This cheesy Taco Hamburger Helper is a game-changing pasta dish. It has that recognizable taco flavor with shells in a creamy cheese sauce. Dress up your bowl with your choice of toppings that you would normally use on traditional tacos to really take it over the top!
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 8
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Savory, cheesy, and mildly spicy with classic taco-seasoned beef.
- 🍚 Best Served With: A simple green salad, tortilla chips, or steamed vegetables.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, can be made ahead and reheated, though best enjoyed fresh.
Summarize and Save This Content On
My favorite parts about this recipe are its versatility and ease. If you are looking for a simple dinner that doesn't take hours to make, you've found it! Plus, you can make subtle changes to make this Mexican hamburger helper feel like it's your own.
Try crockpot creamy potato and hamburger soup and old-fashioned hamburger casserole if you want more recipe options for ground beef.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's budget-friendly: This is the perfect, inexpensive dinner idea when you want to feed your family without going over budget.
- It's a one-pot meal: The entire tacho hamburger helper recipe is made in a single pot, which is great when it comes to washing dishes.
- It's kid-approved: Not only will the adults love this meal, but your picky kids will, too!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Everything you need for this homemade Mexican hamburger helper is listed below. It consists of only five ingredients!
- Ground beef: I like using lean ground beef, so it's less greasy. A minimum of 80% lean is great in this recipe.
- Taco seasoning: Any brand of taco seasoning works fine, even store brands. You'll need 3 packets for the amount you're making.
- Beef broth: I use low-sodium beef broth to keep the meal from leaning too salty. This helps you to be able to adjust the salt level later, if needed.
- Pasta: I chose medium shells, but any short pasta will work great. I recommend rotini, farfalle, or elbow macaroni!
- Cheese: The cream cheese makes it creamy, while the shredded cheddar adds a lovely, sharp, cheesy flavor. Feel free to use a taco or fiesta blend cheese instead!
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Ground turkey: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey to make a leaner version.
- Spicy: Prepare a spicy taco hamburger helper by adding some spicy canned chiles, salsa, or spicy jalapeno hot sauce.
- Black bean and corn: Add drained cans of black beans and corn for more texture, fiber, and other nutrients.
How to Make Taco Hamburger Helper
Below are the few steps needed for this Hamburger Helper copycat recipe. It's straightforward and made entirely in one large skillet or pot!
Step 1: Season and brown the beef. Brown the ground beef in a large pot, drain any excess grease, and add the taco seasoning.
Step 2: Add the broth and pasta. Pour in the beef broth and pasta, and bring the mixture to a boil. Next, cover it, lower the heat, and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Then uncover it and continue cooking until the pasta is cooked through.
Step 3: Stir in cheeses. Add the cream cheese and shredded cheddar over low heat and stir.
Step 4: Simmer and serve. Allow the hamburger helper to cook until the cheeses are melted and creamy. Enjoy it with baked pita chips or tortilla chips.
Recipe Tips
- Stir occasionally: Ensure that you stir your Mexican hamburger helper every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer gently: Watch the heat when simmering the sauce so the pasta doesn't overcook.
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You may freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months, but the cheese sauce may separate after thawing.
- Reheating: I prefer to reheat the leftovers in a skillet to have better control over the heat. It will take 8-10 minutes in a skillet over low heat. Avoid reheating in the microwave.
Another delicious beef and pasta meal you should make is crockpot hamburger soup.
Serving Suggestions
- There are endless options for toppings, and some of my favorites are ultimate guacamole, salsa pesto, sour cream, and cilantro.
- Make it even cheesier by adding a drizzle of Instant Pot queso over your bowl.
- If you're looking for easy side dishes, I recommend this fresh bell pepper salad and my savory corn muffins.
Recipe FAQs
This happens if you don't drain enough grease or if you add too much broth. The broth will reduce as the pasta cooks, giving you the perfect creamy consistency.
Most likely the pot was too hot when you added the cheese. Avoid adding the cheeses until you lower the heat. If the heat is too high, it causes the cheese to curdle and become grainy.
Different pasta shapes have different cook times. If yours isn't cooked in the time mentioned in the recipe, simply cook it longer until it reaches your desired tenderness.
More Delicious Taco-Inspired Recipes
Do you like taco-inspired recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Taco Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef or any meat mixture/fat content
- 3 pkgs. (1 oz) taco seasoning 85 grams
- 4 cups beef broth low sodium
- 3 cups pasta shells 7.5 ounces, dry measurement
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ brick (4 oz) cream cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high and cook beef until no longer pink. Drain if desired then mix in the taco seasoning.
- Pour in the broth, the uncooked noodles and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and lower the heat. Cook for 10 minutes covered, then uncover, raise the heat to keep a rolling boil and cook until the pasta is your desired tenderness (about 8-10 minutes).
- Bring the heat back to low, add cheeses and cook until melted.
- Stir until blended. Serve warm.
Notes
- Ensure that you lower the heat before you add the cheese to prevent it from curdling and becoming grainy.
- Use any variety of short-grain pasta that you like besides medium shells.
- Stir your taco hamburger helper occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Leave a Reply