Homemade Hamburger Helper
Beef stroganoff made completely from scratch in ONE POT in less than 30 min. And it tastes 10000x better than the boxed stuff!
I have to admit that during my college years, Hamburger Helper saved my life.
All I had to do was buy a pound of ground beef. That’s it.
And then I was able to cook a “homemade” meal. From a box of course.
It was cheap, quick and easy.
But guess what? This homemade creamy mushroom stroganoff version is also cheap, quick and easy.
And it’s also made completely, 100% from scratch. In a single pan in 30 minutes or less.
Even the pasta gets cooked right in the pot!
It’s a win-win situation.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Beef stroganoff made completely from scratch in ONE POT in less than 30 min. And it tastes 10000x better than the boxed stuff!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
- ¼ cup sour cream*
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in beef broth and egg noodles. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until noodles are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream and Dijon mustard until well combined.
- Serve immediately, garnished parsley, if desired.
Notes
*Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this for my brother who requested hh stroganoff. I couldnt bring myself to use hh, so I used this recipe, and it was a hit
Loved it. Quick, easy and delish. I also only used half the Dijon, and sauteed my mushrooms first. A repeat for sure. I enjoy cooking, but sometimes it’s so fantastic to have something that can be pulled together quickly and still taste great. 🙂
And it’s a repeat tonight! Thanks again.
Thank you! I was missing some ingredients but it was still delicious! I used 2 small cans of mushroom steak gravy and 1 1/2 cans of beef broth. 2 tbsp of flour and 1/2 c of sour cream. I also deleted the mustard and tomato paste. We loved it! Now I want other hh recipes!Freda
I’ve made this several times and it’s consistently good. My step kids love it and it doubles easily when you need a bigger quantity.
Excellent recipe! Something that is quick and satisfying after a long day at work!
Not a review just a question. I’m on the dairy free soy free diet due to breast feeding. Doesn’t sour cream and Greek yogurt have dairy? And what about the mustard?
Use cashew cream instead of sour cream
This was delicious! My husband said it’s the best hamburger skillet meal he’s ever had. I didn’t have parsley so I omitted it. I floated two cloves of garlic in the cooking liquid and grated a tablespoon of white onion into the beef while it was cooking…..because I actually can’t cook without them! Aside from that I followed the recipe. Thank you for a great meal.
Pretty good. Even thought I put in the amount of dijon mustard as it said and twice as much sour cream, the dijon flavor is over powering. I would recommend putting 1/2 tsp instead of a whole. And bump the sour cream to at least 1/2 cup instead of a 1/4. Other than that it was quick easy and pretty good.
Wow! Definitely a keeper! I didn’t have cremini mushrooms, so I used common white mushrooms, I cut them in half and then sliced them somewhat thin. This actually came together faster than hamburger helper and tastes better.
We live abroad and one thing we really miss sometimes is Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper, as we can’t buy it here. Made this tonight for a taste of home and wow- it tastes amazing! As close to a copycat as you’re going to get. One of our new favorites and in the rotation it goes. Everything we try from this website is amazing – thank you so much!!
My son loves hamburger helper but he is lactose intolerant. I was looking for a recipe that was similar and I found this one that is much better than HH! I substitute So Delicious brand coconut milk yogurt alternative and my whole family loves it.
I made this while in the middle of a move. I realized my Dutch ovens and large pots were still at the old house so I used my instant pot and lowered the cooking time. Came out great. I also added peas because I need to get veggies in my kiddo. He loved it!
I occasionally use Hamburger Helper for a “quick” meal. I didn’t have the money to buy any Hamburger Helper one night, but I did have ground beef and egg noodles. I came across this recipe and decided to try it. I was surprised to find that not only did it taste so much better, even though I did not have any mushrooms, but it actually came together much faster than Hamburger Helper. The best part is that it is homemade without any unnecessary chemicals and/or preservatives and my family loves it! I added minced garlic, onion powder, and several shakes of Worcestershire sauce to taste. I can see how it can be adjusted easily to suit one’s tastes and to vary it up sometimes. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Very good. We all enjoyed. It’s a keeper.
We had this for dinner this evening. It was SO damn delicious that my husband and I each had a second helping, and I am taking it to a church pot luck this weekend.
Thank you for this recipe!
Awesome!
I really enjoyed this recipe as did my husband who is particularly picky. I added a small onion to brown with the meat and a extra 1/4 cup of sour cream. Came out perfect!
I am making your homemade hamburger helper tonight and just added the tomato paste as per the recipe. Your recipe photos do not look red, however. Did you use tomato paste? Also, you say to whisk the flour, but I added it to ground meat. Do you mean just stir and coat the meat with the tomato past and flour?
Thanks!
Yes, I did use tomato paste. With only 1 tablespoon, the dish will not be red.
You can stir in the flour until lightly browned. Hope that helps!
Recipe is fantastic! I made a few tweaks based on others’ posts: added onions and carrots and 1 less cup of broth. I also used ground turkey and 1lb of noodles versus 8 oz. It is delicious! Thanks so much for such a great recipe!
I freaking LOVE this recipe ! It’s a staple in our house and my 4 year old picky eater approves .
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing with us!
This is an absolute delight! I added onions and used pizza sauce instead of tomato paste. I had some pepperoni leftover from pizza earlier this week and threw that into the mix. I will definitely be making this again.
This looks just what I need to use up a pound of ground beef for supper. Chungah, the recipes on your site sound AWESOME – there are so many I want to try!! I LOVE Asian food, and here there are some WONDERFUL sounding Asian recipes, but there are also Mexican, Italian, etc. – what an exciting array of things to try! I have access to quite a few food bloggers’ sites, and they also have some wonderful sounding recipes, but yours is my favorite. Thanks for sharing your talents and creativity!
Hi! Love your recipes. 🙂 Can I make this with beef stew meat? How would I prepare the meat differently? Thanks!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
My husband has celiac so I substituted gf flour and used gf rotini pasta. Added chopped onion and garlic . Very tasty, will make again. Served with green peas and cucumber salad.
This was so easy, but it needs something. Maybe next time I’ll dice onions and carrots and brown those with the beef. Otherwise, this is a super easy, quick meal! Will make again.
I made this last week and it was super fast and yummy. I couldn’t believe how quickly this came together and it was a big hit with my husband. It’s going on my make-again list for sure!
Made this tonight, super easy and 30-min meals are a must have in my life these days with a 14 month old and 4 year old. I added a bit more tomato paste and started with 2 cups of broth and added more as necessary (I always find it best to start with less and add more if required, it’s easier to add than to take away!) Anyway, it turned out perfect, kids loved it, lots of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Served with a giant green salad.
Having had the misfortune of Hamburger Helper sort of childhood, seeing this recipe piqued my interest. I made it, and man… it’s good. Like, way better than any Hamburger Helper I would never care to eat again. All ingredients I had in my pantry, this was a cinch to make and extremely tasty! Thank you again for a FAST, delicious and easy meal!
Tried this tonight – soooo easy to put together and very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
This is great. Looks, smells and tastes like the real thing but without that annoying HH diarrhea! Seriously though, a fantastic dish that turned out perfectly and brought me right back to my college days. Loved it – junk food without the junk.
I made this recipe last night but, to make it a little healthier I used protein plus bow tie pasta and used turkey meat instead of hamburger.. i then added a little bit of garlic and onion to the turkey meat as it cooked and it came out great.
I halved this for a quick dinner for 2 using button mushrooms, and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I ended up doubling the amount I used because I wanted more sour flavor, so I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to use the yogurt again. I also did not get a very creamy color, it was pretty brown. But overall it tasted great and my skeptical boyfriend loved it too. I will definitely keep making this one.
I make this often and we love it! Question, would it be ok to freeze the left overs in portions for quick re-heat meals? Not sure if this is freezer friendly. Thanks!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
AMAZING! So delicious! Added onions, onion powder and garlic powder
I’m not sure what I did wrong but this came out like a big sticky, gooey, glob. Flavor was good but the texture was all wrong. 🙁
I made this the other night hoping my 2 picky toddlers would eat and like it – they loved it! It was fast and simple to make, tastes amazing and is easy on the wallet! It’s a keeper! 🙂
This turned out perfectly, not soupy at all! I added chopped onion and garlic to the hamburger as it browned and that’s the only change I made…I love the recipes on this site, they are truly damn delicious
Quick, super easy, and pretty inexpensive. I used white button mushrooms and only 2 cups of beef broth (I can see where another cup would make it soupy!) because I didnt feel like making a trip to the store. Would add onions and garlic next time for more flavor. Super easy cleanup too.
I agree with the comment above – it comes out very soupy with 3 cups of broth. I would recommend cutting liquid down to 2 cups and adding later if necessary. Flavors were great!
I followed the recipe exactly. I ended up with stroganoff soup! Usually the recipes on this site are great, not sure what happened but next time I will use 1 cup beef broth.
This one didn’t turn out like yours at all.
Not sure where it went wrong, maybe because I used beef stock instead of broth. Not completely sure what the difference is to be honest.
It was alrightish… very sticky and brown (too much flour and tomato paste?)
Won’t make it again, but that probably has more to do with my own cooking than your recipe.
Just wondering what side you serve with this? Thanks!
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
I did make this and it was DAMN DELICIOUS! I am going to make lasagna soup (from Damn delicious, of course) next. I gotta try those cheesy potatoes too. I Love Your Website! Do you have an app?
I actually do not have an app at this time but my website is mobile and table-friendly for your convenience.
LOVED this recipe! Super easy and was a huge hit! Will for sure make again
I have tested this recipe and can honestly say it’s great ! My boyfriend is on the Low FODMAP diet (for IBS) and this dish is great for his unsettled tummy ! It’s super tasty and surprisingly light. I added a big bag of spinach as well towards the end which wilted down. I think this time around I might grate some zucchini through it as well for a bit of extra nutrition 🙂
Hi. What can I use in place of flour? I have tummy issues when I eat flour/gluten. 🙁
Thanks!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I have used gluten-free flour and it works just fine !
Hey Jenna! Just thought I would let you know I used brown rice noodles I get at trader joes. I didn’t need any flour. 🙂 still delicious!
Corn starch
Maybe a smaller amount of cornstarch.
This is some tasty stroganoff, but I really don’t think you ought to be calling it Hamburger Helper. I mean, it’s got cremini mushrooms, for crying out loud. I don’t recall any ‘shrooms in the boxed stuff. And oh, my, the glorious fond in my skillet.
For those itching to try it, do! This is one of those rare easy weeknight comfort food meals that comes together in a snap (yes, under 30 minutes!) without relying on canned ingredients. I loved how it came together in a single skillet (Easy cleanup) and how easy it was to scale for 2 people. It’s so straightforward and simple that it’s incredibly easy to adapt to personal tastes (I’m planning to add onion next time) without worrying about destroying it’s soul.
Never mind my calorie comment. I think I found the issue.
When I import this recipe into My Fitness Pal it calculates the recipe as over 1110 calories per serving. In order to make it 540 calories as you state the whole pot would have to be 8 serving sizes instead of only four. ???
I have always made beef stroganoff from scratch; my recipe calls for dill weed – it adds a unique taste and aroma.
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it tonight. Thanks!!
This looks yummy! Think I will add some green peas to it.
This is coincidental — I just made a different one pot beef stroganoff recipe TONIGHT that I didn’t care for… should’ve known to check here first!
I LOOOVE beef stroganoff. Can’t wait to make this!!!!!
Just wanted to say thank-you for all the great recipes , and your pick ,so pretty ,Iam a grandma but love trying new things and old with a twist ,I become a fan lol.
My husband gets nostalgic thinking about Hamburger Helper (and stroganoff was his favorite) but I refuse to buy it. This looks like a great weeknight version when I don’t have the time, energy, etc., etc., to cook and clean up. Great job.
Love those comfort foods! This looks super delicious. I’m making this today.