Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced small
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 can (14 oz) beef broth
- 3 cups water (plus more as needed)
- 12 ounces whole wheat elbow pasta
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped chives (optional)
Cook Aromatics
Now, we will start cooking our aromatic vegetables by adding a little oil into the bottom of either a deep skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-low heat.
The first thing you need to do is to add your onion, carrot, salt, and pepper to this hot oil.
You’ll want to cook these aromatics over low heat until your onions are soft and brown; for me, that takes around 10 minutes.
Don’t hurry through this process because the longer you allow your onions to cook, the better flavor base you’re creating for the entire dish.
Once your onion has browned, add in the garlic and continue cooking for about 30 seconds or just until fragrant.
Brown Ground Beef
Now you’re ready to increase the heat on your stovetop to medium-high and add in your ground beef.
As your beef begins to cook, break it apart using the back of a spoon into small pieces.
You’ll continue browning your beef and stirring it until it’s cooked through; around 6 to 8 minutes for most types of ground beef.
If you are using a fattier type of ground beef (like 80/20), you may want to drain any excess grease from the pan, but leave enough grease behind to keep your pasta mixture moist.
If you use a leaner ground beef, you most likely will not need to drain anything.
Season & Build Base
Turn the heat back to medium-high and mix in all of the remaining seasonings: hot sauce, Dijon mustard, and smoked paprika.
Using a spatula, scrape up any browned pieces that are stuck to the bottom of the pan and then pour in the beef broth; these brown pieces have incredible flavor.
Now, mix in the water with the mixture in the pan.
Bring everything to a boil.
Cook Pasta
Once your cookware is at a rolling boil, it’s time to add in your pasta.
Cook your pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions, stirring frequently and making sure to scrape along the bottom of your cookware to prevent the pasta from sticking.
If your mixture becomes too dry while cooking, you can always add in a splash of more water; the pasta will absorb a lot of liquid.
Finish with Cheese & Yogurt
Once you remove your cookware from heat, allow the pasta dish to cool for 1 minute, which will help prevent curdling your yogurt.
To the cooled mixture, add in Greek yogurt and shredded cheddar cheese; mixing everything together until a creamy sauce has formed with the melted cheese incorporated throughout the pasta dish.
Finally, fold in half of the chopped chives (if using) and then sprinkle the remaining chives over the top before serving hot.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 medium carrots diced small
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 can beef broth 14 oz
- 3 cups water plus more as needed
- 12 ounces whole wheat elbow pasta
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped chives optional
Instructions
- Heat oil, onion, carrots, salt, and pepper in Dutch oven over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Increase heat, add ground beef and brown 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in hot sauce, Dijon, and smoked paprika.
- Add beef broth and water, bring to boil.
- Add pasta, cook until tender, stirring frequently and adding water if needed.
- Remove from heat, let cool 1 minute.
- Stir in Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until melted.
- Sprinkle chives on top and serve.
