Ground beef, potato, shredded cheese oh my! This delicious homemade Hamburger Helper copycat recipe will taste better than any store-bought version. This is one of our all-time favorite Instant Pot ground beef recipes.
The delicious flavors of your seasons combined with ground beef, shredded cheese, and potato in the Instant Pot will blow your taste buds away.
Who would have thought you didn't need pasta to make homemade Hamburger Helper? Well, I'm here to show you how you can make a copycat Hamburger Helper using potatoes instead of pasta. Dare I say this is the best hamburger helper recipe ever?
If you love Instant Pot potatoes au gratin, you will love this homemade cheeseburger helper. It's like scalloped potatoes with ground beef, and it's cheesy and delicious. This is definitely a pressure cooker ground beef recipe to add to your meal plan rotation.
Table of contents
- Why Will You Love This Recipe
- Are potatoes better than pasta?
- Can You Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot
- How long can you keep ground beef in the refrigerator?
- Can you substitute chicken in Hamburger Helper?
- Can you freeze homemade hamburger helper?
- What are the Best Sides for Hamburger Helper?
- List of Our Favorite Instant Pot Supplies
- Ingredients For Homemade Hamburger Helper
- How do you make Hamburger Helper?
- Can I Use Ground Turkey
- Best Potatoes For This Beef and Potatoes Recipe
- To Peel Or Not To Peel Potatoes
- More Easy Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
- Recipe
- See More of Our Latest Recipes:
Why Will You Love This Recipe
Here are a few reasons why we love this cheesy hamburger helper recipe. A ground beef and potatoes recipe that will leave you feeling satisfied.
- Quick Prep
- Easy Cook
- Hands Off Dinner
- Meat and Potatoes
- Creamy
- Kid-friendly
- Stores well leftover
Are potatoes better than pasta?
Potatoes are better than pasta as they deliver more complex carbohydrates than pasta. Regular pasta doesn't provide that energy punch you want, which is why you'll find that eating pasta makes you sleepy.
Potatoes are a favorite carbohydrate option for runners and other active people who want to get their carb fix in but maintain energy levels. So consider making this ground beef and potato casserole for dinner. Recipes with hamburger meat and potatoes are not only delicious but also budget-friendly.
Can You Cook Frozen Ground Beef In Instant Pot
Instant Pot ground beef recipes are my favorite. But if you happen to forget to thaw your meat, no worries. You can cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot with no problem! Instant pot frozen ground beef makes for a no-fuss dinner.
Cooking ground beef in the Instant Pot is so easy to do. Simple, flavorful, and you might never look back to the stovetop method.
Nothing beats a cheesy ground beef recipe! I have a lot of instant pot recipes with ground beef you might enjoy.
How long can you keep ground beef in the refrigerator?
If you already purchased your ground beef during your latest grocery shopping adventure, then remember this will only keep in your refrigerator for 1-2 days or use by the date marked on the package.
It's best to make a meal plan and purchase your ground beef accordingly to be certain it won't go bad before you're able to make this homemade Hamburger Helper recipe.
Can you substitute chicken in Hamburger Helper?
If you want to transform my Instant Pot Hamburger Helper to a “chicken helper” then you can do that. I highly recommend you swap out the ground beef with chicken and the beef broth with chicken broth.
A homemade chicken Hamburger Helper is a unique way to add a twist to my delicious Instant Pot hamburger helper recipe featured below.
Can you freeze homemade hamburger helper?
As with most casserole type dishes, yes you can freeze homemade Hamburger Helper. The key is to place your cooled down recipe into freezer-safe containers so that you're able to easily reheat your Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot for later consumption.
Since this Instant Pot recipe only takes 12 minutes to make, I highly suggest you make just enough for dinner time so you won't have to freeze any leftovers.
What are the Best Sides for Hamburger Helper?
This one-pot meal idea is fast, simple and flavorful. Everyone in the home will enjoy biting into their own bowl of Instant Pot hamburger helper.
This is perfectly paired with a green vegetable of your choice and perhaps a side of your favorite garlic or buttered bread. This Instant Pot Green Bean recipe is delicious.
Another delicious side dish is this Italian Salad.
You can enjoy this Instant Pot Hamburger Helper as a standalone meal for lunch or dinner. Whether you serve a side with your potato Hamburger Helper or not, is completely up to you and your family's preferences.
List of Our Favorite Instant Pot Supplies
- Kitchen Scale- A kitchen scale is a must to have for so many recipes in order to have accurate measurements. This is something that is often overlooked in recipes.
- Meat Thermometer- Having a meat thermometer is essential. I have gone through so many 'inexpensive' thermometers that I finally invested in a heavy duty digital thermometer from BBQ guys. It was so worth it!
- Instant Pot Inner Pot - I like to have an extra inner pot available because of how much cooking I do in my Instant Pot. It comes in handy when I want to put a lid on the inner pot and refrigerate the leftovers, or mix up ingredients the night before to save time at the end of the day.
- Silicone Lid for Instant Pot- I'm not sure how I lived without this one. Having a silicone lid for my Instant Pot has made life so much easier. It is perfect for adding ingredients a day or two ahead of time.
- 101 Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners- If you are new to pressure cooking, this is a great ebook to get you started with basic recipes you will use over and over again.
Ingredients For Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Ground Beef
- Potatoes
- Beef Stock
- Milk
- Cheddar Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic
- Cornstarch
- Water
How do you make Hamburger Helper?
Here is how to make a hamburger helper from scratch!
Gather the list of ingredients below to make Hamburger Helper at home. This copycat recipe features a flavorful combination of the best seasonings and uses potatoes instead of pasta.
Add your ground beef to the inner pot and set it on saute mode to brown the ground beef in the pressure cooker.
Add your sliced potatoes into your ground beef, along with the beef stock and seasonings.
Stir all of the ingredients together inside your Instant Pot.
Close the lid and set your Instant pot for a manual high pressure and set the pressure cook time for 2 minutes.
Turn the saute mode on your Instant Pot then add your milk and cheddar cheese in.
Once your cheese is melted, add your water and cornstarch mixture to thicken your homemade helper.
Now you're ready to find out that homemade helper will be your next best mealtime recipe for the family!
Place your cooked homemade helper into single-serve bowls, and serve to your family.
Making Hamburger Helper in your house will never be the same again! This is similar to an Instant Pot au gratin potatoes.
Can I Use Ground Turkey
Go right ahead and swap out the ground beef for ground turkey if you would like. Just cook up the ground turkey the same way you would do the ground beef in Instant Pot.
Turkey is leaner so it will help lighten up the dish a bit. Just make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot and deglaze to ensure you remove any stuck-on bits.
Best Potatoes For This Beef and Potatoes Recipe
For this recipe with hamburger and potatoes, I recommend using a russet potato. You can also use red potatoes, yellow potatoes, etc.
You just want to use a potato that will hold up well as it cooks in the Instant Pot. Otherwise, the potatoes can break down too much and become mushy.
To Peel Or Not To Peel Potatoes
For this ground beef hamburger helper, I left the skins on. I found it tasted great, and saved some prep work.
If you prefer skins off, take a few minutes and peel them, then toss in. Without the peels, you might find the potatoes break apart a bit more in the end.
More Easy Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
Recipe
Instant Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
This homemade hamburger helper is a better for you option of an old school favorite dinner idea.
Ingredients
Supplies
Instant Pot Hamburger and Potato Recipe
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup beef stock
- 4 cups sliced potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add ground beef to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cook on saute mode until the ground beef has browned.
- Add in sliced potatoes, beef stock, and seasonings. Stir together.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Set for a manual high pressure time of 2 minutes and do a quick pressure release when the cooking time has finished.
- Turn on the saute mode. Add in milk and cheddar cheese, stirring to mix in and melt the cheese. Mix together water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour in to pot and stir in to thicken homemade helper.
Notes
Slow Cooker Directions for Making this Recipe
Brown the ground beef and then add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat or 6-7 hours on low.
FAQs:
- Can my dog have a Homemade Hamburger Helper? If you want to give Homemade Hamburger Helper to your dog, you must eliminate the following ingredients from the recipe: Garlic, Onion, Milk, Cheese, and Paprika. This is because the first two are toxic to your dog. Then your dog may be lactose intolerant. And finally, while Paprika is not toxic to dogs, it is advisable to avoid giving them this spicy food. Paprika can cause nasal irritations and disturb your pup's gastrointestinal system as well as lead to other health issues. Besides, there are no significant nutritional benefits of this spice for dogs.
- Can my cat have a Homemade Hamburger Helper? As with dogs, cats cannot consume garlic or onion, because they are toxic ingredients for their body. Likewise, most cats are lactose intolerant, so these ingredients should not be included in your pets' dishes. Finally, respect Paprika made from sweet peppers (not spicy or hot) is safe for cats, and cats can eat it if used in cat-safe home foods. However, if it is hot, i.e., it has capsaicin, don't give it to your cats. ... Your cat may end up vomiting, having watery eyes and nose as well as salivate. So if you want to share this recipe with your cat, you need to remove the ingredients said above.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 725Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 153mgSodium 1109mgCarbohydrates 48gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 4gSugar 3gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 50g
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Want more comfort food Instant Pot recipes. From Instant Pot beef and pasta to chicken and even side dishes.
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What is your favorite beef and potato recipe?