One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna – ditch the boxed mix Hamburger Helper and make your own, lasagna style, much healthier and homemade. Comfort food at its finest.
Hamburger Helper
OK, I hate to admit this but I actually secretly love the Hamburger Helper meals. When I was in college and I lived on my own, I made them quite a bit. But now that I’m a mature adult, ahem, I am more conscious of what I’m eating and would actually like to know what goes in my food, I make these dishes myself.
Last time I went grocery shopping and went down the aisle with all the boxes of Hamburger Helper I saw this lasagna version and I remembered that this was my favorite. Rather than pick up a box, being the food blogger that I am, I decided to make it myself.
I’m glad I did, because this could not get any easier. With just a few ingredients, you have comfort food at its finest. I mean, in case you haven’t figured this out before, I am a pasta lover, so anytime you give me pasta loaded with meat and cheese, I’ll be your best friend for life. No lie!
What Ingredients Are in Hamburger Helper Lasagna
The main ingredients in hamburger helper are pasta, marinara sauce, ground beef and mozzarella cheese. My favorite ingredients ever! The only additions I’ve made are add ingredients that flavor the dish, like onion, garlic, must have garlic, lots of garlic, Italian seasoning, and chicken broth.
Here’s the kicker, you can do it all in one pot in 30 minutes or less, cause that’s my thing you know, 30 Minute One Pot Meals. OK, that was a shameless plug, but moving on.
I really think I should have been born Italian. And to think I married a man who does not like pasta, how can this be? How can anyone not like pasta? Anyway, I’m not going to contemplate that now because this is the time to talk about this luscious mafalda pasta smothered in marinara sauce with ground beef and laden with mozzarella cheese. This is what my dreams are made of. Yes, what a wonderful world!
How to Make Hamburger Helper Lasagna
This is really easy to make. Start by cooking the ground beef in a large skillet until it’s no longer pink and starts to brown a bit. I used extra lean ground beef so I didn’t need to drain any excess fat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and seasonings. Cook for another 3 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Add the marinara sauce, uncooked pasta, chicken broth and stir everything together. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the past is cooked through.
Stir in the cheese and cook for another 30 seconds until the cheese melts. Garnish with parsley if preferred and serve.
Seriously though, have you seen anything more beautiful than this. No, don’t answer that! It was a rhetorical question anyway. Back to the lasagna though, I’ve tried to make this as simple as can be and with very few ingredients. This is the perfect meal to make on a busy night after work and it’s pretty much guaranteed that all family members, especially children, will love this dish, unless of course you have one like my husband around, who doesn’t like pasta.
How to Store This Hamburger Helper
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, this would make a great lunch for the next day. Make sure the hamburger helper has come to room temperature completely before proceeding. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Can You Freeze This Hamburger Helper
Yes, hamburger helper freezes great. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Try These One Pot 30 Minute Meals:
- One Pot Greek Chicken Orzo
- Shrimp Scampi
- One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
- Easy Chicken Fajitas
- One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
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One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef extra lean
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 8 oz mafalda pasta uncooked
- 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef over medium heat until it's no longer pink and starts to brown. Drain off any excess fat, if needed. If using extra lean ground beef there won't be any excess fat to drain.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and stir. Season with salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and cook until the onion gets soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce, pasta, chicken broth and stir everything together. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through, most of the sauce should be absorbed as well.
- Stir in the cheese and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you can't find mafalda pasta, you can use any other small type such as farfalle, penne, shells, elbow, etc.
- You can use ground chicken or turkey to reduce the fat content.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.Â
Has anyone used sweet Italian sausage for this dish?
We absolutely LOVE this recipe!! I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers for the next night. I also put it in a roasting pan and spread ricotta cheese on top of the pasta and then Italian cheese blend to top it all off! 🤤
So glad you’ve enjoyed it!
This is the second year my daughter has requested this meal for her birthday! Simple and delicious. Thank you!
A new hit in my household!
Great recipe, we loved it even though I took some shortcuts! I used garlic powder and onion powder because I rarely keep the fresh stuff on hand, and I used tomato sauce instead of marinara but bumped up the seasonings to compensate. I was worried towards the end that it would be too runny but after I stirred in the cheese and let it sit a minute the consistency was perfect. Will definitely make again! (If you like stuff spicy I recommend a pinch of red pepper flakes too!)
This was absolutely delicious and so quick to make. I love dinners that can be made in less than 30 minutes!
I was inspired to search for a knockoff recipe when I found bite sized lasagna noodles at Home Goods, and this was EXACTLY how Hamburger Helper used to taste 20 years ago! The newer versions are filled with ingredients which nobody should consume. My husband and I were blown away by how delish this was, and it couldn’t have been easier to throw together! 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it!
This was delicious! We added a couple of splashes of milk to thicken it up some but otherwise it was perfect and so easy!