How to Make Hamburger Helper Mix from Scratch

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Want to learn how to make Hamburger Helper mix from scratch? This simple recipe is easy and totally customizable! There isn’t much better than a quick meal with a delicious cheesy sauce.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

How to Make Hamburger Helper Mix

I don’t know about you but I like having all kinds of foods on hand to be able to prepare a quick and simple dish! In addition to canning, I’m all about making mixes to have on my pantry shelf.

Those boxed mixes from the store are so handy but completely scary and even though they seem like a good idea at the time, they are actually costing you more than you think.

So I love to make homemade mixes for so many reasons. Ingredients, cost, the ability to customize, convenience…and much more. I’ll also be sharing cost comparisons on various products from the store and how much the homemade version costs.

Why Not Hamburger Helper from the Store?

How many of you grabbed a box of Hamburger Helper at the grocery store when you were in a panic of not knowing what to make for supper? I know that I have in the past! First, let’s take a peek at what exactly is in the fancy box:

Enriched Pasta (Whole Wheat Flour, Semolina Wheat, Durum Wheat, Vitamin D, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid (B Vitamin)), Whey, Salt, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Corn, Soy, Wheat, Calcium Carbonate, Artificial Color, Sugar, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed or Canola Oil, Monoglycerides, Diglycerides, Calcium Lactate, Natural Flavor, Nonfat Milk, Onion Powder, Dried Parsley, Mushroom Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Spice, Beef Stock, Mushrooms, Dried Corn Syrup, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Garlic Powder, Dried Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Egg

Oh my goodness. Artificial colors and flavors. Hydrogenated oils, MSG (Autolyzed Yeast Extract), corn syrup. I don’t even want to look at the nutrition facts to see the levels of sodium. Do I really need to go on?

Boxed Hamburger Helper Cost:

The regular price of this in my local grocery store is $2.29 per box. I know it goes on sale for around $2 per box so we will work off that price.

One jar of homemade Hamburger Helper is the perfect amount to go with one pound of ground beef. Let’s get on to the recipe!

Hamburger Help in My Book

How to Make Hamburger Helper Mix

A few notes before we get started….

  • If you have my book, you can find this recipe on page 167. It also contains tips on how to make this gluten and dairy-free as well as how to make a chili cheese version. Plus my book also more than the basic Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe like recipes for Chicken Helper Mix and Beef Stroganoff Mix so you might want to check that out!
  • Be sure and add the pasta to the recipe first and not the spices or they will clump to the bottom.
  • My recipe does not contain cheese powder because I prefer the taste of real cheese but if you’d like to add cheese powder to the recipe, you can find it here.
  • Be sure and use a lean ground beef for this recipe otherwise, it will taste a little fatty and greasy. You can also drain the fat if needed before you add the beef into the mixture.
  • If you have leftovers of the cooked up mixture, just store them in a container in the fridge. They are just as good the next day!
  • Use hot water and warm milk when making the recipe so it takes less cooking time.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Mix

How to make your own Hamburger Helper Mix from scratch.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Homemade Hamburger Helper
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon corn starch arrowroot powder, or flour
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients together in a bag or jar.

Cooking Directions

  1. When we are ready to make, brown up 1 lb of ground beef in a 10 or 12 inch skillet.

  2. Add in the mix and 1 cup water and 2 cups of milk. Cover the skillet and let the pasta simmer and cook until the pasta is done. Try not to boil the mixture too hard or you may not have enough liquid.

  3. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese before serving. That's it!

Hamburger Helper Mix

These mixes are super easy to put together, less than 5 minutes of prep time! They take very little time to make the recipe as well and the kids love it!

Alternative Versions and Add-Ins

  • For a lower cost version, you could use ground turkey in place of the ground beef.
  • If you want to easily make this gluten free, these are our favorite Gluten Free Elbow Noodles. You can get them in bulk!
  • For a quick and easy substitute recipe, add in diced ham in place of the ground beef and you will have ham and cheese macaroni!
  • If you want to add a little more depth of flavor to this basic recipe, add in a little pepper while it’s cooking and top with a dollop of sour cream for serving.
  • Add in a little cooked, chopped bacon for an extra flavorful version.
  • Replace the water with beef broth for a better depth of flavor.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Mix Cost:

The spices in this mix are in such small amounts they really only cost pennies but for the sake of adding it up, we will say $0.25 for all the spices. A bag of elbow pasta costs around $1, a little bit more if you decide to do whole wheat. One bag will make 2 mixes.

So we are at a total of $1.50 for 2 mixes (each mix serves 4) or $0.75 each. That’s 33% of the cost of the on sale box of Cheeseburger Macaroni from the store.

–Find a list of my favorite mixes to make here!

Hamburger Helper Meal

Of course, the boxed version has that good old dried cheese already in it and you will have to go through the trouble and cost of adding fresh cheese to your homemade version but I’m thinking that might be a plus??

Want to make this Hamburger Helper mix with me? Here’s a video (sorry for the poor sound!) of me making some of my homemade mixes!

Looking for even more mixes that you can make from scratch? Here are some of my favorites!


bookcoversmallerLooking for more mixes that you can make quickly and easily? My book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self Sufficient Life has over 130 recipes just like this one!


Does your family enjoy Hamburger Helper?

My Bio

This post on How to Make Hamburger Helper Mix was originally posted on Little House Living in August 2012. It has been updated as of July 2022.

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150 Comments

  1. What would you say the shelf life would be on something like this? And does it need to be sealed as you would do when canning vegetables? I have never canned anything. Just curious. Thanks.

  2. I have been trying to recreate Uncle Ben’s flavored rices. Wild Rice Herb and garlic? I am not sure of the names but looking at the ingredients they are barely recognizable as food. I just can’t seem to get the right taste! It would be great if you can come up with something that tastes as good as they do.

  3. Awesome!! Been looking for recipes for hamb helper knock offs! I would love to see more of the same, more flavors to stock up on. I miss the ease of and variety of hamb/chicken helper but gave up buying them several years ago when I figured out they were about 1 molecule away from plastic! ha!

  4. “Make-A-Mix” by Eliason, Harward, and Westover has some great dry mixes for rice and pasta, as well as many other meat, dessert and baking mixes with recipes.
    In the 90s I had pantry shelves full of homemade flavored rice mixes, bouillon-style powders, baking and bread mixes.

      1. Yes I was going to ask for the stroganoff mix also. Seems to be a favorite. I don’t mind adding sour cream at the end, or Greek yogurt, if the rest of it were easy.

      1. This isn’t really a premix since all ingredients are pretty fresh and it may look long, but 4 out of 5 people in my house LOVE this dish, the fifth doesn’t count because he hates any food that tastes good. 🙂 Also, I don’t measure, so you might need to add some more for your taste as I am giving you an estimate on this dish. Oh yeah, it’s also all done in one large pot (make sure it has a lid to fit)!

        Beef Stroganoff:
        *1lb. ground beef of beef stew meat
        *1-2 large boxes of beef broth
        *1/4 cup worsetshire sauce
        *3 tsp. minced garlic (the kind in a jar, no need to get fancy and kill an easy dish) if you don’t like garlic, lessen the amount
        *1/2 small onion, finely diced
        *mushrooms (this depends on you, not my taste so I rarely add them unless my husband is home)
        *1 tbls dried parsley flakes
        *half bag of egg noodles
        *salt and pepper to taste
        *1/2 to 1 cup of sour cream
        *shredded mozzerella to top on your dish (optional)

        Directions:
        Brown meat, onions, mushrooms, and garlic until onions are translucent. No need to add oil since the meat will produce, I also do not strain this, but feel free! Add seasonings, worsetshire, beef broth, and egg noodles; cover and simmer until noodles are done. About 20 minutes. When done add sour cream (you may need to add more depending on your taste) until creamy. ALWAYS taste to see if you like, I’ve added powder onion and garlic along with more salt for my final taste test. Once done, put it in a bowl and throw some cheese on it and ENJOY! Once you cook this several times it take maybe 30 minutes to cook and prepare.

        On a personal note about this dish, it took me about 10 times before I finalized this end product. So make it your own and add what you feel!

        1. And i just realized what I messed up on. For every cup of beef broth you put in, you put in 1 cup of milk. Sorry about that!

        2. Cathy, we loved the Stroganoff recipe! We love the taste of the hamburger helper mix, but hubby said he liked this way better! Definitely on our list of favorite meals now!

    1. I would add about a cup per recipe and use cheddar. Although it would be easy to mix it up with different cheeses and you can always add more or less cheese based on your tastes.

  5. Yes, please, what Donna said. I am ADDICTED to the stroganoff. I love to add red peppers and mushrooms and other fresh veggies to it to flesh it out, but I have never tasted that flavor anywhere else. However, we’ve quit buying boxed and canned foods altogether so I haven’t had it in forever. Please see if you can figure that one out!!!

  6. We quit buying mixes for the most part, but we do still love Zataran’s Red Beans and Rice. How about a red (or black bean) and rice mix?

    And where to you find the plastic lids for your jars? I’ve seen the two piece plastic lids, but not the single piece, which is what I want. Using them for storage, not for canning.

    1. I bought my plastic lids like that from Hoegger Goat Supply. You can order them on Amazon too. They call them Mason Jar Caps. Hope that helps:)

    2. Hello! You can also find the white lids at a well stocked Ace Hardware! If the do not have them on the shelf ask the manager to order you some! They are great about ordering things for you. I just have them get me some 1/2 gallon mason jars last week! They will ship to the store for free! They are also available on their online store! Good Luck!

      1. I reuse the blue mayonnaise jar lids. There perfect for a regular mouth jar. And the grateded parmesan cheese lids fit as well, they have “sprinkle and spoon out” flip tops.

        1. I also use the lids from mayonnaise jars. Some brands use the white lids just like the ones shown in this article. I am always looking for ways to reuse items. It is frugal as well as saving the landfill.

  7. Yes..I think the Rice A Roni mixes would be a good recipe..I quit buying those & make my own..they are so cheap to make..Has anyone else noticed that you now have to use 2 mixes to get the same ammount that there used to be in 1 of those mixes that you buy?..def. NOT worth the money!

    1. The chicken rice-a-roni is easy. Sautée 3/4 Cupid rice and 1/2 cup of broken up spaghetti noodles in 2 tbsp. of butter (this part isn’t absolutely necessary). Add 2 cups of chicken broth (or I use water and chicken buillion cubes, we like the taste better). I then add 1 tbsp. each if garlic and onion powder. We like a little bite to ours, so I also add a little chili powder in mine. Then, cover you pan and stir rice as needed. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Sometimes when I make this, I will add mushrooms or corn and maybe some bits of chicken or turkey to make a skillet meal. Hope this helps!

  8. hi …ummmm dumb question here and im probally not seeing it lol…. is the t. for teaspoon or tablespoon? great site btw I just found you ,by looking at another coupon site thanks

  9. Just made this last night! So good! Could you do a rice pilaf? or send me a link to one you already know of?? Thanks, love the site!

  10. Hi, there! Loved this. Going to make it tonight! Our son loves hamburger helper but since we’ve been eating healthier and alot less processed food I haven’t bought it in over a year. He will love this!
    How about a mix for muffins that we could just add eggs and milk to? Plus berries or fruit?
    Thank you,
    Brenda

    1. To Brenda, I have a book , I got from Amazon. Has a basic mix for muffins with a whole book full of recipes for making different kinds of muffins.It is a small book with a plastic spiral back and itis called , 1 mix, 51 muffins. There are books that I have that are also from the same company(CQ) . There is one on cakes and cupcakes, quick breads or I think it just says breads and cookies and of coarse the muffin one. I think Amazon may still have them. They were pretty cheap and I have made my money back over and over. The recipes are good and you can also make up your own using their basic mix. Hope this helps.

  11. I’m gluten free so I would love some mix recipes that use rice. I’m going to try your recipe here with some GF pasta because it sounds so good and easy. Thank you for sharing with us. I really need to get my pantry stocked with some quick meals so this is a great help.

  12. This is my boys’ favorite!! Another one to try is taco mix! Just add a taco mix and noodles to the browned hamburger. We use all water and then a little tomato paste!

    1. And taco seasoning mix is easy to make.
      Chili Powder
      Onion Powder
      Garlic Powder
      dash of Paprika
      I don’t really measure, so experiment to make it yours. Maybe start with ratios of 2, 1, 1 and a dash of paprika.

  13. Thanks so much for this recipe, if you are looking for a different hamburger
    helper recipe, how about figuring out the Strogonoff? That “used” to be one
    of my family’s favorites.

  14. Some rice-a-roni type recipes would be great. Also some Tuna Helper style recipes. I don’t know if it’s possible, but my kids love the cup-o-noodle type soups where you just add the boiling water. Any ideas for something like that?

    1. Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni:

      1/4 lb. angel hair or vermicelli pasta broken into 1 inch pieces “that’s a bundle about the size of a golf ball”
      1 c. rice
      3 chicken bullion cubes, crushed or 3 t. chicken billion powder “I like Knorr”
      1/2 t. salt
      1/2 t. black pepper
      1/4 t. paprika
      2 t. Parsley flakes
      4 T. butter
      2 c. water
      Mix dry ingredients together, prepare like the name brand stuff.

  15. I’m going to try this tomorrow. I will be using grass fed chopped meat, raw milk and cheese. Add a nice salad and you have a belly warming meal! I was wondering if you have a recipe for homemade ketchup? I love all these homemade things. I am allergic to corn and I can never just go to a store and buy anything easy to make. everything has to be made from scratch. Love, love your site, keep up the great work. Your blessing many!

  16. Hamburger Stroganoff
    1 pound ground beef, browned and drained (I always have this precooked in my freezer)
    1/4 cup butter or magarine
    1 med. onion, chopped
    1 clove garlic, crushed
    1 can of cream soup (I make my own)
    8 oz chopped mushrooms
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 cup sour cream

    Melt butter in frying pan, cook onion, garlic, and mushrooms till soft…Add everything else to pan at this time. (the pre cooked meat and all the rest) Heat all the way to the bubbling/boiling point. Turn off heat and add sour cream. (do not add sour cream while boiling, this will break the sauce)
    I pour this over cooked noodles or sometimes rice. Serve with a hot vegetable and rolls…

  17. Thank you for the mix recipe! I was really excited to try it but my family and I have switched to a low carb/sugar lifestyle so I tweaked your recipe a bit and it was such a hit even with the toddlers, that I wanted to share. I followed the recipe until the directions for preperation; omited the 1 cup of water and used whole milk (reconstituted whole milk powder) and reduced the pasta to 1/4 cup, added frozen broccoli and cauliflower and sliced fresh mushrooms. Added it all to the pan, cooked covered over low heat and stirred frequently. Added 2 cups of cheesewhen finished cooking.
    I just wanted to share a variation just because it was so good with your mix! Thanks again for the recipe!

    1. I love this idea, I can get more veggies into my family and I am gluten free while the rest are not so I can make us a starch on the side if I wanted. And everyone would be happy!

  18. I just wanted to say that we loved this recipe!! My kids ate the mess out of it. There was no leftovers. We are eating it again tonight, but with deer meat. Thanks for this recipe! 🙂

  19. The best part of this is being gluten free I can still have some, gluten free pasta and cornstarch instead of gluten flour. Would love to have some more recipes likes this.

  20. Ok. I am in Canada. Is 1 t. Equal to One Teaspoon? Here a teaspoon is tsp. And a tablespoon is tbsp.
    Thanking you in advance for your help! Love your site. 🙂

    Sincerely,
    Gina

  21. This is an awesome idea! I have a teen daughter who loves helpers. I stopped buying them as well as boxed Mac and cheese in order to go more “real food” to her horror.
    I plan to try this and see if she notices a difference.
    Oh and regarding the cheese powder issue… In my area (so Idaho) our local grocery called Winco has a glorious bulk section. They sell cheese powder by the lb for about $3 per lb.
    We like it for sprinkling on popcorn and making sauces.
    I’m wondering if I could add some of this to the mix.
    I like the idea of real cheese, but sometimes I just don’t have it on hand.

  22. Hi Merissa,
    Love love love your website/blog!
    What size mason jars would you suggest for 1 of the Hambuger Helper mixes?
    Thanks for the great ideas, suggestions and recipes!!

  23. Thank you for the recipe. I have been wishing for one. For mixes I use regularly I like to make the mix bulk in a jar with instructions for use, then buy the pasta bulk and keep it on hand for all recipes.

  24. Nutritional yeast can be used to add a cheesy flavor to the mix, and is non-dairy if you are cooking that way.

  25. I just put together 2 jars of this (that’s what a bag of gluten free macaroni made with a little extra but I divided it even since gluten free never seems to make as much as regular gluten). I also wrote my directions to cook the pasta without the meat because my pasta needs to cook for 15-16 minutes and then I will add the meat so it is not over cooked. I am supposed to rinse the pasta also but we will see how these 2 jars come out then I will adjust. I also just found another glass jar and think I will try the Rice A Roni mix, maybe I can find a 2nd and make to batches :). Thanks for all the recipes, would love to see more gluten free recipe updates!

  26. Hi Merissa! Thanks so much for sharing your Hamburger Helper recipe. Do you have a dry mix recipe for Tuna Helper? It didn’t look like anyone had asked you that yet 🙂

  27. I love this! I remember when Hamburger Helper came out in the ’70’s. My mom was thrilled. Up to that point I grew up eating what Mom called “hamburger surprise” 🙂 It always had noodles or rice in it and a lot of vegetables. I still make Mom’s version 🙂

  28. I am a bit embarrassed how much I really like Hamburger Helper!! when ever I make it my Boyfriend calls it Ghetto Fabulous! So glad I can make it from scratch and I will be using this recipe A lot!! in the last few minutes of cooking I add vegies like Zucchini, spinach, green onions ect… Thanks so much for this!!

  29. Would love to see a copycat of Uncle Bens Long grain and Wild rice. Not the fast cooking one though! Haven’t found one yet that is as good as the box 🙁
    A copy cat for Hellman’s brand “real” mayo would also be a good one for us. I cringe every time I use mayo cause I know it’s got so much stuff in it that isn’t needed.

    1. To make mayo “from scratch” 1 egg yolk, 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Blend these ingredients in a blender, then slowly drizzle in up to 16 ounces of neutral flavored oil. (canola, soybean)

    2. If you want that Hellman’s taste you need to use Soybean oil, egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and a touch of sugar. There is no dijon mustard in Hellmans.

  30. Hi, I just want to say thank you for your blog here. I love your recipe ideas. I appreciate the time you take to figure out those quick meal helpers that we thought were gone forever once we walked away from the nasty laden pre-packaged foods out there. We try to stay as organic as we possibly can…but on those days when you don’t feel like taking forever on a meal…it’s nice to know I can have little treasures like this tucked in the pantry to grab for a quick easy meal. THANK YOU.

  31. Just wondering if you could use Instant Milk instead of liquid, so this could be taken backpacking or camping where refrigeration isn’t an option.

  32. Thanks so much!! Have wondered about making some hamburger helpers myself for the pantry!! Love your site!! How about chessey hashbrowns hamburger helper? We like it made with breakfast sausage as a breakfast. Thanks again for all you do!!!!

  33. Thanks so much for the recipe! My 15 month old has a few health problems and processed foods make it so much worse! I have been lost and overwhelmed trying to figure out how to change our cooking ways and still try to stay in budget. You are such a huge help to me!

  34. Hi there, just wanted to say thanks for the hamburger helper mix., i tried it, it was awesome and tasted so good. I didnt make a big batch up to store, but just made in the pan one night and it is definitely a keeper recipe in my home..Thanks (Debbie from Alberta, Canada). love your website and all your great ideas., keep up the awesome work, its very inspiring to me……

  35. Love your website and FB page. I have recently been contemplating recreating something that I recently bought at the store. The product is called Campbell’s Crock Pot Sauces. All you do is put the meat in the crock and pour the sauce over the top and turn on the crock pot. Couldn’t be easier and I thought that I could make the sauces from scratch and possibly even freeze them to extend their shelf life. There are six varieties. I have tried the Korean BBQ one and it is delicious.
    I would love it if you could duplicate one of those.

  36. Love the recipe for the cheeseburger macaroni mix. I would like to request
    A lasagna hamburger helper. My grandkids love this one. I usually have to make 3 boxes.

  37. Love the concept! Easy for kids to help cook then too…just grab a jar & they follow the directions.
    One thing to note though, is the box mix has the cheese, this you add…and you are right….fresh is tastier….but the added cost of the cheese will narrow the price savings margion. It won’t detract from ease of use & pre prep…but for budgets, it is good to realize this. ( oh, the things one learns from having kids in 4-H Food Review & Consumer Science projects!) 🙂 Keep the great ideas coming!

  38. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I used to use these mixes as quick suppers until my son got a severe headache after dinner one day. I looked on the box and sure enough MSG was in there. That’s when I learned they were adding it to the mixes and my son got his dad’s sensitivity to MSG. Haven’t had it in the house since, although Velveeta mixes don’t have it. But again they’re expensive and loaded with extra chemicals our family doesn’t need. Thanks for giving me an easy alternative.

  39. Question: After mixing the dry ingredients, the recipe to use calls for milk to be added for the final preparation. Could you add dry milk to the original recipe and then just use water during the final prep?

  40. For diabetics and celiac disease, could you substitute the monk fruit sweetener and some whole wheat pasta? There are too few recipes for people who are suffering with buth celiac disease and diabetes. White flour, white rice and other such processed foods just add on more health disasters than benefits.

    1. I’ve used rice pasta in this recipe without a problem so I’m sure that most substitutes will work. For the sweetener…you could easily just leave it out entirely and probably wouldn’t taste much difference 🙂

  41. I cannot wait to try the homemade Hamburger Helper ! The Cheeseburger Mac is my Son’s favorite ! Thank you for posting this recipe ! ! ! !

  42. I would love to see a recipe for soup or stew starter. I know you would need dehydrated veggies but I’m not sure how much of each spice I would need. Love the convenience of ready made stuff but like most people on here I don’t want the bad for you additives. Thanks for such a great page.

  43. Thanks for posting this Merissa! We have been eating as least processed as possible for the past two years. We had given up the notion of ever having Hamburger helper. Hubby misses this recipe terribly (not a fav of mine) but happy you posted this so I can tweek it. (Hubby is also a very picky eater) He will be so excited! Thank you thank you!

  44. If you get a chance, my favorite of the Hamburger Helper is Potatoes Stroganoff. Can you figure out a way to make that in a healthier version? Thanks!

  45. Looking for the starter recipe for pancakes. You add things together and put in ref then every few days you add or do something to eat then like the last day you take a cup out and put in ref and make pancakes with rest I don’t even know the recipe

  46. I do this, but I use 1/3 C freeze dried cheddar cheese and use it when we go camping because it cooks up so easily. We lose our power frequently, and this I can fix on the barbeque, also.

  47. Hank you so much for taking the time to post this recipe!!
    We, too stopped buying this stuff but used to use it all the time.
    Would love to have a copycat recipe for Hidden Valley Ranch mix.
    We use that stuff like its going out of style! Tried a recipe once but I
    Think it was mis-typed as it called for like 2 cups of parsley and its nasty!!
    Lol

  48. Hi. I got this from my daughter and I was curious to see if you have a recipe for Hamburger Beef Pasta.. That is the one my husband likes and I would like to see if you have a recipe for that one, too. Would be really great if you did.

  49. We just made this tonight! It was delicious and tasted just like Hamburger Helper, but the texture was really strange, almost grainy or powdery. Is there something I can do to avoid this? Thanks!

  50. We have a house full of lactose intolerant people who have learned not to like creamy/cheesy recipes, so I’d love a recipe for the Beef Pasta flavor, too!

  51. This is delicious. All five in my family love it and now a friend is hooked on it too. She’s asking for chicken helper mixes to store in a jar. Anyone have a good one to share?

  52. I love how you have arrowroot powder in this instead of flour. I’ve had to go gluten-free and all I have to change is the pasta. I’m going to have to try this. This makes for an easy weeknight supper. Thank you so much.

  53. Is there a variation for the powders that come in the Cheesy Tuna Helper or even Tetrazinne? My kids love it, and sometimes I use chicken instead of tuna when making this stuff.

  54. Merissa, I posted this recipe on my blog today, so I thought I should let you know. (I linked it back to you and made sure to give you plenty of credit, you deserve it!)

  55. I would love to see a recipe for the potato stroganoff flavor of hamburger helper.
    Thank you,
    Shelby Ownbey

  56. Just made this tonight (thanks Merissa!)…
    It has the exact flavor of Cheeseburger Macaroni! I’ve never had a ‘copy cat’ recipe taste so much like the original…not sure how you did that!
    But I couldn’t get the creaminess/cheesy-ness of the original. I didn’t change anything, followed the recipe exactly.
    Has anyone been able to achieve the creaminess/cheesy-ness that the box stuff has?
    Thank you!!

    1. I used a shredded mix of white cheddar and two flavors of mild cheddar and added it the last minute. Stirred continuously until timer went off. It tasted the exact same as box. 🙂

  57. I found this in my Facebook memories today and I had been craving this but didn’t want to eat the box version. Fixed this and it was exactly like the box version but better! Yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing this. 🙂

  58. My husband and I really liked this recipe! And I like that it’s so easy to make…. Thanks so much for sharing it. 🙂

  59. The recipe is absolutely delicious! However, with so many people unable to figure out, or to know, that t = tsp and T = Tbl, probably not too many people have the smarts to actually cook it. Come on people, use your noggins!! Surely you have cooked and read a recipe before!!??

  60. We never ate HH growing up, so I came to this recipe with no expectations. It was delicious, and lasted single me for a week of meals. Served with steamed veg or a salad and biscuits, it was quick, easy, and yummy. Thanks for posting it!

  61. I’m new to pantry storing do I add in all spices and add dried macaroni on top then screw on lid and store? Also someone mentioned that we could use dry powdered milk how much do we need in measurements to equal 2 cups of liquid milk? Thank you

    1. Yes, you will add everything into the jar (I recommend the pasta on the bottom and spices on the top), then put on a lid and store in the pantry. I haven’t added powdered milk to mine so I’m not sure on the amounts.

  62. I purchased your book and have used so many recipes from it. I just tried this one last night and I’m in love! My family of 6 needs a double batch which is totally easy. Thank you for all your hard work!

  63. This sounds yummy I will have to try it.
    Do you have a recipe for HHchile macaroni? I would love to have that one please.

  64. Love your video. I am for sure going to try your recipes. In fact I am looking now for link to order your book. This has nothing to do with the video, but can you help me please? My two grandsons have eczema really bad. They are 1 and 3 yrs old. Do you know of something that would help them? Thank you so much! ❤️❤️

  65. What if you wanted to put add powdered milk to the jar, how much would that be and would the water amount go up?