Description
Over 60 best easy dinner ideas: sheet pan dinners, easy pasta, chicken dinner, hearty soup, takeout recipes, ground beef, seafood, vegetarian, and more. One of my favorites is this homemade hamburger helper, ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 + 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup beef broth or water
- 2 cups elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Break up beef into small pieces to help even browning.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and mix until well incorporated and season with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Add milk, beef broth, and uncooked macaroni. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the lid and simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve immediately.
Notes
Make ahead and store: You can make many of these easy dinners ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also make things easy by prepping the ingredients in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Check the individual recipes for full make ahead and storing instructions.
How to reheat: Most of these leftovers can be reheated either in the air fryer or the oven at 300F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through, on the stovetop over medium to low heat for about 5-10 minutes until warmed through, or in the microwave in 20-second increments until warmed through. If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American