Healthy Hamburger Helper
Healthy hamburger helper is pasta sauce made from creamy garlicky butternut squash tossed with seasoned ground beef. This 10 ingredient healthy version of our beloved childhood Hamburger Helper is perfect for pasta lovers everywhere!
Did you grow up eating Hamburger Helper? I sure did and it honestly always gives me all the nostalgic feels. It’s like a little bowl of my childhood in pasta form!
What if I told you that you can have all that goodness that you remember in a box, but it’s better for you and so easy to make?
Allow me to introduce you to healthy hamburger helper; lean ground beef cooked with noodles in a rich and creamy sauce–and you’ll never believe what VEGETABLE the sauce is made from!?
Yes! Butternut squash.
Squash season will never end for me; never ever! There’s two kinds of squash that you will always find in our house and that is butternut squash and spaghetti squash. This healthy hamburger helper butternut squash pasta is a win in our home because it is a nutritious as it is delicious.
With the exception of the squash which is put into a blender for that creamy, smooth texture, this one-pan meal cooks entirely in a single skillet, even the pasta!
My entire family devoured this incredibly easy and healthy hamburger helper pasta dish. It tastes like a really good cheeseburger with pasta thrown into the mix. It’s healthy comfort food that is jam packed with nutrients and fuel to keep you going!
Can I eat healthy hamburger helper pasta on a low carb diet?
Yes! If you would like to make this recipe low carb, you can substitute out the Rotini noodles for spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles).
You can put this creamy garlicky butternut squash sauce on anything and everything – it’s that good. And the best part? You will truly believe you are eating traditional creamy, cheesy hamburger helper! It will give you a blast from the past on your tastebuds and into your belly.
Can you taste the butternut squash in this hamburger helper pasta recipe?
Nope! I know it sounds crazy, but this is one of those recipes where I’m going to advice not to knock it before ya try it!! Because we adding so many other flavorful ingredients to this pasta dish, the butternut squash simply adds to the texture of this hamburger helper pasta which is creamy and cheesy like a traditional hamburger helper cheese sauce in the packet. I even snuck this healthier hamburger helper pasta made with butternut squash past two very serious food detectives, my son and daughter who had no idea that it was made with any kind of vegetable. They LOVE this recipe!
Ingredients for healthy hamburger helper pasta
Here’s what we are working with for this recipe. It is 10 ingredients and so versatile!
for the butternut squash pasta sauce
- butternut squash – you are going to want a small to medium size one. Or, you can be like me and get a gigantic one and then freeze/save this sauce – which you can totally do here.
- garlic – In my opinion, the key to any great recipe is garlic! If you want to save yourself the time of mincing and dicing. I love the Savory Spice Shop roasted garlic powder – you can get it right here on Amazon.
for the hamburger helper one-pot pasta
- ground beef – we love ButcherBox ground beef! You could sub out the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken or not include meat at all.
- onion – finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- ketchup – regular or sugar-free ketchup works well for this healthy hamburger helper pasta.
- beef broth – I used beef broth simply for the savory hearty flavor it brings to this dish in combo with the onion and ground beef. You could choose to use a vegetable or garlic broth for this recipe.
- elbow pasta – Any pasta works well, this kind just makes me strongly go back to my days of hamburger helper.
- cheddar cheese – grated works best for this recipe. This calls for 1 cup of grated cheddar, but you could completely sub out the cheese altogether. The butternut squash gives this healthy hamburger helper a natural creaminess without dairy.
- fresh chives to garnish, optional
How to make healthy hamburger helper butternut squash pasta
for the butternut squash pasta sauce
- Peel and cube the butternut squash. Place into a large pot and add enough water to cover it. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water for the sauce.
- Into a blender, add slightly cooled butternut squash, reserved water, minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Blend for 20 seconds, scrape the sides of the blender, and blend again until smooth.
for the hamburger helper one-pot pasta
- Place 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef along with the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon until browned, 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup and beef broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to boil.
- Add in the pasta and reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook uncovered until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Turn of the heat; stir in the butternut squash sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Garnish with chives if desired.
Can I meal prep healthy hamburger helper?
Yes! This healthy hamburger helper recipe makes an incredible meal prep. This delicious hamburger helper pasta is essentially made in one pot making it a hassle-free meal prep option. Less prep and more time to enjoy your weekend, love that!
The flavors in this recipe have time to soak in and get better day after day. You will want to assemble into 4 meal prep containers and garnish with your toppings of choice. It doesn’t get any easier or more delicious than this!
That’s all I’ve got for the healthy hamburger helper recipe!
I hope you enjoy this healthier childhood favorite comfort meal as much as our little tribe has time and time again. Please leave us a star review and comment if you make this easy one pot recipe.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free leave them below. I answer every single question as quickly as I can.
Happy cooking! And thanks for being part of my tribe, The Tasteful Tribe!
Healthy Hamburger Helper
- GFGluten-Free
- LCLow Carb
- SFSugar Free
Ingredients
for the butternut squash pasta sauce
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup water, reserved after boiling squash
- salt and pepper, to taste
for the hamburger helper pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 8 oz whole wheat elbow pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped chives, optional, to garnish
Instructions
for the butternut squash pasta sauce
- Peel and cube the butternut squash. Place into a large pot and add enough water to cover it. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water for the sauce.
- Into a blender, add slightly cooled butternut squash, reserved water, minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Blend for 20 seconds, scrape the sides of the blender, and blend again until smooth.
for the hamburger helper pasta
- Place 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef along with the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon until browned, 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the ketchup and beef broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to boil.
- Add in the pasta and reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook uncovered until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Turn of the heat; stir in the butternut squash sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Garnish with chopped chives if desired.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to #thetastefultribe on instagram @tastefultribe if you try this healthier version of hamburger helper made with butternut squash recipe. We love seeing your version of the recipe! You can also post your pictures to my facebook page!
