September 24, 2021

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Name: Homemade Hamburger Helper (gluten-free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 yellow onion, diced; 1 pound grass-fed ground beef; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons paprika; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1 1/2 cups hot water; 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot; 1 cup whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 8 ounces rice pasta elbows; 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Last Updated on August 5, 2026 by Carrie Korem, FNTP

Homemade Hamburger Helper has become a family favorite, and it’s easy to whip up on a busy night. It’s made of all whole food ingredients and is gluten-free!

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Why You’ll Love Homemade Hamburger Helper

How many of you have purchased a cardboard box with pasta and a “seasoning mix” hoping for a quick but wholesome meal? I think we might all be able to raise our hands. I bought them in my early 20’s even though I was already an experienced cook. I look back now and I can’t really understand why I did, but I think the convenience allured me.

The oncept is pretty fabulous – brown some meat, pour in water, milk, seasoning, and pasta. Twenty minutes later you have dinner. Plus they come in so many different flavors. Have you read the though? It includes things such as: enriched macaroni, modified whey, vegetable oil, sodium phosphate, and anti-caking agents. I think we can do better than that!

Ingredients for Homemade Hamburger Helper

In this recipe, I used whole food ingredients including:

Unsalted butter
Yellow onion
Grass-fed ground beef
Garlic
Paprika
Celtic Sea Salt
Arrowroot or organic cornstarch
Whole milk
Heavy cream
Sprouted whole wheat or rice pasta elbows
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream or creme fraiche

How to Make Hamburger Helper

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef to pan, break apart meat, and cook until browned. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic, paprika and salt. Stir in the middle of the pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then stir spices into the beef mixture.

Whisk together hot water and arrowroot and pour into beef mixture. Stir in milk, cream and pasta. Bring to a boil and then decrease heat to low and place lid on top. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Remove pot form heat and stir in cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

What to Serve with Hamburger Helper

Sautéed green beans with ginger and garlic

Zucchini with lemon and garlic

Caesar Salad

Homemade Hamburger Helper (gluten-free)

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If you’d like to make this grain-free, here is the adaptation: Reduce the milk and cream to 1/2 cup each and omit the water. When you add the arrowroot, just sprinkle it over the mixture in the pot and then pour in the cream and milk. Simmer until thick, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in cheese and sour cream. Serve over grain-free pasta (such as Capellos) or serve over a baked potato.

Author: Carrie Korem, FNTP
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces rice pasta elbows
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef to pan, break apart meat, and cook until browned. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic, paprika and salt. Stir in the middle of the pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then stir spices into the beef mixture. Whisk together hot water and arrowroot and pour into beef mixture. Stir in milk, cream and pasta. Bring to a boil and then decrease heat to low and place lid on top. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove pot form heat and stir in cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.