This homemade hamburger helper is a mix between my Cauliflower Cheeseburger Mac and my Mac and Cheese and, guys, I am here for it. So cheesy and delicious, this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper has hidden cauliflower veggie power that makes it extra creamy without tons of cheese! Gluten free and 21 Day Fix Approved, too.
These past few weeks, pasta has been my BFF.
Anyone else?
And then one night I was craving both my Mac and Cheese and my Cauliflower Cheeseburger Mac and had like the most genius idea ever. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I swear it felt like I had just cracked some code of healthy comfort food deliciousness.
I basically took both of those recipes and made a new, delicious recipe baby – a Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper that uses the cauliflower puree sauce from the Mac and Cheese but also includes the ground beef from the Cauliflower Cheeseburger Mac.
Heaven.
Also, thanks to my Instant Pot, this Healthy Hamburger Helper recipe is a one pot meal! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t worry! You can make this Hamburger Helper Recipe on the stovetop, too.
Ingredients For Homemade Hamburger Helper
- 1 lb ground beef – I love using Butcher Box’s ground sirloin for this recipe, but you can sub ground chicken or ground turkey in this
- 2 cups of gluten free elbows – you can sub whole wheat if you aren’t gluten free
- 3 cups of chicken or beef broth – either is yummy
- 4 cups of cauliflower florets – small head or frozen bag
- freshly shredded cheddar cheese – freshly shredded cheese is the answer to super creamy mac and cheese. Tip: you can shred it in your food processor super quick!
- Pecorino Romano – optional, but it gives it a nice punch of flavor. You can also sub parmesan or just use extra cheddar.
- garlic powder – a must
- dry mustard – if you don’t have any, you can omit
- Himalayan salt or sea salt
Tips and tricks for making Instant Pot Hamburger Helper:
- Be sure you read the whole recipe first before starting! (That’s a great tip for any recipe!).
- After browning your meat, scrape the bottom of your pot to make sure nothing is burned or stuck on the bottom. If you feel that food is stuck, deglaze with a 1/4 cup of broth.
- Be sure to layer the pasta on top of the meat but do not stir. And when you add the broth, try to add it evenly over your noodles if you can.
- Use a steam basket to cook your cauliflower right in the instant pot!
- If your pasta doesn’t feel cooked all the way or evenly after cooktime, don’t panic! Stir it all up and then just lay the lid on the pot. In a couple of minutes, the heat from the pot should finish your pasta! You can also put it on saute to help this!
Looking for More Easy Instant Pot Pasta Dishes? Check these out:
Instant Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta (21 Day Fix)
Instant Pot Enchilada Pasta [21 Day Fix | WW | Gluten Free]
Healthy Instant Pot Baked Ziti | 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Baked Ziti [Gluten-free]
Healthy Instant Pot Chili Mac [21 Day Fix | Gluten-Free | StoveTop Option]
21 Day Fix Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage (Gluten Free | Instant Pot Option)
Healthy Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups gluten free elbows
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth or beef broth divided use
- 4 cups cauliflower florets - small head or frozen bag
- 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese About 1 block
- 2 tablespoons pecorino romano optional
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Set Instant Pot to Saute and add in ground beef. Brown meat, then stir in garlic powder, dry mustard, and salt. Layer pasta on top, but don’t stir, then top with 2 cups of broth. Then place the cauliflower florets in a steam basket on top of the beef and pasta mixture. Lock lid.
- Set Instant Pot for 3 minutes. After cook time, do a quick release.
- Remove cauliflower and place in a blender with ¼-½ cup of broth and puree. You should have about 2 cups of the puree; if you have more, freeze to use later. Stir in the puree, stir it into the pasta mixture along with the shredded cheese. Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Stovetop
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot or dutch oven.
- Stir in the seasoning and then add the 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil.
- Add pasta to the pot, and cook according to the directions on the box or until tender, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking. Do not drain.
- Meanwhile, steam your cauliflower in a separate pot or microwave until fork tender.
- Remove cauliflower and place in a blender with 1/4 cup of broth and puree. You should have about 2 cups of the puree; if you have more, freeze to use later.
- Stir in cauliflower puree and cheese into pasta and keep stirring until all the cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Carol King says
My son agreed to only take a “no thank you bite” and insisted he hated it. I allowed him to add mustard, ketchup or ranch to it and when he added mustard he was addicted!!! He ate it for lunch and dinner and leftovers and everything in between. I absolutely love that he has no idea how healthy it is with the cauliflower sauce. This is a dinner win for sure!
Nancylynn says
Total win right here! AHH thank you SO much for sharing!!
Brittani Bentz says
Has anyone made this and put it in the freezer? I’m making some meals for my grandma and don’t want her to have to do anything but turn on the oven. Thanks!
Nancylynn says
This is a great freezer meal, yes!
Ashley Burns says
I keep getting the burn warning, any idea why?
Nancylynn says
Make sure you are not stirring it all up. Pasta can be tricky in certain “temperamental” pots.
Have you seen this post? It might help you troubleshoot! https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/burn-message/
Carrie says
We loved this! I added sautéed onions and mushrooms to the recipe cuz I just love them too much not to invite them to the party! Another scrumptious recipe, NancyLynn! Delicious (maybe even better) as leftovers! Thank you!!
Kelly Hansen says
If I have a bag of rice cauliflower at what point would I incorporate that? With the instant pot and not stove top
Nancylynn says
Hi! You have two options- #1 is to steam the riced cauliflower first, according to the directions on the bag, and then add to the pot when the directions say to add the puree. Or #2 put the uncooked riced cauliflower in the pot before layering the pasta on top and then cooking it that way. Both methods will not be quite as creamy as using the cauliflower puree, but should work fine! Let us know how it goes!
Lisa says
how would you make this on the stove/ or oven?
Nancylynn says
Hi! There are stovetop directions in the recipe card 😊.
Margaret says
So I am OBSESSED with this!! It’s soooo good!! But I have a silly question lol. How does a 3/4 cup serving get all those container counts in there? I’m totally fine if I have to eat more of this 😂
Nancylynn says
The magic of math and combining food! Lol!
Joyce says
My bf is NOT a fan of hamburger helper at all, but after looking over your recipe he agreed to try it. SCORE!! He loved it!! (Me, too!!) Yummmmmy!!! Another definite keeper in our meal planning repertoire!!! Thanks, Nancylynn!!
Shannan says
This recipe was SO easy. SO EASY! And it turned out delish! I added a bit of hidden valley ranch seasoning to my bowl which gave it a little extra pump. I had a hard time not going for thirds!!
Nancylynn says
Yippee!!! Thank you so much Shannan – makes me so happy to know this was a hit for you!!
Tracey says
TOTAL success in our household (with two picky kids). Thank you!
Teresa says
The last ingredient is listed as “2 T pecorino romano (optional)”. What is a “T”? Tablespoon?
Nancylynn says
Yes!