This healthy hamburger helper is the one-pan meal your family will love time and again (made in under 30 minutes). It’s every bit nostalgic as it is delicious with fresh ingredients you can feel good about!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Hamburger Helper
Recently, I saw an article that old-school Hamburger Helper was a trending item. And while I enjoyed this packaged food classic as a kid, it got me thinking of ways I could put a fresh, healthier spin on it. It’s an iconic dish for sure, but as I was testing my new version I couldn’t help but think, “If only we had cooked more with fresh ingredients back in the ’70s!” The amount of thickening agents, flavor enhancers, and preservatives in classic Hamburger Helper is wild to me now. But good news—simple and wholesome ground beef recipes like this healthy hamburger helper or my chili, meatloaf, and meatballs are easy to make at home. So here’s what makes this dish special:
- It’s healthier than store-bought. Instead of pasta or rice, I’m adding white beans for nutritious fiber and an extra boost of protein.
- It’s customizable. I love tossing in roughly chopped baby spinach for extra greens, but it’s also delicious served with roasted vegetables.
- It’s quick and easy. Everything cooks in one pan and takes even less time than the packaged version. So it’s the best meal to make when I’m feeling a bit lazy!
Hamburger Helper Ingredients
- Ground beef: I prefer to use 93% lean ground beef, so that I don’t have to drain off any excess grease.
- Aromatics: A mix of fresh garlic and onions lends better flavor and texture than powdered spices.
- Seasonings: Tomato paste, chili powder, salt, and black pepper give the beef that rich, bold flavor.
- Butter beans: If you can’t find butter beans, you can also use other white beans. Though I do love that the bigger size of butter beans look more like macaroni to me!
- Beef broth: As always, I like to use a low-sodium beef broth. You can also use bone broth if you prefer!
- Sharp cheddar cheese: This type of cheese gives that classic Hamburger Helper vibe, but feel free to use other kinds as well. You can leave this off if you’re dairy-free.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Healthy Hamburger Helper
Step one: First, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the ground beef and onion, and cook for about 5 minutes until the beef is nicely browned.
Step two: Next, add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Give it a good stir for another minute so all those flavors start to come together.
Step three: Pour in the beef broth and stir everything together. Bring it to a gentle simmer, and once it’s heated through, stir in the butter beans.
Step four: Lastly, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until it’s melty and creamy. Top it off with some freshly chopped parsley before serving, and you’re ready to dig in!
Ways To Serve
- Serve over rice. For a heartier dinner, this is great served over rice, mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.
- Serve over veggies. For a lighter approach, you can serve this over cauliflower rice, broccoli rice or sauteed cabbage.
- Add more veggies. You can add leafy greens or even grated zucchini or spaghetti squash into the mix as you’re cooking everything in the pan. Alternatively, this is great served over or alongside roasted vegetables.
Storage Tips
Leftovers of this healthy hamburger helper are my favorite kind of meal prep. Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. For an easy grab-and-go lunch, portion it into individual containers!
If you want to save some for later, this also works as a freezer meal! Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container and storing for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Taco soup: The ultimate taco night upgrade!
- Sheet pan nachos: Everyone’s favorite appetizer.
- Stuffed pepper soup: Cozy, comforting, and delicious.
- Zucchini lasagna: Best veggie-forward lasagna!
- or check out more of my favorite ground beef recipes!
If you make this healthy hamburger helper recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 (15-ounce) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- finely chopped parsley for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the beef and onion. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat with your spatula, until the meat is browned.
- Season the beef. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir for another minute.
- Add the broth and beans. Add the beef broth, stir together, and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the butter beans.
- Make it cheesy. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese, and stir until melted. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- I prefer to use 93% lean ground beef, so that I don’t have to drain off any excess grease.
- The butter beans release natural starches as they cook, creating a creamy, thick, and silky consistency without the need for added milk, flour, or cornstarch. If you’d like a thicker sauce, you can always mash some of the beans directly in the sauce and add even more beef broth to make it extra saucy! Conversely, because the beans do release more starch the more they’re stirred, if you’d like an end result that looks more like the photos above, don’t over-stir it.
- Storage tips: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Behind The Scenes
I always love when a random recipe I have in my brain turns out! Sorta like my creamy pesto ground turkey skillet meal (that has now become a reader favorite)—ha!
Though I do love “greening up” this recipe and usually add a few very generous handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach. They wilt down quickly and mix in perfectly. Because many of you know I’m just not a fan of a sea of beige and brown on my plate. 😉
