A family-size recipe for ground beef stroganoff like homemade Hamburger Helper that’s quick, easy and surprisingly delicious!
JUMP TO RECIPEWhen the kids were little (and we were broke), we ate Hamburger Helper quite often. The kids loved it and it was cheap and easy, so it became part of our regular supper rotation.
Their favorite variety was the Beef Stroganoff mix and, if I’m being honest, I liked it too!
As time went on and our circumstances changed (better grocery budget and more time to cook) Hamburger Helper kinda fell off the menu.
Every so often in recent years, the kids will get nostalgic and ask for it. But every time I’ve made it lately, we all agree it just isn’t as good. Maybe our tastes have changed. Maybe they changed the ingredients. Whatever the reason, it just kept missing the mark.
When the baby boy asked for it again I decided to make it homemade and see if I could do better than the box. I used my recipe for Shortcut Swedish Meatballs as a jumping off point and went from there.
If you're looking for the traditional recipe, check out my favorite homemade Classic Beef Stroganoff.
Since I made it the first time last year, we have probably eaten it twice a month! Even Husband is happy when I tell him it’s what’s for supper!
Another reason I wanted to make a homemade recipe for it was because one box no longer makes enough for my tribe. This recipe is a BIG batch and makes enough for all six of us to have hearty portions.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER STROGANOFF
The recipe card below will give you ingredient details and step-by-step instructions but at a glance, here’s all you need and have to do:
What you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Diced onion
- Brown gravy mix
- Water
- Seasonings
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Sour cream
- Bowtie pasta
How to make it:
- Brown ground beef and onion together
- Add gravy mix, water, seasonings and condensed soup
- Stir in sour cream and noodles – that’s it!
As you know, the pasta cooks in the skillet in traditional Hamburger Helper. I keep telling myself I’m going to figure out how to do that with this recipe but I haven’t yet. I just need to figure out the exact amount of water that will both cook the pasta and be absorbed by it without any excess.
Until then, one extra pot for boiling pasta isn’t too big of an inconvenience!
Recipe for Helpful Hamburger Stroganoff
Helpful Hamburger Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 packets brown gravy mix
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 12-oz box bowtie pasta
Instructions
- Start a large pot of liberally salted water to boil for the pasta.
- Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Pour off excessive pan drippings if present (you don’t need to completely drain the pan – some drippings are good and add flavor). Reduce heat to medium.
- Combine gravy mixes, water and worcestershire sauce in a bowl then stir until mixed well. Add gravy mixture to skillet. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until gravy has thickened.
- Add garlic powder, pepper and cream of mushroom soup to skillet then mix well. Cook mixture until simmering then reduce heat to low while the pasta cooks.
- Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than recommended cooking time. We want the pasta to be a smidge firm. Drain very well.
- Stir sour cream into skillet until thoroughly combined. Turn off heat.
- Add drained, cooked pasta to skillet then gently stir until well coated. Cover then let rest 10 minutes. Gently stir once before serving.
Notes
Feel free to add canned or sauteed mushrooms. Stir in when adding the cream of mushroom soup.
I don’t recommend reduced fat or light creamed soup or sour cream in this (or any cooked) recipe.
If your people don’t like mushrooms, use cream of onion soup instead of mushroom.
Any similar bite-size pasta should work – I just like bowtie pasta because it’s somewhat similar to Hamburger Helper pasta.
I have all the ingredients for this dish and I'm making this for dinner tonight. It is so easy to make, my pantry has everything, and the weather is so warm outside here you really don't want the stove on all evening trying to prepare something. We already eat lots of salads in every way you can make them, this will be a delicious change.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a perfect weeknight meal and definitely better than the box. Once you've had the good stuff it is hard to go back ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you, I think they've changed the recipe on the Hamburger Helper. They don't taste as good as they used to. I will have to give your recipe a try.
ReplyDeleteYou'd probably only need maybe 1-1/2 to cups extra water (or broth!)in order to cook the pasta (small, like yours or elbows) in the same pot with the rest of the ingredients. The starch from the pasta will keep it thick enough past what will be absorbed. I've randomly done this before to save dishes, water and kitchen heat and it has worked well. I will try that this week. Our RV kitchen has only one burner anyways! Also,I am seriously thinking about trying this in my electric pressure cooker,it's usually so fast and easy. Great take on hamburger helper, no matter how you prefer to cook it for sure!
ReplyDeleteHello. I cut this recipe in half because there is only me but I will still have enough to share with a few of my senior neighbors. I added fresh, sliced mushrooms when I added the sour cream and then did a quick dusting of parsley just as prior to plating it. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I used to love it as a kid but Hamburger Helper now has MSG in their food that that will put me in the hospital - so I cook almost totally from scratch. I even used Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup - no MGS and low sodium. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteWe have eaten this for years. Now I just cook bow tie pasta,drain, then put mushroom soup mixed with sour cream over it and cook.
ReplyDeleteThis mushroom soup and sour cream mix is delicious over chicken breast wrapped in bacon and baked together.
Great tip! Thanks
DeleteCould I use celery soup with some onion powder? Don't have mushroom soup.
ReplyDeleteShould be fine maybe just season to taste and add minced onion with the powder if u have it
DeleteThis recipe is simply wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI make a similar version of this taken from my swedish meatballs too, lol. Instead of using the gravy packet I just buy the jarred gravy and mix it with the sour cream. I use a bag of egg noodles for it because I always served my swedish meatballs over egg noodles. I top it with shredded parmesan cheese. It makes a ton so I'm glad my Hubby loves it too.
ReplyDeleteHow big of can of soup if i cut
ReplyDeleterecipe in half? Only 3 in my family
Tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Nice to have enough for leftovers:)
ReplyDeleteI make this using Golden Mushroom Soup, sour cream, fresh mushrooms, hamburger and cooked noodles. My family loves it!
ReplyDeleteMade tonight for dinner, hubby loved it. Used cream of potato soup instead or mushroom or celery since he’s not a fan. Worked perfectly, also added an extra 1/2 cup of water and 1 1/3 cup of beef broth and threw the uncooked noodles in when the liquid began to boil. Otherwise followed recipe exactly and it came out so good! Thank you and am excited for leftovers!
ReplyDeleteMade it..My guys enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI made this dish for the first time and it was awesome . I did add a tsp of salt to it. I highly recommend you try this. I do believe I can alter the recipe to make a beef noodle hamburger helper type.
ReplyDeleteMade this for the first time last week and loved it! For anyone interested in the nutrition facts, I put it in an online calculator and this is what I got.
ReplyDeleteFor 7 servings
Calories 534
Total Fat 18.7g
Saturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 131mg
Sodium 556mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.7g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Total Sugars 3.2g
Protein 47.6g
Would love to try this. I just have to alter all recipes for low sodium/potassium diet for hubby. He use to love the potato stroganoff hamburger helper. Do you think I could use thin potatoes instead of pasta??
ReplyDeleteI have celiac so everything I used was gluten free. I used whole milk greek yogurt instead of sour cream since that was open. Added carrot top powder and cucumber powder. Used onion powder instead of onion. Used garlic salt and coarse salt. Extra Worcestershire always haha used penne because gf farfalle is expensive. Printed and will definitely do again!
ReplyDeleteMade this for dinner tonight! I had to improvise on a couple ingredients but still tasted delicious! My child who doesn't eat much, ate it all! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
ReplyDelete