Healthy Cheeseburger Casserole. Similar to Homemade Hamburger Helper – Creamy, cheesy casserole loaded with lean ground beef, whole wheat pasta, finely chopped veggies, and cheddar cheese. Made in one pot in 30 minutes!
I figured we could all use some comfort food on this wintry Monday. Most of the country (or at least everyone I follow on Instagram) was blanketed with snow this past weekend. Although there was no snow to be found here in the desert, we still enjoyed a chilly, cozy weekend at home.
When it comes to meal planning in January we have to walk that fine line between healthy (resolutions, holiday detox, etc.) and the need for hearty comfort food. I love taking recipes that are traditionally heavy and overly-processed and turning them into something that I am proud to feed my family.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
This Healthy Cheeseburger Casserole is like the healthier, more flavorful cousin of Hamburger Helper.
It’s creamy, cheesy, and super satisfying. It’s filled with lean ground beef, whole wheat pasta, and nearly 3 cups of finely chopped vegetables. Picky eaters in your family? Cut those veggies really small and they will melt into the casserole and be virtually undetectable. A sweet and tangy tomato sauce coats everything and grated cheddar adds gooey cheesiness to every single bite!
Easy Healthy Cheeseburger Casserole
This meal is made in one pot in about 30 minutes. It’s perfect for any night of the week. If your weeknights are busy, prep your veggies and grate your cheese in advance and this will come together even faster.
Let’s talk garnishes real quick. This dish is absolutely delicious with no garnishes; they are not necessary, but, if you’d like you can garnish with sliced green onions and parsley. Or, if you really want to drive that cheeseburger flavor home you can try chopped pickles sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
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Healthy Cheeseburger Casserole
Cheeseburger macaroni casserole with a healthy twist. A creamy, cheesy casserole loaded with lean ground beef, whole wheat pasta, finely chopped veggies, and cheddar cheese. Healthier comfort food made in one pot in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrot
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth plus more, if needed
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and ground beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is mostly cooked through. Add onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally. If the mixture seems dry you can add a drizzle of olive oil.
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Add beef broth, ketchup, tomato sauce and pasta. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked through (about 10 minutes). As the mixture is cooking it will thicken. Add water as needed to keep it creamy. Once the pasta is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, stir in 1 cup of cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top and place a lid on the saucepan to melt the cheese (or pop it under the broiler to melt it). Serve immediately. If the sauce thickens, just stir in a little water to make it creamy again.
Recipe Notes
Reheating leftovers? Stir in a splash of water to make the pasta creamy.
What a fabulous recipe. Love the way you’ve made it healthier than a typical recipe of this sort. Looks so delicious and comforting!
This looks so tasty! I bet my boys wouldn’t even see those veggies in there – definitely want to give this a try. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Easy weeknight dinner for the win! My kids would love this and I love that it can be made so quickly. I’ll bet it makes for some yummy leftovers too – if you have any!
This sounds like fabulous comfort food! Your pics make it look incredibly yum! 😀
This looks great! I’m usually not a fan of ground beef, but this looks particularly tasty – will need to try this out!
Finding the balance between eating healthy New Year’s resolutions and winter comfort food is indeed a balance. I live in the southern hemisphere where it is summer and I have to agree that it is easier to eat healthily in summer. I think this macaroni hits the mark though.
This is the ultimate healthy comfort food and I want to dig right in.
Mmm… That definitely looks like comfort food to me! Delicious!
This brought back so many nostalgic memories for me, and got my tummy rumbling! I love the idea of taking this classic (but normally super processed and not very healthy) dish and turning it into something a bit more wholesome. I wish I had a big bowl full right now!
This looks delicious! I love this idea and it would certainly please my family!
Great comfort meal and brings back memories of eating goulash as a kid! I will make this with vegetarian meat too for some members in my family!
Your recipe brought back memories for me. This was one of the first things I was taught to cook when I was in high school and it still has a cozy, homey, comfort food trigger for me. Love the healthier update!
DELISH!! Subbed vegi-crumbles & GF brown rice elbows & soooooo good! 😋
Yay! So glad that you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Nutrition facts? Or weight watchers points?
I calculated 509 calories, 19 grams fat, 33 grams of protein per serving.
This looks like the perfect comfort food!
Would you believe me if I told you I’ve never actually had Hamburger Helper? I feel like I am missing out. But not really, ha ha. This dish however I would love to try! We make something similar minus the cheese, and I really love the addition.
I am a huge fan of casseroles! This one is loaded with so much goodness!
I never thought about combining cheese burger but Mac n cheese, but these are like my favourite things ever in one dish! Amazing!
January really is a conflicting food month – detox light meals on one hand but then again you do always want comfort food when there’s snow on the ground! THis looks perfect for a comforting one pot meal!
What’s the carb content? thanks
I believe it is about 33 grams of carbs. You could increase the meat and veggies and decrease the pasta if you need to. Enjoy!
I made this again for dinner last night and it is so yummy and cheeseee! I highly recommend!