Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper

This Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper is easy to make with a prep time of 15 minutes. You'll love this homemade version, it's better than store-bought. The macaroni cooks right inside the crock pot for a one-pot meal that your family will request over and over.

We can't even begin to tell you how much we love our Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper. Before the kids went off to college, this was on our weekly meal rotation all winter. It's one of the most requested recipes from my family!

This delicious homemade hamburger helper is so flavorful and easy to make. With all approachable pantry ingredients, you can assemble it in just 15 minutes to cook over the whole day. Dinnertime is actually stress-free when it comes to this recipe. Plus, you only have to clean one skillet and the slow cooker when the meal is finished!

We love to top it with different things to customize the recipe. Anything from cheese, to sour cream, scallions, or parsley. It's healthy comfort food at it's finest.

If you love a good Slow Cooker recipe, we do too. Try our Crockpot Beef and Noodles, Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti, and Crock Pot Sloppy Joes.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• 15 minute prep time. Does it get better than that? No more takeout on busy weeknights when you can make this meal.
• Anyone can successfully make this recipe! The slow cooker makes it so simple to assemble. Add in the ingredients in the correct order, set the crockpot to cook for several hours, and a dinner from scratch is on the table in no time.
• Better than the store-bought version. The flavors in this homemade Hamburger Helper are so delicious. You'll never want to make the boxed version again.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed and Full Recipe in the Recipe Card Below.

• Ground beef: We love the classic ground beef version, but you can also use ground chicken or turkey.
• Chopped onion: Adds a nice vegetable flavor in each bite.
• Bell pepper: Gives a healthy veggie addition.
• Garlic cloves: You can also use 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Adds the garlic sweetness.
• Cream of mushroom soup: Makes the Hamburger Helper creamy and rich. We have a homemade version you should also try!
• Beef broth: Adds so much flavor to the recipe.
• Crushed tomatoes: Makes the tomato base we all love in the classic recipe.
• Tomato sauce: Be sure to buy the 8-ounce can. It gives that rich tomato flavor.
• Elbow macaroni: The classic noodle for Hamburger Helper!
• Italian seasoning: Adds a nice herbal flavor.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: Completely optional, but add if you like a bit of heat!
• Shredded cheddar cheese: The finishing touch to stir in right at the end of cooking.
• Optional garnishes: chopped parsley, sour cream, additional shredded cheddar cheese. Up to you, but we love a great garnish.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Crockpot
• Large Skillet 
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Meat Chopper
• Cheese Grater
• Chef’s Knife
• Garlic Press
• Cutting Board

How to Make Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble the ground beef. Drain any excess fat.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. Season with seasoning salt or salt and black pepper as desired.

3. To a Crockpot, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and seasoning salt or salt and black pepper.

4. Add the cooked beef mixture to a slow cooker, and stir until combined.

5. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or on high 2-3 hours.
6. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in uncooked elbow macaroni. Cover and turn the heat to high.

7. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese. Cover again until cook until the cheese is melted and pasta fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

8. Give the mixture one last stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish as desired, and serve hot.

Expert Tips

• Adjust the Thickness: If you like a thinner Slow Cooker Hamburger helper or stovetop version, you can either make it with less pasta or at the end of cook time you can add broth, water, or milk. Like it creamier, you can add sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream.
• Cook the beef and veggies in advance. You will want to cook these stovetop before adding to the slow cooker. This ensures the right texture and gives some extra delicious browning flavor to the beef.
• The crock pot cooks the macaroni for you! Just stir the uncooked noodles in during the last 15 minutes of cooking and you'll be amazed. They will be perfectly cooked.
• Add the cheese right before serving. This prevents the cheesy from clumping together in the beef mixture.
• Swap the beef for chicken or turkey. If you are looking for a leaner alternative, ground chicken or turkey are both great options.
• Make the cream of mushroom soup from scratch. We have a great recipe for it that we make once a week for slow cooker meals.

How to Make this Recipe on the Stovetop

Cook the ground beef and vegetable mixture in a stockpot rather than a skillet. Once done, add the remaining ingredients (minus the pasta and cheese).
Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium and cook the pasta until tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the pasta is fully cooked, remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning and texture as desired.

Storage and Freezing

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.

We recommend freezing any leftovers before adding the noodles and cheese. This ensures that the noodles don't get mushy after thawing. When you reheat the hamburger helper, simply boil macaroni noodles on the stove and stir them in before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Comforting Slow Cooker Recipes

• Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Crockpot Beef and Noodles
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples
• Crockpot Chicken and Gravy