Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Paleo Option, Under 600 Calories
Need proof living with food restrictions doesn't limit your ability to indulge in favorite comfort meals? Look no further than this allergy-friendly Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe. This improved version of a beloved boxed skillet meal is nutrient dense, flavor-packed and sure to become one of your family's favorites!
Why I Love This Recipe
It's a taste of nostalgia that will leave your tastes buds satisfied and your body happy. We all know the yummiest part of this skillet meal is in the cheese. However, many of us are living dairy-free. Homemade Hamburger Helper made without milk?? Yes please!
This recipes swaps out the traditional processed cheese packet for a fresh butternut squash and nutritional yeast based "cheese" sauce. This sauce is packed with b-vitamins, Vitamin-C, potassium, beta-carotene, fiber, and proteins. The nutritional yeast also provides a lovely, nutty, cheesy flavor. The end result is a nutrient packed, creamy, cheesy version of the processed cheese product many of us grew up loving!
Cooking Tips
For a paleo version of this meal, use cassava flour pasta.
Don't skip the spice blend! I know it may look like a lot of spices. But this blend, along with the "cheese" sauce, creates the reminiscent flavor combo of this healthy stove-top meal.
Under-cook your pasta by 2 minutes. If the directions say to boil your pasta 7-9 minutes, boil for only 5. This is important because the pasta will continue to cook after boiling as the dish rests on the stove. Otherwise, you will end up with over-cooked mushy pasta which, trust me, nobody wants!
Don't have fire-roasted diced tomatoes on hand? No problem. Switch out for 15oz can of plain diced tomatoes and it will still taste amazing!
This Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper looks a little extra saucy when the cook time is over. No need to panic! The longer it sits uncovered on the stove, the thicker it becomes.
Let's talk butternut squash
It's less expensive to purchase a whole butternut squash then peel and dice for this recipe. However, it does take more time. When I want to make this more quickly, I spend the extra cash on pre-cut fresh squash cubes from the fresh produce aisle of my local grocery store. Or.....
Frozen butternut squash does work in this recipe!! I have tried thawed and frozen and both turn out well.
For both frozen and thawed butternut squash: make sure all pieces are separated and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit following the oil/seasoning instructions.
- For thawed butternut squash: bake 28-35 minutes turning halfway through.
- For frozen butternut squash: bake 35-40 minutes flipping once halfway through.
Keep in mind frozen butternut squash typically comes in 10 oz bags and the recipe calls for 16 oz of butternut squash. So, I typically use 1 ½ bags of frozen squash.
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Hamburger Helper {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}
Equipment
- Large wooden spoon
- 1 Large deep skillet ,a 5 quart sauté pan, or 5 quart braiser pan
- 1 Large heat safe bowl
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Large sheet pan
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce
- 1 15oz pkg fresh pre-diced 1inch butternut squash cubes* or ½ fresh butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1.5 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 pinches salt
- dash black pepper
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast**
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 pinches salt
Hamburger Helper
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2-3 pinches salt
- 2 dashes black pepper
- 1 large onion small diced
- 1 green bell pepper small diced
- 2-3 pinches salt
Spice Blend
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce And Pasta
- 1 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 8 oz box gluten-free pasta****
- 1 batch pre-made butternut cheese sauce
Instructions
Make The "Cheese" Sauce
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with tin foil for easy clean up!
- Place butternut squash on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1.5 tablespoon neutral oil. Use spatula to toss and spread in one even layer. Add 2 pinches of salt and a dash of black pepper.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until very soft with browning along the sides and edges. Allow to rest until cool, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add cooled butternut squash, nutritional yeast, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth about 1 minute. Set aside for later use.
Cook The Beef
- While squash is roasting, add 2 tablespoon oil in a skillet over MEDIUM heat until very warm. Add ground beef, breaking up with wooden spoon. Sprinkle with 2 pinches salt and 2 dashes of black pepper to season meat. Cook, stirring often to break up the meat until mostly browned. (Some remaining pink is okay, it will continue to cook later).
- Remove beef with slotted spoon to a large heat safe bowl and set aside.
Saute The Veggies
- In sauté pan with beef fat, add diced onions and green bell pepper. Sprinkle with 2-3 pinches of salt to help soften the veggies. Cook stirring occasionally until soft about 3-5 minutes.
Add The Spices
- Add spice blend: salt, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper. Stir frequently to prevent burning until spices are fragrant about 30 seconds. Add additional 1-2 tablespoon of coconut oil if pan looks dry.
Bring It All Together
- Return ground beef with accumulated juices to pan. Add diced tomatoes and beef broth. Cover part way with lid and turn heat up to MED-HIGH and bring to a boil.
- Add pasta, partially cover with lid again to bring back to a boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to MED-LOW to produce a robust simmer. Simmer 2 minutes less than the minimum stated cook time for the pasta.
- Turn off heat and stir in "cheese" sauce until well combine. Leave uncovered on warm burner 10-20 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Content updated September 2024.
Gillian
Do you think frozen butternut squash would work? If so would you thaw it before roasting? Thanks!
I have not tried frozen butternut squash, but I would thaw first so it can cook evenly. Let me know if this works out for you!
It turns out frozen butternut squash does work in this recipe!! I have tried it both thawed and frozen and both turn out well. For both frozen and thawed butternut squash, make sure all pieces are separated and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit following the oil/seasoning instructions. For thawed butternut squash: bake 28-35 minutes turning halfway through. For frozen butternut squash: bake 35-40 minutes flipping once halfway through. Keep in mind frozen butternut squash typically comes in 10 oz bags and the recipe calls for 16 oz of butternut squash. So, I typically use 1 1/2 bags of frozen squash.