Crock Pot Cheeseburger Helper
Crock Pot Cheeseburger Helper is an easy slow cooker dinner made with ground beef, pasta, and cheddar cheese in a creamy homemade sauce.
A Nostalgic Dinner in the Slow Cooker
This Crock Pot Cheeseburger Helper is an easy family dinner that brings back the comfort of the boxed classic but it’s made completely from scratch instead. The Slow Cooker does most of the work, making it perfect for when you want a hearty meal without standing over the stove. It’s simple, filling, and easy to customize with your favorite cheeseburger toppings and add-ins!
Frequently Asked Questions:
My Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe uses cream soup and Velveeta. This is for the folks that wanted a homemade version. If you don’t mind the shortcuts, I recommend giving that recipe a try!
Yes. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or pot, then stir in the seasonings, cornstarch slurry, and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, add the pasta, and cook until tender, stirring often. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
This is a pretty filling dish as is, but, I enjoy serving it with my favorite salad or a side of veggies and some Dinner Rolls or Breadsticks.
Diced onion can be cooked with the ground beef for extra flavor. You can stir in a little extra cheese or add a couple ounces of cream cheese near the end of cooking.
Adding the pasta too early can cause it to become mushy. Stirring it in later helps keep the noodles tender without overcooking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk to help loosen the sauce and bring back the delicious creamy texture. This recipe is not ideal for freezing because the pasta and sauce can change texture after thawing.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- ground beef– Ground turkey works well, though the overall flavor will be a little lighter.
- paprika, onion powder, garlic powder – the original hamburger helper with cheese had super simple seasonings so I kept it simple here but feel free to jazz up the flavor however you like.
- sugar – this is an optional ingredient. I know it sounds weird and it doesn’t make it taste sweet, it is one of the background flavors that balances the other flavors but also makes it taste like the old school version from the 70’s.
- cornstarch and water – this acts as a thickener. Do not substitute with flour as it can make it come out lumpy.
- milk – whole milk is preferred
- dry elbow macaroni– Small shell pasta or other small pasta shapes work well in this recipe. You do not need to cook it first for this recipe.
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese– Freshly shredded sharp cheddar melts the smoothest, but Colby Jack or mild cheddar can also be used.
How To Make Crock Pot Cheeseburger Helper
In a skillet, add ground beef. Cook and crumble until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease. Add cooked beef to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and black pepper on top of the meat. Stir to coat evenly. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and water together until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture and milk into the slow cooker and stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours (or high for 1 ½ hours), allowing flavors to develop. After the 3 hours, stir in dry elbow macaroni, making sure pasta is mostly submerged. Cover and cook an additional 30–35 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy.
Let sit for 5–10 minutes to thicken before serving. NOTE: Like it with more cheese? Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Cover and allow it to melt then serve. If the mixture got too thick, warm up a bit of milk and add to the mixture and stir. Continue to add until it gets to your preferred thickness.
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Crock Pot Cheeseburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 cups milk (whole milk is preferred)
- 1½ cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (can use more to taste)
Instructions
- In a skillet, add 1 pound ground beef. Cook and crumble until fully cooked. Drain any excess grease.
- Add cooked beef to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper on top of the meat. Stir to coat evenly.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup warm water together until smooth.
- Pour cornstarch mixture and 2 cups milk into the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours (or high for 1 ½ hours), allowing flavors to develop.
- After the 3 hours, stir in 1½ cups dry elbow macaroni, making sure pasta is mostly submerged.
- Cover and cook an additional 30–35 minutes, until pasta is tender. This could take longer depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks.
- Stir in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese until melted and creamy.
- Let sit for 5–10 minutes to thicken before serving.
- NOTE: Like it with more cheese? Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Cover and allow it to melt then serve. If the mixture got too thick, warm up a bit of milk and add to the mixture and stir. Continue to add until it gets to your preferred thickness.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- This makes 4-6 servings.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
