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!
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
- Why we love this Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe:
- Reader Rating
- Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Ingredients:
- How to make Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to store Hamburger Helper
- Can I freeze Hamburger Helper?
- Serving suggestions:
- More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love!
- Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Recipe
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
Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper Ingredients:
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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!
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast — a comfort food classic.
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup — perfect for a rainy day!
- Crockpot Meatloaf — so easy and moist!
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Glaze — this one is a reader favorite.
Healthier Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper
written by Ashley Fehr
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
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.
Notes
- 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 Information
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Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel*This post was originally published February 8, 2016
Tabitha says
Do I cook the noodles before I put them in the show cooker
Carolyn Sammartine says
Hi , this recipe looks so good.
( As do all your other slow cooker recipes that I looked at today 🙂)
I have a 4 quart and a 6 quart slow cooker. Which size would you recommend for your slow cooker recipes?
Thank you !
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carolyn, if you’ll take a look at Step 1 in the instructions I say that you can add this to a 4-6 quart slow cooker. So either would do. Hope this helps!
Krissie H says
Wanting to try this. How would you convert to an Instant Pot meal?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Krissie! I’ve only tested this recipe as written but I have two similar instant pot recipes that you might like: https://www.thereciperebel.com/instant-pot-chili-mac/ or https://www.thereciperebel.com/instant-pot-goulash/
Krissie says
Thank you for those. When you make this in your slow cooker, do you use your instant pot on slow cooker or do you actually use a slow cooker? Sorry for all the questions!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Krissie! I only used the slow cooker for this recipe.
Corey L Lockwood says
Looking at making this, this week. Looks so good. Did you drain the ground beef after browning? Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
I use lean or extra lean ground beef so I don’t drain it. If you use regular ground beef you may want to.
Haven says
I made this and it’s delicious! I used rice pasta instead so that it’s gluten free and it still turned out amazing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Haven!
Barbara Lochmondy says
How much rice did you use? Brown, white, instant, not instant?
Thank you.
Barb
Hope says
Hi! Is it seasoned tomatoes or tomato sauce?
Ashley Fehr says
seasoned tomato pasta sauce
Christine says
I haven’t made this yet – I started assembling it today but didn’t really plan out the cook time well, so it needs to go in the fridge overnight (I made everything except the noodles).
My question is – How long would you say I’d need to reheat the sauce after sitting in the fridge overnight before adding in the noodles, so that it’s hot enough to cook the noodles? I was thinking about an hour, but thought I’d ask to be sure. ☺
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Christine! I would probably heat up for a couple of hours on high or several hours on low.
Christine says
Hi Ashley ☺
I made this again today, being much more organized about it, and it turned out great! It’s so easy too, that’s the best part.
I wanted to ask you- when I reheat it after it sits in the fridge I assume it’s going to need some moisture. What would you recommend adding to accomplish that – more milk, beef broth, or tomato sauce?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Christine! I’m glad you liked it! I definitely like to add some moisture when reheating, I usually add water or broth.
Mikaela Faust says
Is there a way to prep some of this the night before so it’s easy to just throw on the crockpot in the morning and leave it to cook without having to do much prep in the AM? Can I cook the meat the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight? What about the noodles, will they get soggy?
Ashley Fehr says
Definitely! I would prep the meat and veggies. The noodles cannot be added in advance.
Tina says
Is there a stove top conversion?
Amanda says
Made this tonight and it turned out great! I will say I would compare this more to a goulash than hamburger helper but I love both 😋
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amanda!
Tina says
Is there a stove top conversion?
Ashley Fehr says
Right here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/easy-homemade-hamburger-helper/
Jen says
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I am making it again as we speak. We use farfalle instead of macaroni, and it’s divine. The only thing I would caution people about is that prep time takes a LOT longer than 10 minutes. There is so much to open, wash, chop, and combine – plus cooking the meat. Honestly, from start to finish prep time, I would say it takes about 30 minutes. I try to go fast – maybe I’m just a slowpoke!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback Jen! You’re right that there is quite a bit of prep. I try to get my meat cooked while I chop my veggies, and I find that it takes me about 10 minutes to do both, but if you are doing each separately then it can take longer.
Donovan says
This was SOOOOOOO good! I’m a vegetarian so I substituted plant-based crumbles for the hamburger and it was delicious! I could hardly believe how well the pasta cooked in the crockpot and how much of the liquid soaked up to leave such a creamy, tasty sauce. I’m always leery of Internet recipes, but this one is truly a winner. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Donovan!
Jessica Strader says
I am making this right now and it smells delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe! I would like to make sure that mine thickens up because I prefer a thicker broth! Any tips for that?!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jessica! You won’t need to add anything to thicken the broth if you follow the recipe 🙂 The pasta absorbs any extra liquid as it cooks.
Olivia says
My fiancé doesn’t like veggies, so I have omitted them. Does the sauce thicken up later in the process? It is kind of soupy at the moment..
Ashley Fehr says
The sauce will thicken up as the pasta cooks. That being said, if you remove too many other ingredients then you may have extra moisture.
Alexandria says
I’m trying this tonight. Do you think the pasta works the same if it’s gluten free?
Ashley Fehr says
I don’t have a lot of experience with gluten free pasta so I can’t say for sure, but I’d love to hear how it goes!
Barbara Lochmondy says
Can I freeze everything except the pasta?
Thanks.
Barb
Ashley Fehr says
Yes definitely! You can even freeze the pasta it will just be a little soft after thawing
Jon says
My daughter made this for 12 of us at the beach. It was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it. Even the ones grousing about it. We returned from a day of surf fishing to a house that smelled wonderful. Fifteen minutes later (pasta cooking) we all sat down to a hearty meal. I’m pretty sure everyone had second helpings.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jon! I’m so happy to hear it went over well!
Laura says
I absolutely LOVE this dish. My picky 7 year old gobbles it down. Tastes great with Newmans Own Sockarooni sauce. I actually add a little more sauce so the leftovers taste just as good. I’ve also tried it with ground turkey and it’s still a hit. Thank you for sharing this!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Laura! I’m so glad to hear that!
Lynda J Jennings says
Made this recipe tonite. So easy and delicious. My husband loved it too..
Made the ziti last week…a home run!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Lynda!
Rachael says
Awesome recipe! Loved the little veggies snuck in there, no one could really notice enough to be picky. It was great!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Rachael!
Susan says
I tried this we think it’s delicious!!;Thank you for this recipe!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Susan!
Alyssa Paradise says
Excited to try this! It looks amazing. But I did have one question. Is that 1 and 1/2 cups of milk or just 1/2 cup of milk?
?
Ashley Fehr says
1 1/2 cups