Hamburger Helper
A one-pot Instant Pot version of the American classic: browned ground meat and elbow noodles cooked together in a seasoned tomato sauce.
Ingredients
| 1 pound | 455 g | ground beef or chicken or turkey |
| 3 cups | 720 ml | beef stock, low sodium |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | garlic powder |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | onion powder |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | paprika |
| 0.5 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | kosher salt |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | tomato sauce |
| 3 cups | 720 ml | elbow noodles (about 8 ounces) |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | Worcestershire sauce |
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to Sauté and allow to heat up.
- Once the Instant Pot has heated, add in the meat and brown up, breaking up into small pieces. Once the meat is cooked, turn off the pressure cooker. Drain off any fat if desired.
- Add in beef broth to Instant Pot and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, and tomato sauce and stir well to combine.
- Add in noodles and gently push down into the sauce. You want the noodles just submerged into the liquid.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (hit Manual or Pressure Cook and adjust time by using +/- buttons until timer reads 3).
- Once cook time has elapsed, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of any remaining pressure — be sure to stand away from vent knob when releasing pressure.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce into the hamburger helper and serve.
Equipment Needed: Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart).
Notes
Ground Meat: This recipe works using ground turkey, beef, or chicken.
Noodles: Both whole wheat and regular elbow noodles work. Barilla brand gluten-free noodles work best if making this gluten-free. Using another shape of noodles may result in needing to change the cooking time, so it isn't recommended.
To double this recipe, simply double the ingredients. The cook time will remain the same, it will just take a bit longer to come to pressure.
Storage: Leftover Hamburger Helper can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, you may want to add in a splash of beef stock or water, as the noodles tend to absorb the sauce as they sit.
Cheeseburger version: If you would like a cheesy version, stir in 4 ounces of diced Velveeta cheese or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese AFTER cooking. The residual heat should be enough to melt the cheese.