This one skillet gluten free hamburger helper is soooo cheesy and delicious you'll be wishing for leftovers-but there won't be any left!
Needed Ingredients
- Oil
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Paprika
- Pasta
- Cheddar Cheese
See recipe post for quantitates. When you do, you'll notice it calls for 16 oz. of gluten free pasta. I got mine at Trader Joe's!
It always frustrated me that regular pasta all comes in 16 oz., but then switch to gluten free and you find 12 or 10 oz. I was so happy to find that Trader Joe's sells gluten free pasta in a normal size!
How to Make Gluten Free Hamburger Helper
Start by heating the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and cooking the ground beef. Break it up as it cooks.
Halfway through cooking the beef, add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
When the beef is almost finished but not quite, add in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly.
Add the pasta and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to just below medium to a simmer and put the lid on. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally until the pasta is finished cooking.
When it's finished, turn off the heat and add in the cheese and mix thoroughly. Enjoy!
Substitutions
- You can swap the ground beef out for ground turkey if you'd like!
- Use dairy free cheese to make this a gluten free dairy free hamburger helper!
- Use vegetable, beef, or bone broth instead of chicken broth!
Variations
- At the same time you add in the cheese, add in some fresh chopped tomatoes!
- Get more greens! Wilt in some spinach at the end, or add some celery in with the onion and garlic.
- Add in some sliced red peppers with the onion and garlic.
Serving Suggestions
This is best served with a side salad! It's a great meal to serve some veggies with.
For dressings check out this dairy free ranch dressing or this sugar free honey mustard for dressing options!
Storing and Reheating
If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
To reheat, you have some options. My favorite way to reheat this is to place it in the oven on an oven safe dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through.
You can also use the microwave but it can change the texture a bit.
FAQ's
Is any Hamburger Helper Gluten Free?
Typically the store bought versions of hamburger helper all contain gluten. I have seen some off brand gluten free versions, but this recipe makes a much bigger batch and gives you more bang for your buck!
What Can I use instead of Hamburger in Hamburger Helper?
My favorite sub for hamburger here is turkey. It provides the same texture with a slightly different, but very compatible, taste!
You could also try tuna or ground chicken even.
Top Tip
Be sure to use sharp yellow cheddar cheese! Or even better, extra sharp! It really does help with the flavor.
More Gluten Free Dinners to Try
Gluten Free Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- 1 large skillet or pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Mixing Spoon
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or butter or other cooking fat
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz. pasta
- 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chili pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook.
- When the beef is halfway done, add in the onion and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spices. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the pasta and mix. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to just below medium to a simmer and put the lid on. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally or until the pasta is finished.
- Shut the heat and add the cheese. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below how it came out, and how you served it!
Feel free to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @thecleanhappylife!
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Louis says
I made this recipe for my family this week and we all loved it! I followed it as is, no substitutions. It’s super cheesy and my 6 year old was asking for more so that’s a win for us!
Rachel Rivera says
Thank you so much Louis! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it 🙂
Emily says
This recipe is Okay.. A good base, but a little bland. Next time I make it I think I would cook onions with the meat the whole time, a little more seasoning, beef broth instead of chicken, and velveeta instead of shredded cheese.
Rachel Rivera says
Hi Emily! Thanks for stopping by and trying my recipe! A note on velveeta cheese-why it's insanely tasty and I'm sure would make this recipe extra tasty, as a blogger of healthy recipes I don't use it in any of my recipes! It's extremely processed, high in saturated fat, and can't even legally be labeled as cheese 🙁 Of course you're more than welcome to try it, and I hope you enjoy it and like some other recipes I have!
Kevin Blanchard says
This is the best recipe that I’ve found that is delicious. Others I’ve tried are bland. Not this one!
Rachel Rivera says
Thanks so much for trying it out, glad you enjoyed it!
Aimee says
Also, I am not seeing the cheese on the ingredients! Just noticed that 🙂
Aimee says
Is the tomato sauce only 1oz? It seems like a small amount and wanted to clarify that it isn’t more! I am excited to make this recipe. We are big beef Mac fans over here!
Rachel Rivera says
Oh my, thank you for catching these! I kept forgetting to go back and add the cheese but totally missed the tomato sauce typo! lol The post is now updated and should read correctly! It's 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese! You can do white or yellow cheese 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!!