Crockpot Hamburger Helper

Our homemade Crockpot hamburger helper recipe is simple to make with uncooked elbow macaroni noodles, ground beef and spaghetti sauce. The best slow cooker goulash style dinner, next to our crockpot hamburger casserole.

This homemade hamburger helper recipe is really amazingly easy! There’s something about a casserole in the crock pot that just makes you feel good…..whether it’s winter or summertime! It’s definitely one of our favorite easy crockpot recipes we make almost every month.

We use our slow cooker at least once a week on days that are going to be really busy and we won’t get home until dinnertime. That way I can throw it all in before we leave and know it will be ready when we are “starving” after swimming or whatever activity we have that day.

Do you need to cook the ground beef first?

Yes, the meat should be precooked in a pan on the stove. If you want to add bacon cook that first, leave the juices, then throw in the ground beef and diced onion together. That way all the flavors meld together. Throw that into the pot with all of the other ingredients and it’s ready to cook all day.

Ingredient Notes

In general when it comes to the meat I will use 80/20 Ground beef precooked and browned first. If I have a roll of spicy Jimmy Dean sausage on hand I will use that or half and half for a medium heat. It adds a lot of flavor. You should drain either before adding into the pot.

Can you use ground sausage instead?

As far as proteins go you can use your favorite. I have found that half ground beef and half spicy sausage might be our favorite for this and our slow cooker lasagna casserole. Brings in a bit of spicy flavor to the dish without a lot of added ingredients.

To make things super easy I will add a jar of Spaghetti sauce store bought or make homemade Instant Pot spaghetti sauce before.

Onions diced are nice but optional. I will use either white or yellow for this. They will cook down to super tender so the kids don’t even really notice they are there but add flavor nontheless.

Petite Diced tomatoes canned makes it easy to add a bit more moisture, flavor and more texture.

For the necessary liquid you need Beef broth is better than water but could be used. You want as much flavor as possible so go with broth or stock of some kind.

And then for the pasta I will use Elbow macaroni noodles. Those will be put it in uncooked, submerged near the end to tender (but I still like a bit al dente).

How to Make Cheesy

If you wanted to add 1 cup shredded cheese to this you could quite easily to melt inside or leave it out for dairy free. I like to fold in some near the end and then more on top. We love sharp cheddar cheese which will make a cheeseburger macaroni version of this. Or add a few cut up pieces of Velveeta.

How to Cook Homemade Crockpot Hamburger Helper

You will want to precook ground beef with your onions in a pan to begin with. Darin (or not, your choice) and add into your pot. You can then add diced bacon into that same pan and cook until it is not crispy, but cooked (optional). Throw these in as well as all other ingredients into your crockpot except the macaroni noodles. 

Cover and cook on low. Near the end uncover and stir in entire box of uncooked macaroni noodles, stir, recover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender. Serve topped with cheese if desired.

It’s not a big deal to throw pasta in for the last 30 minutes because it takes that much time to put everything away when we get home, grate the cheese, and set the table anyway.

Use squiggly pasta like mini lasagna noodles if you’d like. Add a dollop of ricotta too if you want. There is a lot of leway with this one for sure. I usually just grab a box of macaroni or whatever is on sale that day for this one. They all basically taste the same. Gluten free wouldn’t take as long so you’d need to keep a closer eye on those.

If you’ve jumped on the pressure cooker train we also made a version of this that takes just 15 minutes called Instant Pot chili mac that you should try next that takes just 5 minutes as well as:

FAQ

How to save leftovers

Yes! It might actually be better than fresh…just being honest. Once it has cooled you can spoon it into a container with a lid or covered with foil tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days and then reheat in a microwave safe dish for about 1 minute or so. I like to add some cheese shreds to the top when I do this to add ooey gooeyness.

Over time the pasta will soak up the sauce so it will be a bit less saucy. If you have extra spaghetti sauce you can add a tbsp or so to the top to loosen it up a bit too. OR use it a bit like sloppy joe mixture and after warmed add it in between two buns for a fun lunch time for the kiddos. I mean out of the box means fun and fun means more yummy right. 😉

It’s a warm feel good meal that my kids ask me to make often and even my husband and I like it (I eat it the next day for lunch too and it’s amazing).

Other easy slow cooker recipes you’ll love

You will LOVE our easy cheap crockpot meals here. When I am meal planning I will rotate through this list and add 1 every week when I know we are going to be busy. Here’s a roundup of other crockpot hamburger recipes like this slow cooker spaghetti or a pot of Crockpot macaroni and cheese is always a winner