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–+ servings
Healthy Hamburger Helper in a bowl next to a plate of salad.

Healthy Hamburger Helper {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

Katie AdamsKatie Adams
This stove top meal is nutrient dense, flavor-packed and sure to become one of your family's favorite comfort meals!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 502 kcal

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.
    Cubed butternut squash on a sheet pan beside a dish of salt and a bottle of oil.
  • 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).
    Brown ground beef in a large skillet.
  • 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.
    Cooked onions and green peppers in a large skillet.

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.
    Cooked onions and peppers with spices in a large skillet.

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!
    Homemade hamburger helper in a large skillet.

Notes

*I like to use pre-cut butternut squash from the fresh produce section of my local grocery store. You can also peel and cube ½ a butternut squash yourself. It will add more prep time so plan accordingly! You can also use frozen butternut squash!! See Cooking Tips above for more information.
**Nutritional yeast can typically be found in the health food or baking section of your local grocery store. You can also order it online. 
***Banza chickpea pasta is what I use in this recipe and almost all my pasta recipes. It's my favorite because it's packed with protein and fiber, has great texture and taste.
 
**Recipe card updated September 2024 to reflect corrected ingredient amounts.**

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 30gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1425mgPotassium: 655mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 6048IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 6mg
Keyword hamburger helper, leftovers, skillet meal
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