Healthy Hamburger Helper

This homemade Healthy Hamburger Helper is made lighter and healthier with ground turkey and other 5 simple ingredients. Creamy, nostalgia-packed 30 minute pasta dinner in one pot!

Ingredients for Healthy Hamburger Helper

• Meat: I used lean ground turkey. You can swap any ground meat like more classic lean ground beef, or ground chicken or ground pork
• Broth: I added low sodium chicken broth as part of the liquid for the sauce. Beef broth and vegetable broth also work.
• Milk: Adding whole milk or 2% milk makes the sauce rich and creamy. If you use a lower fat milk, such as skim milk or 1%, the sauce may have a less velvety texture.
• Rao’s marinara sauce: This is a must to perfecting the flavor of this dish and I wouldn’t experiment with another brand. Rao’s marinara is made in Italy and has a distinct taste that truly stands out.
• Pasta: Go for a short pasta to soak up the delicious sauce, it will also mimic the look of boxed hamburger helper. I went with cavatappi, or corkscrew pasta, but feel free to use fusilli, elbow macaroni, penne, rotini, rigatoni, or shells. Choose from regular, whole wheat, or gluten free pasta.
• Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated cheddar cheese melts easily into the sauce and is much better than pre-packaged cheese with added anti-caking agents. You could also try Monetary Jack, mozzarella, or Colby Jack cheese for a slightly different taste.
• Oil: Not pictured, but you’ll need a bit of oil for frying. Avocado oil and olive oil are my go-to.

How to Make Healthy Hamburger Helper

It cooks entirely in a single large pot or Dutch oven with hardly any prep needed. You’ll find a full recipe card below.

1. Saute meat: Heat a large pot on medium-high heat and add oil to coat. Add meat and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking into small pieces and stirring.
2. Add liquids and pasta: Pour in chicken broth, milk, marinara sauce, and pasta. Give it a good stir, cover, and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. I like to stir a few times to keep the pasta from sticking.
3. Melt the cheese: Turn off the heat, add shredded cheese, and stir until it’s all blended in.
4. Garnish: Serve it hot and feel free to sprinkle on some fresh parsley, black pepper, or hot sauce.

Variations and Additions

• Add veggies: Throw in some chopped spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, or shredded zucchini.
• Add some heat: Mix in a bit of cayenne pepper, paprika, or chili powder, or sprinkle with red pepper flakes or hot sauce. If your grocery store has ground spicy Italian sausage, that’s another great way to add heat.
• Creamy additions: Add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt for extra creaminess.
• Vegetarian: Swap meat for drained and rinsed black beans, chickpeas, or a plant-based meat, and use vegetable broth.

Serving Ideas

Pair healthy hamburger helper with some crusty bread like my 2 ingredient bread or whip up some healthy cornbread muffins to soak up the creamy sauce.

For veggies, I like to keep it simple with air fryer broccoli, Instant Pot steamed vegetables, or a refreshing butter lettuce salad.

And then leftovers make for a perfect healthy lunch all on their own. Enjoy!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: I fed 4 hearty appetites and still had some leftovers. Store leftovers in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge, it’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Simmer gently on the stove or use the microwave for reheating. Make adjustments to the consistency by adding more broth or milk if needed.

Freeze: I wouldn’t freeze homemade hamburger helper, pasta doesn’t hold up too well. It’s a quick weeknight meal, and the leftovers stay tasty in the fridge for almost a week.

More Healthy Pasta Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot goulash
• Ground turkey and broccoli pasta
• One pot spaghetti
• Healthy mac and cheese
• Ground turkey pasta
• Mongolian ground beef noodles
• One pot lasagna