This quick and easy instant pot hamburger helper puts dinner on the table in no time and tastes just like the classic hamburger helper recipe we know and love, minus the unknown ingredients!
It’s completely homemade, and you only have one pot left to clean at the end of the meal.
SIZE OF INSTANT POT USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS DISH?
-Use trusty 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe, which is what I recommend for most families, and is what most Instant Pot recipes are based on. It can cook enough food for a family of four and won’t take as long to come to pressure as an 8 quart will.
CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED IN AN 8 QUART?
Unfortunately there isn’t enough room to double this recipe in an 8 quart Instant Pot.
CAN YOU FREEZE MACARONI?
Cooked Macaroni is a great food to freezer for future meals. Here are some tips for success:
-Cook the pasta to the Al Dente Point, but no more. That way the pasta won’t be overcooked when you reheat it. For this recipe, the quick release of the pressure valve helps to halt the cooking process. It’s also best to avoid reheating the pasta again before you freeze it.
-I love to make easy foil packets for freezing these. I lay out strips of foil on the counter and use a big spoon to create portions of desired size on each one, then I wrap it into a square packet, add the packets to a freezer bag, label it, and freeze! When you’re ready to eat, just pop the entire frozen foil packet in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.
-Ziploc bags are also convenient freezing vessels, just let out any extra air in the bag. Laying it flat and freezing it in a uniform rectangle shape will take up less freezer space but will also allow the pasta to thaw out at the same rate when you remove it from the freezer.
–Adding vegetable oil on the bottom of the pan prior to browning the meat helps with this.
Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Servings
6
| Prep Time 5 MINS | Cook Time 20 MINS | Total Time 25 MINS |
| Author Zeeshan | Course MAIN COURSE | Cuisine AMERICAN |
This quick and easy instant pot hamburger helper puts dinner on the table in no time and tastes just like the classic hamburger helper recipe we know and love, minus the unknown ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 16 oz. dried elbow macaroni (equal to a 1 lb. box)
Instructions
- Set the instant pot to Sautee and add the vegetable oil.
- Add the ground beef and cook and crumble for about 5 minutes.
- Add the onions and cook for another 3-4 minutes or so, until the onions are soft and translucent and the meat is cooked through.
- Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and salt/pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in ¼ of the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the cooked pieces of beef that have stuck to the bottom of the pot. This will give the sauce extra flavor but also prevents the burn indicator from turning on during pressure cooking.
- Add the rest of the broth and submerge the macaroni into the sauce so that it’s completely covered.
- Lock the lid, seal the valve, and set the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
- Once 5 minutes are up, quick release the steam valve. Gently stir in the cheese using a silicone spatula until well combined.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or Parmesan flakes if desired, and serve!
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 747, Fat: 37 g, Saturated Fat: 20 g, Cholesterol: 113 mg, Sodium: 1072 mg, Potassium: 617 mg, Carbohydrates: 60 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g, Protein: 39 g, Vitamin A: 650%, Vitamin C: 3.3%, Calcium: 458%, Iron: 3.5%