This homemade hamburger helper is the perfect meal to make when you’re craving comfort food. This comforting mix of pasta, ground beef, and a flavorful sauce is just the thing to enjoy with your family. This cozy recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly!
Feeding a family is a big job! Cooking takes time and energy, and sometimes you might wish that convenience foods were safe for your family.
So many packaged food products aren’t allergy friendly. Hamburger Helper, which was very popular when I was a kid, (and probably still is!), contained lots of allergens. It was a quick fix for a tasty dinner, but it was not allergy friendly at all.
I wondered if it was possible to make gluten free hamburger helper from scratch, and it was easier than I thought! I loved the way this turned out. It was filling and tasty, and my family enjoyed it. It’s just right for a chilly evening at home.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef – I used ground round, or 85/15 ground beef. I don’t recommend going any leaner, as the flavor will be a bit lacking.
- Gluten Free Pasta – There are many brands of gluten free pasta out there! I used Jovial rotini, but you could also use Tinkyada, Ancient Harvest, or any brand that works for you. If you can’t find rotini, macaroni would also work well.
- Beef Stock – Use any brand of beef stock or broth that works for your dietary needs.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato paste has a very concentrated flavor that gives this sauce a nice, full flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
- Put the ground round, olive oil, onion, and celery in a large pan and cook until browned, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the beef stock, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir. Then add the pasta, and stir again so that it is covered by liquid.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
- Season with more salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for about 3-4 days. If it seems like the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, you can add a little water before reheating.
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Recipe
Homemade Hamburger Helper (Gluten Free, Dairy Free).
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground round 85% lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 32 ounces unsalted beef stock you could also use chicken stock
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 ½ cups gluten free rotini or a different pasta shape of your choice
Instructions
- Place the olive oil, ground round, chopped onion, and chopped celery in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the ground round is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
- Add the beef stock, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Add the gluten free rotini and stir to make sure all the pasta is covered with liquid.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender. The amount of time may vary depending on the brand of pasta that you use.
- Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Top with fresh herbs if desired.
ALlison
I really love the cheeseburger helper. Any ideas on a cheese-like ingredient I could use? I’ve experimented with nutritional yeast but its not quite right on its own.
D
This was a great meal!