Healthy instant pot hamburger helper is an easy weeknight meal your family will love! Made with ground turkey, cheese, noodles and spices, this homemade cheeseburger macaroni tastes even better than the box classic and will be a weeknight dinner winner!
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If you are new to Instant Pot cooking or you are looking for some new recipes to try in your pressure cooker, this instant pot hamburger helper may be the quickest and easiest recipe you will find! Even though it's made homemade and from scratch, I promise you it's easy - even for Instant Pot beginners!
Chicken tacos, buffalo chicken meatballs, and chicken parmesan are a few more recipes you have got to try!
Why This Recipe Works
- A family friendly weeknight dinner you can totally DIY. Eat as is or throw in some veggies like broccoli, asparagus, peas or green beans!
- Instant pot hamburger helper is healthy comfort food at it's finest! Even picky eaters will gobble this instant pot hamburger helper right up - same goes for this no boil lasagna!
- Less than 10 ingredients but full of flavor and cheesy goodness! Better ingredients than the box alternative - lower sodium and preservative free.
- Easy weeknight dinner you can get on the table in about 35 minutes.
- Made in one pot making easy cleanup a breeze!
Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Shredded Cheese: I like the mild cheddar, Monterey Jack mix for this recipe.
- Sturdy Pasta: Pasta like shells, elbow macaroni, rigatoni, egg noodles, lasagna or penne will hold up well.
- Meat: I used ground turkey for this recipe but ground beef would work well also.
- Spices: 1 teaspoon each of mustard powder, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. I also like to add in Italian seasoning.
How To Make This Recipe
This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cook time and temperatures.
- Using the saute mode, drizzle olive oil into the Instant Pot. Add ground beef or turkey, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings. Cook beef until done, breaking up meat and moving frequently. Once cooked, stir in ½ can of tomato sauce and remove meat to a side bowl.
- Cancel saute mode and add 16 ounces of sturdy pasta to the pot. Add four cups of water and cook on manual for 4 minutes. Once the cooking cycle completes, carefully quick release and stir noodles.
- Add in butter and stir until well incorporated. Place meat back into pot.
- Add cheese and stir gently. Add milk as needed for a smooth, creamy consistency. Season pasta with salt and pepper and additional seasoning and remaining ½ can of tomato sauce if desired. Serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Make ahead: Make ahead to feed your family for a few days. When you make this cheeseburger mac ahead, add in a bit of milk when you reheat it for leftovers.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freezing not recommended.
- Reheat: Add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave until heated through.
- To avoid burn warning, add in enough olive oil while sautéing ground turkey or beef to ensure you do not get the burn warning.
- Stir in some sour cream or Greek yogurt for extra creaminess (and protein if using Greek yogurt!)
- Taco version: Stir in some enchilada sauce to make a taco version. Crunch a few tortilla chips on top for some extra texture (or check out walking taco casserole!)
- To make vegan: Use plant based meat crumbles, vegan cheese, vegan butter and oat milk if you need to make this recipe dairy free and without meat.
- To make gluten free: Use gluten free noodles to make recipe gluten free.
FAQs
Feel free to add in some veggies or eat them as a side. I highly recommend air fryer broccoli, asparagus or green beans as a side dish.
Any pressure cooker or multi cooker will work for this recipe. I tested it in both the 8-quart Ninja Foodi and 6-quart Instant Pot and both worked well.
Simple ingredients and swapping out beef to make turkey hamburger helper make this homemade version better and tastier than its boxed competitor.
Although I do not recommend it, you can freeze if it you want to. Make sure to only cook noodles to al dente so noodles do not get mushy upon reheating. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
If you've made this recipe, would you please leave a star rating and comment below on the recipe card? If you would like more simple + delicious eats please subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for the latest updates.
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups shredded cheddar Monterey Jack or combination
- 16 ounces sturdy pasta shells, cavatappi, rigatoni or penne
- 1 pound ground turkey can substitute ground beef also
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ medium onion diced
- 3 tablespoon butter cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Using the saute mode, drizzle olive oil into the Instant Pot. Saute onions until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add ground beef or turkey, salt and pepper and other seasonings. Cook beef until done, breaking up meat and moving frequently. Once cooked, stir in ½ can of tomato sauce and remove meat to a side bowl.
- Cancel saute mode and add 16 ounces of sturdy pasta to the pot. Add four cups of water and cook on manual for 4 minutes. Once the cooking cycle completes, carefully quick release and stir noodles.
- Add in butter and stir until well incorporated. Place meat back into pot.
- Add cheese and stir gently. Add milk as needed for a smooth, creamy consistency. Season pasta with salt and pepper and additional seasoning and remaining ½ can of tomato sauce if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Make ahead: Make ahead to feed your family for a few days. When you make this cheeseburger mac ahead, add in a bit of milk when you reheat it for leftovers.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freezing not recommended.
- Reheat: Add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave until heated through.
- To avoid burn warning, add in enough olive oil while sautéing ground turkey or beef to ensure you do not get the burn warning.
- Stir in some sour cream or Greek yogurt for extra creaminess (and protein if using Greek yogurt!)
- Taco version: Stir in some enchilada sauce to make a taco version. Crunch a few tortilla chips on top for some extra texture (or check out walking taco casserole!)
- To make vegan: Use plant based meat crumbles, vegan cheese, vegan butter and oat milk if you need to make this recipe dairy free and without meat.
- To make gluten free: Use gluten free noodles to make recipe gluten free.
- Part of this recipe was adapted from Pinch of Yum's Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe.
JB
I cannot see where to add the onion. Also, when you say “cook on manual” does that mean to pressure cook it? Looks delicious! Excited to try
Lyndsey
Sorry about that I've updated the recipe card. Thank you!
Tiffany
I have a quick question. I see that some of the spices are on there twice. Are the 2nd set of repeat spices the ones you add at the end as additional seasoning? #newbie lol
Lyndsey
there was an error in the recipe - thanks for letting me know! It's updated now and should be good to go.
Paige Westley
I have never been a hamburger helper fan, but to be honest, this looks so good! Definitely going to give this a try! Thank you for sharing!
Lyndsey
Hope you love it!
Gabby
Does the can of tomato sauce go in with the “other seasonings”? I don’t see where it is included.
Lyndsey
Hi there! I'm currently updating this recipe and it looks like the recipe updated before the post did. You will use half of the can to stir into the meat once cooked and you can stir in more if you want it during adding cheese. Sorry, it will all be updated soon!
Michelle
How could I make this in a crock pot? Looks delicious!
Lyndsey
I haven't made it in the crock pot. let me know if you try it!