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Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
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Put the box away and make this homemade hamburger helper. This Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is quick and easy, plus the entire family will love it! It brings me back to my childhood and I remember eating it at my parent’s table. The flavor is amazing and I love that it’s an easy dinner recipe in my pressure cooker. Put this Cheeseburger Macaroni on your regular rotation!
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
If you were like me, you grew up eating Hamburger Helper, right? It was always a favorite meal in our house! And I know it was a favorite for Mom too because it was quick and easy to make. We ALL love that!
BUT, now that the holidays are here and gone you have one gift you haven’t opened yet, right? Or well maybe you’ve opened it, but you’re not quite sure you want to cook with it yet? I’m talking about your Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot!
Maybe you’ve been looking at instant pot recipes like; Pressure Cooker Swedish Meatballs, Instant Pot Beef Taco Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo or Pressure Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
The pressure cooker can seem a little daunting, right? Well, I’m here to tell you, don’t be afraid! It’s really easy to use, so if you’re new to the IP (short for Instant Pot) let’s start with this simple easy recipe! If you’re an old hat and you’ve been using your pressure cooker for some time, then great!
Either way, you’re going to love this recipe!
Let’s get started by answering some quick questions.
Are instant pots safe?
Absolutely! Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Pressure cookers actually have a built-in safety feature that will not allow you to open the lid until it’s safe. Don’t worry, the top won’t blow off!
- Because forceful hot steam is released when the pressure valve is opened, be sure to place it on a counter away from the bottom of your cupboard so it can vent easily.
- Don’t overfill it. Be sure to follow the recipe and the manufacturers’ instructions.
Does that make you more comfortable? GREAT!! Now let’s talk about how to make this super delicious, quick and easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni!
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
I developed this recipe because my most popular recipe on this blog is my Instant Pot Hamburger Stroganoff and these recipes are like brother and sisters… different yet kind of the same concept!
Grocery List for Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- vegetable oil
- ground beef
- yellow onion
- garlic
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato paste
- beef broth
- cheddar cheese
- elbow macaroni dry
How do you cook ground beef in an instant pot?
The great thing about the pressure cooker is they come with a saute function. You do not have to dirty an extra pan. Set the IP to saute when it’s time to brown the ground beef.
Can you cook hamburger helper in instant pot?
From start to finish yes! It will be 100 times better than what you get in a box!
Steps to make Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Add the oil to the pressure cooker and set to sauté.
- Next, add ground beef and diced onion. Brown the ground beef, about 5 minutes.
- Season with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in 1/4 c. of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any pieces of beef that may be stuck to the bottom.
- Add the rest of the broth and macaroni. Stir well.
- Lock the lid, turn the pressure valve to closed and set the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- When instant pot beeps and is done cooking, quick release the steam valve.
- Stir in the cheese until melted and combined.
See?!! Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is easy, delicious and made in the pressure cooker takes no time at all! I really hope you give this a try and when you do, be sure to come and comment below and give me five stars for this tasty recipe!
I know everyone in your family will love it as much as we do – even your picky eaters!!
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Hamburger Stroganoff
- Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese
- How to Make Instant Pot Baked Potatoes!
- French Onion Pressure Cooker Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta
I have lots of Instant Pot Recipes on the blog – be sure and find your new favorite recipe!
p.s. before I go let me see if I can entice you a little more into using your pressure cooker …. Did you know it’s dishwasher safe? Yup! The stainless steel cooking vessel can be placed right into your dishwasher! Even the top can be put in there! Just be sure to place it on the top rack!
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper Recipe
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is quick and easy, plus the entire family will love it! The flavor is amazing and I love that it's an easy dinner recipe in my pressure cooker. Put this Cheeseburger Macaroni on your regular rotation!
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 664kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 c. yellow onion diced
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 c. low sodium beef broth
- 2 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 16 oz elbow macaroni dry
Instructions
- Add vegetable oil to instant pot and set to saute.
- Add ground beef and onion. Cook and crumble until ground beef is cooked is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper to pot. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in 1/4 c. of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any pieces of beef that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. This will prevent the burn indicator on the instant pot when pressure cooking.
- Add the rest of the broth and macaroni. Stir and make sure the macaroni is submerged into the broth.
- Lock the lid, seal the valve and set the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
- When instant pot is done cooking, quick release the steam valve. Stir in the cheese until completely melted and combined.
Nutrition
Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 909mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 800IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 562mg | Iron: 2.6mg
Tried this recipe?Follow me @julieseatsandtreats and mention #julieseatsandtreats!
LEAVE A COMMENT
Homemade “hamburger helper” is a million times better than the box! Using the instant pot makes it all the easier!
Got that right!
It doesn’t get any better than homemade hamburger helper!! And thanks for making an IP version!!
Got that right! Such a family favorite!
This is all the comfort! Another great recipe for my instant pot!
Can never have to many IP recipes!
I remember this from my childhood, love how much easier it is to make now!
You and I both!
I haven’t had this since I was a kid! I totally want to make this now!
I don’t have a pressure cooker can I make this over the stove. Thank for your time.
V/r,
Patti
Of course! Here’s the stove top version! https://julieseatsandtreats.com/hamburger-stroganoff/
I’ve never had hamburger helper before as i’m from the UK, it’s simply not something we have there. However it sounded absolutely delicious after looking at the recipe so I gave it a shot. It tasted amazing, and is extremely filling too! I didn’t make any major alterations, just a little more tomato paste and I measure the salt and pepper out to half a teaspoon of each. Excellent job! I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks!
So glad I could introduce you this 😉
Made this for supper tonight …..it was quick and easy and it tasted great!! Will be making this again for sure! Thanks for the recipe?
We just made it for supper too! My kids enjoyed it so much again. Thanks for commenting and rating this!
Is the pressure cooking high temp for five minutes?
Yes it’s on high.
My family really enjoyed this recipe! Cheap, easy and very tasty! I will definitely make it again.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe Andrea!
Made this and its so much better than boxed. Family loved it. Definitely saving this one!
So glad it was a winner Ruth!
If you swapped multi grain noodles, would I need to increase liquid or time at all?
This is definitely much better than the boxed version. The boxed version is one of my hubs’ go-to meals due to his very limited knowledge of cooking or even wanting to be behind the stove. He followed your recipe using the IP and viola, success! I could have had thirds! One extra ingredient added was sliced fresh mushrooms. We also tried the sister recipe, hamburger stroganoff and that was delish. Thanks for coming up with these quick and easy meals.
I’m so happy you loved it! Fresh mushrooms sounds like a wonderful addition!
This looks amazing!! However, we are not big beef eaters, is there some other meat we can try the same recipe with without sacrificing the taste too much?
You could use ground chicken or ground turkey instead!
Can I make this particular recipe with the 3 quart IP or should I cut it in half?
I would cut it in half.
Very good, very simple. I will be adding this to my meal rotation!
Awesome! Thanks for trying!
I apologize if someone already asked this and/or ya already stated this somewhere but for the nutrition info…is that total/for the 8 servings? What is a serving size?
That nutritional information is for 1 serving.
Any idea what the serving size is? 1 1/2 cup?
Very good! Quick and tasty.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This sounds so yummy, quick, and easy! My only question is do you drain the grease after sautéing the beef? Thanks!
How big is one serving?
It would be 1/8 of the total amount – maybe roughly 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.
That is up to you, I personally don’t but you definitely could.
So much better then the box!!! My girls love it and ask for it for lunch. All the kids at school are envious of my girl’s lunch!!! Thanks for the awsome recipe 🙂 !!
You’re welcome! I love to hear when recipes are kid approved – thank you for the review!
This was really good! I gave 4 stars because it was drier than expected so I added milk at the end. This will go in our rotation for sure.
Glad you enjoyed it!