The Best Healthy Hamburger Helper
The creamiest one pan lightened up hamburger helper made with simple ingredients for a nostalgic, comforting dinner the whole family will love. This healthy hamburger helper takes just 30 minutes to make and is packed with flavorful and protein! Options to add your fav veggies or spice it up if you'd like.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 467cal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey (93% is good)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk of choice (whole milk, 2% or unsweetened almond or cashew will work)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (1 cup)
- 16 ounces (1 pound) pipe rigate pasta or shellbows
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (we use Cabot)
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
- For garnish:
- Freshly chopped parsley or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in diced onion, garlic, ground turkey and salt and pepper; breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next stir in the tomato paste, paprika, and oregano, and cook for 1 minute until tomato paste deepens in color, which will allow the flavor to bloom.
- Add in the chicken broth, milk, and tomato sauce to the pot; stirring until well combined. Next, stir in the pasta and bring to a slight boil; you’ll cook UNCOVERED, stirring frequently, until the pasta is nice and tender, about 10-12 minutes (depending on your pasta shape) and most of the liquid (but not all!) is absorbed. You’ll want a little bit of liquid left to make the sauce nice and creamy. Remember you don’t need to have this over a roaring boil, just a gentle boil. Also, don't forget to stir often so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan!
- Remove from heat and stir in the sharp cheddar cheese and add additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes on top, if desired! Serves 4-6.
Notes
To make it more nutritious: feel free to throw in shredded zucchini, sautéed chopped red bell pepper, mushrooms or a few cups of chopped spinach! My kids usually never know that it’s in there.!
Spice it up: If you’d like you can add some red pepper flakes on top or directly into the meat mixture with the spices.
I’ve found that pipe rigate, shells or large elbow noodles are best for this pasta so that you get the noodles nicely coated with all the creaminess of the sauce, but up to you!
See the full post for tips, tricks, and even more ways to customize this recipe!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6) | Calories: 467cal | Carbohydrates: 43.7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21.3g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6.2g