Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe • 4★

Published March 18, 2023

Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Think of this as the most luxurious Hamburger Helper you’ve ever had. It’s how Mark Rosati, the culinary director of Shake Shack, turns leftover ground beef into a complete weeknight dinner. The entire dish — even the pasta — is made in one pot, and melds the indelible comfort of macaroni and cheese with the complexity of a good Bolognese. This definitely has a kick, so adjust the hot sauce according to taste.

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¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

1 large yellow onion, diced into ½-inch pieces

Salt and black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 strips uncooked smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock or water

¾ cup heavy cream

¼ to ⅓ cup hot sauce

2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika

8 ounces elbow pasta

5 slices American cheese, ripped into small pieces

1 ½ cups grated Cheddar

½ cup finely chopped chives

Step 1Heat a large (12-inch) sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low, and add oil and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper. (The hot sauce added in Step 6 will add a lot of flavor, so be careful not to overseason here.) Let cook until the onions turn light beige in color and begin to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

Heat a large (12-inch) sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low, and add oil and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper. (The hot sauce added in Step 6 will add a lot of flavor, so be careful not to overseason here.) Let cook until the onions turn light beige in color and begin to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 2Add garlic and cook until fragrant and starting to brown ever so slightly, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant and starting to brown ever so slightly, about 2 minutes.

Step 3Increase heat to medium-high and add bacon and ground beef, using the back of a large spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sear and develop a crust on the bottom of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add bacon and ground beef, using the back of a large spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sear and develop a crust on the bottom of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 4Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving a little in the pan to keep the meat moist.

Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving a little in the pan to keep the meat moist.

Step 5Return pan to medium-high heat and add white wine, allowing it to reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.

Return pan to medium-high heat and add white wine, allowing it to reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.

Step 6Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, hot sauce, paprika and bay leaf to the pan. Mix until combined and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, hot sauce, paprika and bay leaf to the pan. Mix until combined and bring to a boil.

Step 7Once the mixture is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 9 minutes.

Once the mixture is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 9 minutes.

Step 8Reduce the heat to low and stir in both types of cheese, stirring until completely melted and sauce is thickened.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in both types of cheese, stirring until completely melted and sauce is thickened.

Step 9Remove the pan from heat, stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Remove the pan from heat, stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I got drunk and made this when my fiancee wasn't home and got all these stains on my undershirt when I ate it (I spilled on myself) and it was so good and I don't even care.

This 4-serving gutbuster clocks in at over 1,100 calories per serving. I lightened it up by omitting the bacon, using half-and-half and 93% ground beef. I easily divided it into 6 servings with a salad on the side.

Made as directed, following others' suggestions to cut down on the hot sauce. Delicious! And worked very well using gluten-free macaroni. Although after spending a good hour and a half in the kitchen -- on a recipe inspired by a convenience product, of all things -- my teen son and I decided it would more accurately be titled "Hamburger Complicater."

James Gravely

"I’m just here to read the “I made it exactly as written but turned it into something else entirely” posts."

I'm here for these comments. Everyone has unique tastebuds and every chef will adjust a recipe to make it their own. That's what cooking is.

Winner!!! So good, so tasty, so guilty-pleasure-yyyy. My kids loved it, I loved it, the dog tried to love it. I went by the book, but used milk instead of heavy cream. Otherwise, chefs kiss.

Made EXACTLY (ok, I got precooked bacon because i didn't want cooked bacon stink in my house, and I used cavatapi - which is like elbow mac in a screw) as published. I really liked it. I used Frank's hot sauce & Sargento american cheese slices. l worked well. I enjoy the vinegar nuance of Franks - while my partner hates vinegar hot sauce - but I was the one cooking...LOL.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020728-homemade-hamburger-helper