Description
A delicious whole food take on this classic comfort food dinner! Our gluten-free hamburger helper uses simple ingredients to deliver BIG flavor and all the cheesy goodness you crave, simply gluten-free!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 teaspoon olive oil*
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef (we recommend 97% lean)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 2 Tablespoons Frank’s RedHot hot sauce*
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more, to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more, to taste)
- 3-3 1/2 cups low-sodium beef bone broth
- 8 ounces gluten-free macaroni or shells*
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese*
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives or fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Brown The Beef. To start, heat oil in a large skillet with high sides (or a Dutch Oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through completely, stirring regularly to break the beef up into small pieces as you go. Drain any excess fat, if needed.
- Add Veggies. Next, add onion to the skillet and cook 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and tender.
- Build Flavor. Then, add garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, tomato paste, and 1 Tablespoon hot sauce. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes, until well blended and evenly coated.
- Cook Pasta. Stir in 3 cups of broth, and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Add gluten-free pasta and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring every few minutes until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. This takes me about 14-15 minutes. (If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, feel free to add a splash of broth or water to the pan, to allow the pasta to cook through.)
- Finish The Dish. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated cheddar cheese, cream or milk, and 1 more Tablespoon hot sauce (if desired), and stir until melted and well blended. If needed, feel free to stir in a little more water or broth. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce, to taste. Garnish with chives or parsley.
- Serve & Store. Let the pasta sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken, then serve warm in bowls. Store leftover hamburger helper in an airtight container 2-3 days. Pasta will continue to thicken quite a bit as it chills.
Notes
- Pasta. We highly recommend brown rice gluten-free pasta, like Jovial, since the texture holds up well. If you use bean-based pasta, you may find it crumbles in the sauce with all the stirring. Choose short pasta shapes, like elbow macaroni noodles or mini shells when possible. If you use larger shapes (like bowtie or rotini) it will likely take longer to cook.
- Cheddar. Whenever possible, use FRESHLY grated cheese, since pre-grated is often coated and doesn’t melt as easily.
- Hot Sauce. We recommend Frank’s Red Hot original hot sauce for this dish. The tang of the vinegar and warmth of the peppers are lovely in this dish. If you’re spice sensitive, feel free to omit it or start with 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach a heat level that works for you.
- Try It With Bacon! For even more flavor, you can skip the olive oil and brown 2 diced slices of bacon in the pan before cooking the beef.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 656.4 mg
- Fat: 20.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.9 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 34.4 g
- Cholesterol: 93.8 mg