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Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe

written by Ashley Fehr

Updated February 4, 2025

4.74 from 53 votes
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This Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper is easily made entirely in the Crockpot, with ground beef and macaroni in a cheesy, tomato-y sauce with extra veggies! It’s hearty comfort food made easy!

grey bowl filled with slow cooker hamburger helper with parsley beside it.

Check out more of the very best slow cooker pasta recipes like Slow Cooker Baked Ziti, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese recipe, Beef and Noodles and Crockpot Lasagna!

Table of Contents

Cooking pasta in the slow cooker is so much easier than you may realize. No stirring, no keeping an eye on things – just let the everything cook away for a good part of the day and add the pasta in the last 15 minutes and you’re good to go!

The only element of Crockpot Hamburger Helper that needs to be cooked outside of the slow cooker is the beef. Then, everything gets mixed right into the Crockpot and cooked low and slow to cheesy perfection… I might be drooling.

Once you master this easy homemade Hamburger Helper Crockpot recipe, you’ll never go back to the store-bought box again! And if you don’t have a Crockpot, no worries. You can also make Hamburger Helper on your stove-top!

Why we love this Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe:

  • Filling: This is one of those entrees that will fill you up after just one serving, but it’s so delicious that you might find yourself going back for more.
  • Cheesy: There’s the perfect amount of shredded cheese in the mix to tie everything together. Cheddar cheese is always great, but you can use any kind you like.
  • So Easy: When I say this slow cooker recipe is fail-proof, I mean it! The steps here really couldn’t be easier.

Reader Rating

“Family favorite for my picky eaters! Both my boys 1 & 6 are so picky and it’s nice to be able to make something besides nuggets that they’ll eat haha! My 6 year old requests this all the time! Prep does take me a minute but it’s so worth it! Delicious and thank you for sharing!” — Kalie

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Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Ingredients:

ingredients needed for slow cooker hamburger helper in bowls and plate.
  • Ground Beef: I like to use lean ground beef so it doesn’t render a lot of excess fat. If you end up with grease in your skillet, drain it before adding the meat to the Crock Pot.
  • Milk: Any milk will work! You can substitute with half and half or cream, but I find that the cooking liquid gets to be quite a bit thicker and doesn’t cook the pasta as well, so I prefer to use milk for just a touch of creaminess. 
  • Tomato Sauce: Any seasoned tomato sauce will work like a marinara or similar.
  • Pasta: Elbow macaroni is my favorite. This recipe will work with other types of pasta, but be sure that the weight and cook time is the same. I prefer not to use whole grain pasta here as it can take longer to cook and become gummy.
  • Onion: A white or yellow onion will both work very well.
  • Cheese: For the best flavor and consistency, try to use a freshly shredded cheese if you can.
  • Beef Broth: I always recommend using low-sodium beef broth. That way, you can add more salt if desired and better control the amount of sodium in your dish.
  • Pepper: A red pepper adds the perfect touch of natural sweetness.
  • Garlic: necessary!
  • Seasonings: There’s wiggle room here. I like to sprinkle in a simple combo of salt, Italian seasoning and just a pinch of red pepper flakes.

How to make Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper

Thanks to the slow cooker, making homemade Hamburger Helper has never been so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for more exact ingredients measurements and steps.

  • Cook the ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is translucent and add to the slow cooker.
  • Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook on low.
cooked beef and onions in black frying pan.
cook the onions and ground beef
white slow cooker filled with spices and other ingredients.
slow cook everything (except pasta)
  • About 15 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and stir in macaroni noodles. Be sure to keep an eye on these and cook just to al dente!
  • Stir in cheese, taste and serve.
cook the pasta
hamburger helper in a white slow cooker topped with chopped parsley.
enjoy!

Variations and Substitutions

  • Make it dairy-free: you can easily make this recipe lactose-free with lactose-free milk and cheese. You can also use plant-based milk and cheese, or omit and substitute with additional broth.
  • Can I make it gluten-free? I don’t recommend gluten-free pasta in one pot recipes because they cook differently and become mushier much more quickly.
  • Veggies: Feel free to toss in more veggies like shredded carrots, zucchini or spinach.
  • Spice: You can spice things up a bit by sprinkling in even more crushed red pepper flakes! Just be careful because a little bit goes a long way.

How to store Hamburger Helper

You can store leftover Hamburger Helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water or broth and pop individual portions in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.

Can I freeze Hamburger Helper?

You can, but the texture will change. Pasta will become softer after freezing so just be aware before you choose that route to store it.

Let everything fully cool to room temperature, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for a few hours prior to reheating.

steel scoop in a white slow cooker full of hamburger helper.

Serving suggestions:

You can serve Hamburger Helper all by itself! Or, have some fun and whip up a side dish like Air Fryer Broccoli or Green Beans with Bacon to add a pop of fresh flavor to your plate.

More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love!

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Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper

written by Ashley Fehr

This Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper is easily made entirely in the Crockpot, with ground beef and macaroni in a cheesy, tomato-y sauce with extra veggies! It's hearty comfort food made easy!
close up of slow cooker hamburger helper with a large spoon in it.
4.74 from 53 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • ½ medium onion, (diced)
  • 1½ cups low sodium beef broth, (plus additional if needed)
  • 1½ cups milk, (any kind)
  • 1½ cups tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 bell pepper, (diced) I used red
  • 2 cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, if you like it spicy!
  • 3 cups dry uncooked macaroni, (350-380 grams)
  • ½ cup shredded cheese
US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

  • In a medium skillet, cook ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is translucent. Add to a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
  • Add in broth, milk, pasta sauce, bell pepper, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. (*The cook time here is really flexible — you want to cook the red pepper and get it hot enough to cook the pasta, so you can cook anywhere from 3 to 8 hours on low).
  • About 15 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and stir in macaroni. Check at 15 minutes, and add 5-10 extra minutes to the cook time as needed until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta is not cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed, add ½-1 cup additional broth or milk as needed.
  • Stir in cheese (covering for 2-3 minutes if necessary to melt the cheese), taste and serve.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used.
 
Ingredients and Substitutions:
  • Ground beef: use lean ground beef or drain the fat before adding to the slow cooker. You can also swap this with any ground meat, even ground Italian sausage. 
  • Onion and pepper: these are the vegetables we use and they add lots of flavor. You can omit one or both, or stir in others like shredded carrot, zucchini, or finely chopped spinach.
  • Seasonings: feel free to adjust the seasonings to your tastes. If you like a bit of kick, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a bit of hot sauce.
  • Milk: any milk will do here! You can substitute with half and half or cream, but I find that the cooking liquid gets to be quite a big thicker and doesn’t cook the pasta as well, so I prefer to use milk for just a bit of creaminess. 
  • Tomato pasta sauce: and seasoned tomato sauce will work, i.e., a marinara or similar. Something with flavor!
  • Macaroni: this recipe will work with other types of pasta but be sure that the weight and cook time is the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 430cal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 1121mg, Potassium: 880mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1096IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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*This post was originally published February 8, 2016

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Michelle says

    I haven’t had hamburger helper in years, but I was intrigued by this recipe. This was absolutely delicious! Easy to add in extra veggies, too – I added a few extra handfuls of spinach, as well as some diced carrots. Will be adding this to our regular rotation.

    Reply

  2. Sativa says

    Is there any way that you could convert this for an instant pot I tried making it on the slow cooker function of my instant pot and it didn’t translate well but I love this recipe

    Reply

  3. Ann says

    I haven’t tried this yet, but I am planning to. I have a question: does the dry macaroni really completely cook in 10-15 minutes in the slow cooker? I don’t have to cook it first?

    Reply

  4. Sharon says

    If you doubled the recipe (meat), do you think the pasta would still work out okay? Thinking of making for a crowd, and don’t have multiple slow cookers to use.

    Reply

  5. jack says

    Why would you cook this for 8 hours in a crockpot when you can easily fix this in 15 minutes on a stove and not run the risk of overcooking the pasta?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      You don’t run the risk of overcooking the pasta if you just keep an eye on it, and I would say that fixing this on the stove is going to take you at least 30 minutes, maybe more depending how many veggies you are chopping. I also have a stove top version, and we like them both.

      Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Peggy! Unfortunately I don’t know the serving size in grams or volume, but if you need, I would weigh the entire recipe, divide by 6 and then individually portion according to weight. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  7. danielle says

    I am in love with this. Especially excited that it can be made in the slow cooker. This is one of those amazing comfort food recipes that you love to have in the cooler weather. So much deliciousness!

    Reply

  9. Danielle says

    I am obsessed with those slow cooker liners! I use them every single time we make something in the slow cooker. I’m also a huge hamburger helper lover, so this healthy version sounds sooo good!

    Reply

  15. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Ashley! I am loving all the crock pot recipes! Not only are they easy but they are so comforting! And added veggies are always a good thing! We are carnivores but also love vegetables in abundance! 🙂

    Reply

  16. Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says

    This looks insanely easy and flavorful. I’m always trying to find new things to make for dinner. Although I don’t eat ground beef, I can totally substitute in some turkey meat. I think this would be a hit in my house. Thanks for sharing, Ashley. 🙂

    Reply

  17. marcie says

    I love those slow cooker liners — washing a slow cooker can be quite the pain sometimes! I grew up on Hamburger Helper and I love that you lightened this up and you can let the slow cooker do most of the work for you!

    Reply

  20. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    Those slow cooker liners are the best! It saves me so much time in the kitchen! This hamburger helper is just what I need after devouring one too many snacks over the weekend! Love that you can toss everything in and let the slow cooker do its magic!

    Reply
4.74 from 53 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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