of my favorite convenience suppers. You know the ones. The packaged stuff that was designed to empower those working 90’s moms, like mine, to present their families with a homestyle meal in a matter of minutes. They were savory and salty and full of microprocessed powdered flavorings, and they were, in a word, delicious. My favorite of the bunch, hands down, was Hamburger Helper — specifically, the cheeseburger skillet meal. One pound of ground beef, one pan — that was the sell, right? And dinner was ready in 20?
Color me sold.
Fast forward a few (20-some-odd, eep!) years, and that gooey, saucy cheeseburger skillet meal remains one of my favorite comfort foods, so when I was in talks with Panorama Meats about the recipes I’d be excited to develop this year, this dish was at the top of my list. A less questionable, homemade hamburger helper recipe that still employs just one pound of ground beef and one pan (ok, a single Instant Pot) — and it’s still ready lickety split. Best yet, this dish makes of the most of just a handful of REAL, identifiable, pronounceable ingredients. An onion, dried pasta, shredded cheese, sour cream, a couple of surprising pantry seasonings that you probably already have on hand…and ground beef. If you’re in the same camp we are when it comes to to eating meat — that is to say, we don’t eat as much as we used to, so we’re far more selective about it when we do — well, this, friends, is an excellent way to stretch a single pound of the high quality stuff.
how to make homemade hamburger helper
Now let’s talk about how this cheeseburger skillet meal situation comes together. In short: very simply, thanks to our friend that there aforementioned Instant Pot. Simply saute the onion and ground beef in the Instant Pot with the seasonings (the trick to replicating that genuine flavor packet action here is a combo of unassuming poultry seasoning — who knew!? — and Worcestershire sauce), add stock and noodles and set the Manual pressure time to High for 5 mins. After a quick release, stir in your sour cream and cheeses (if you’ve noticed, this is much like my favorite mac n’ cheese method), and you’re all set.
And the taste? I can’t possibly overstate things when I say this homemade hamburger helper is spot. freaking. on. And, unsurprisingly, SO kid-friendly. Cheesy, creamy and savory with a distinct cheeseburger skillet flavor that you’ve got to taste to believe. I also took the liberty of replacing the macaroni noodles in the original version with fluted campanelle, which are more substantial and satisfying, and they’re more prone to hold an al dente bite, even in the Instant Pot. I made this recipe twice in the week that I first developed it — and then, just to be sure I wasn’t somehow deluded into believing my own brilliance, I had my friend Amanda make it, too. (There’s far too long of a story behind this, but it’s essential for you to know that my pet name for Amanda revolves around her love of homestyle ground beef recipes, specifically, so…) Her verdict: it tastes EXACTLY the same.
There ya go, folks. The 90’s kid — and the 20’s (oh, now that’s weird) parent in me are equally satisfied.
Winner winner…cheeseburger skillet dinner.
- 2 T avocado oil or other light cooking oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef, 93% lean
- 2 cups stock (chicken, beef or veggie)
- 8 oz dry campanelle pasta
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 3 oz American cheese, chopped (singles work fine here)
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream
- Turn Instant Pot on to saute. Add avocado oil, onion, ¼ tsp salt and black pepper to taste and saute until onion is translucent, 3-5 mins.
- Add ground beef, remaining salt, onion powder, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and a few more twists of black pepper. Saute, breaking up meat, until meat is cooked through and little brown bits are beginning to collect on the bottom of the pot, about 10 mins.
- Add stock and pasta and stir thoroughly to combine, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pot. Cover, set valve to Seal, switch Instant Pot over to Manual (High Pressure) and set the timer for 5 mins.
- When timer has elapsed, Quick Release Instant pot (I always loosely drape a dish towel over the top to avoid a full steam eruption) and remove lid. Add cheeses and sour cream and gently stir to combine until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Like the sound of this Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper?
Be sure to check out:
- Smoked Gouda Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
- Instant Pot Miso Red Bean Stew (Vegetarian + Gluten-Free)
- Spicy Caramelized SPAM and Scallion Pasta
- Ground Beef for Tacos (via Dessert for Two)
- Weeknight Instant Pot Beef Ragu (via Snixy Kitchen)
xo!
Em
This post is sponsored by Panorama Meats, whose products we genuinely seek out due to their high quality and their commitment to sustainable ranching and humane treatment of animals. Thank you for supporting the partners that keep us cooking!
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2 Comments on “Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper”
Oh hey! We also buy Panorama meats! I have to make this – I’m always looking for good IP recipes both kids will love and this hits the mark!
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