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    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells

    Published: Jul 25, 2016 · Updated: Dec 23, 2022 by Mindy Boyd

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    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the popular boxed dinner. via @mindyscookingobsession
    Jump to Recipe

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells is just as easy as making a box of Hamburger Helper. This is an easy dinner the whole family will love and it is an especially big hit with little kids and teenagers alike.

    A skillet full of the finished dish with the title written above it.

    In fact, my daughter just loves this stuff! I like it because it is a healthier homemade version of this dish. I also like it because it is a quick meal perfect for busy weeknights when my goal is to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible. Lee loves it because it is a one-pot meal and he usually does the dishes.

    One serving of the finished pasta dish on a white plate.

    Ingredients:

    See recipe card for exact measurements.

    All of the ingredients needed to make the hamburger helper laid out on a table.

    Ingredient Notes

    Ground Beef – we use lean ground beef but any ground beef will work because you drain it.

    Shell Pasta – any short cut pasta that has a similar cook time will work, medium or small pasta shells or elbow macaroni work best.

    Canned Tomatoes – we use the kind with Italian-style herbs and spices.

    Milk – we use whole milk because that is what we always have on hand, you can use 2% milk if that is what you have.

    Grated Cheese – I use whatever I have on hand, this time I used a Colby cheddar blend. You can use cheese you like.

    Close up view of the middle of the skillet with the finished hamburger helper in it.

     

    How To Make This Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

    1. In a large skillet brown a pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.
    2. While the ground beef is cooking, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and corn starch in a small bowl; set aside.
    3. Drain ground beef and return to the skillet. Over medium-high heat add water, tomato sauce, milk and spice mixture, mix until combined. Stir in the canned tomatoes and pasta, bring to a boil then reduce to low to medium low heat, cover and simmer for 13-15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
    4. Stir in shredded cheese and cook a couple of minutes stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Take off the burner and let stand to thicken, about 5 minutes.

    A collage of two images showing the spices in bowls, unmixed and mixed.

    Four images showing the different stages of the dish being cooked.

    A collage of four photos showing the next steps of the cooking process.

    Substitutions & Additions

    Macaroni noodles or any bite-sized pasta could be used for this dish. I usually use the small shells that take 7-9 minutes to cook. You might need to adjust the cooking time to fit your particular pasta if it has a longer cook time.

    Any ground meat will work – ground Italian sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey are great options. You could swap out completely or use a combination of meats.

    Add a little bit of Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese to the top of each dish when serving for added cheesy goodness.

    Add some diced onion in when you add the ground beef.

    Full view of the nonstick skillet full of the finished dish.

    Tips & Tricks

    I cook the pasta for a few of minutes longer than the directions on the package and then it cooked for an additional couple of minutes while the cheese melted. The pasta is cooked perfectly, not too al dente and not too mushy.

    If using any other meat than ground beef you will need to coat the skillet with cooking spray or a little bit of olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.

    Even if I use the leanest ground beef possible I still like to drain off the little bit of fat and any extra moisture that the beef renders while browning.

    I use a 12-inch skillet because I like to have plenty of room to stir. You can use a 10-inch skillet if that is what you have.

    I cover this with the lid that came with my skillet, if you don’t have a lid you can still make this, it will just take a little longer to cook. When I was a young wife and mother we didn’t have a skillet with a lid and I still made these types of recipes.

    A small white plate with a silver fork and one serving of pasta on it.

     

    What We Love About This Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper

    Making this healthier, Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells takes about the same amount of time as the boxed version.

    It is made in one pan for easier clean up.

    This is a great recipe for teenagers to make because it is so easy.

    While it may seem like this has a lot of ingredients it is still relatively inexpensive to make because all of the spices can usually be found at a variety of retailers for $0.99 and you can make this dish many many times.

    A plate of pasta in the foreground and the skillet of pasta in the background.

    We hope you like our Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells copycat recipe as much as we do. It is just as easy as the boxed dinner and a bit better for you.

    Close up view of half of a skillet full of homemade hamburger helper cheesy italain shells.

    More One Pot Meals You Might Like:

    Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo

    Alfredo Chicken Pasta & Broccoli

    One Pan Beef Stroganoff

    Potato Pasta Kale Soup

    Plus many more in the One Pot Meals section.

    Follow us on social media!!

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    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    A white plate with one serving of hamburger helper on it.

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells

    Mindy Boyd
    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the popular boxed dinner.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Facebook Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Resting Time 5 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 2 cups shell or similar shaped pasta
    • 1 can tomatoes with Italian seasoning 14.5 ounces
    • 1 3/4 cups milk
    • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 cup cheese grated
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    Instructions
     

    • In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. While the ground beef is cooking, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside. Drain browned ground beef and return to the skillet.
    • Over medium-high heat add water, tomato sauce, milk and spice mixture, mix until combined. Stir in the canned tomatoes and pasta, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover; cook for 13-15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
    • Stir in cheese and cook a couple of minutes stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Take off the burner and let stand to thicken, about 5 minutes.

    Notes

    See in post notes above for valuable information that may help you make this recipe successfully.

    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1168mg | Potassium: 984mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 831IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 422mg | Iron: 5mg
    Keyword homemade hamburger helper
    Tried this recipe?Mention @mindyscookingobsession or tag #mindyscookingobsession!
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    Filed Under: 30 Minutes Or Less, Entrees, One Pot Meals, Pasta Tagged With: cheesy italain shells, copycat recipe, entree, ground beef, hamburger helper, one pan dinner, pasta

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chelsea says

      May 31, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Cheesy shells was my favorite hamburger helper! We used to eat it a little too often. Now my family is following a somewhat low carb diet I used your recipe with some low carb shells and it was fantastic! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        May 31, 2021 at 10:03 pm

        That is awesome, thanks!

        Reply
    2. Debbie Walus says

      April 08, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      What kind of cheese? Shredded rather than grated????

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        April 08, 2020 at 9:38 pm

        I suppose technically it is shredded, even though I shredded it on grater.

        Reply
    3. Roberta Guillory says

      December 20, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Is there a suitable replacement for the Can of tomatoes. My husband cannot stand tomato chunks in anything.

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        December 20, 2019 at 6:18 pm

        Maybe just another little can of tomato sauce, or even just water? I’ve not tried it but I think it would work.

        Reply
      • Theresa says

        July 27, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        We either purée the tomatoes before adding, or use a can of tomato soup

        Reply
        • Mindy Boyd says

          July 27, 2020 at 11:27 pm

          Those are great ideas, thanks for sharing!

          Reply
    4. Becky says

      August 22, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      I stumbled upon this recipe a while back and I love making it. This is one of our favorites. Thank you

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        August 22, 2018 at 8:39 pm

        It is one of our favorites too. Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Julie Doss says

      July 31, 2018 at 9:33 pm

      This was delicious and I will never make the boxed again either and I realized for some reason I’m not following you anymore tell your husband hey

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        August 20, 2018 at 11:21 pm

        Right?! it is way better than the boxed kind. I will tell Lee hello! Thanks

        Reply
    6. Deanna says

      April 07, 2017 at 11:48 am

      What type of cheese do you use? Cheddar is the obvious choice, however the ingredients on BC brand Hamburger Helper contain both Ricotta and Cheddar and Ricotta is listed first so there’s probably more of that in the box version. I’m gonna try half and half and see how that goes…

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        April 07, 2017 at 1:11 pm

        I just use cheddar, I don’t use Ricotta because I never keep it around. I only buy it if I am using it in a specific recipe and then I use the whole container (usually). So because this only calls for 1 cup, I just use the cheddar so I don’t have part of a container of Ricotta leftover. I think using half and half is a great idea!

        Reply
    7. Brianna R. Miceli says

      January 11, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      I’m a college student and this was just as easy to make as the box. Great for dinner and leftovers for the week. I made mine with Darigold 2% lactose free milk and Daiya dairy free cheddar cheese. Tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        January 11, 2017 at 9:33 pm

        That is awesome. Thanks!

        Reply
    8. Mel says

      January 09, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      I was craving the hamburger helper Italian shells on this cold and snowy evening and was disappointed when I realized we didn’t have a box in the pantry, but a bit of internet browsing led me to your recipe. Wow! I’ll never make the boxed version again! This was so much more flavorful, loved the hints of tomato flavor, and my husband and two kids gobbled it up too. I like to mix a can of peas in mine as well. Thanks for saving our dinner and satisfying my craving!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        January 09, 2017 at 8:29 pm

        That is awesome! I am going to have to try the peas next time I make it. I am always looking for ways to “slip” veggies in to our dinners.

        Reply
    9. Irish Lafantano says

      August 01, 2016 at 8:22 pm

      ty!

      Reply
    10. Wendie says

      July 27, 2016 at 1:06 pm

      Looks delicious Mindy! So creamy and cheesy, I might have to try this.

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        July 27, 2016 at 1:08 pm

        My 15 year old loves this stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells - Yum Goggle says:
      July 26, 2016 at 8:21 am

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    My name is Mindy and this is my husband, and biggest fan, Lee. I love cooking for my family. The purpose of this blog is to share my recipes and experiences in the kitchen. Most of the recipes that I make use ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. No special equipment or skills required.

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