Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Kelsey Smith

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Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is a quick and easy family recipe. It's cheesy and beefy and it's even better than Hamburger Helper. In fact, if you're a Hamburger Helper family, you may never go back.

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When I was pregnant, I was on a carb-conscious diet, per doctor's orders. This made pasta a tough cookie for me. This recipe though had just the right amount at less than 30 carbs per serving. I make this so frequently, I've considered creating the spice blend in bulk to make the recipe that much easier.

This was adapted from the Buns in My Oven stovetop recipe. The mix of seasonings is so perfect. I've adapted the recipe to work in the Instant Pot and adjusted the ratio of ingredients. The stovetop recipe is excellent, so head over to Buns in My Oven to check it out.

Too hot to cook? Even ground beef in the Instant Pot? If you're looking for more easy recipes that will keep your kitchen cool, try my Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs or my Instant Pot Italian Meatballs. They don't require browning because they use frozen meatballs.

For more easy weeknight and weekend dinner ideas, try these lazy family recipes.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni may look long, but it's mostly seasoning bulking up the list, so not to worry.

  • ground beef
  • elbow macaroni
  • beef broth
  • butter
  • paprika
  • onion powder
  • garlic powder
  • mustard powder
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • heavy whipping cream

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Using the saute setting on your Instant Pot, brown the ground beef. When the ground beef is done cooking, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot liner to make sure there are no burned bits on the bottom. Burned food can cause a Burn error (see my notes below of a Burn notice). Additionally, you can drain the grease off of the ground beef at this point, if needed. Lean beef or turkey won't need to be drained.

Cancel the saute and add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper, stirring to coat the ground beef.

Add the elbow macaroni, beef broth, and butter, submerging the macaroni in the broth.

Close the Instant Pot lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.

When the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy whipping cream until the cheese is melted.

Serve.

Burn notice? I've never run into the dreaded burn error on this recipe, but if you do, just do a quick release and test your noodles. The beef is cooked before the rest of the ingredients are added, so the only real goal here is to cook that macaroni. If your macaroni is cooked, there's no need to repressurize the Instant Pot.

Substitutions

There are a few simple substitutions you can make to customize your dish.

  • Meat - Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey. You could even use vegetarian/vegan "beef" crumbles, just skip the browning step.
  • Broth - Any type of broth works for this recipe, chicken broth, beef broth, bone broth, vegetable broth. You could even use water, but you may want to increase the salt at the end.
  • Cheese - Cheddar is my go-to, but mozzarella, colby jack, or even dairy-free shredded cheese would work well.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream - I recommend sticking to the heavy whipping cream because it's going to give you that thick, creamy texture you want in this dish. You can use regular milk, but it will not be nearly as creamy.

It's easy to veganize this recipe, but you might also try this one-pot recipe from Simple Sweet Vegan.

Variations

I follow the basic recipe most of the time because these are ingredients I usually have on hand. However, if I'm prepared at the grocery store, I like to add a few things to

  • Onions - You can add an entire onion to this recipe. Cook it at the same time as the ground beef, adding a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Mushrooms - Think Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni meets beef stroganoff. This variation goes out to my husband who is obsessed with mushrooms. You can add an entire pound of sliced white mushrooms to this recipe to really beef up the portions. I cook them down with the ground beef with olive oil. They let off some moisture but I haven't found it necessary to adjust the other ingredients.

Equipment

I use an older version of the 6-quart Instant Pot duo for this recipe.

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Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (10)

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Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is an easy recipe the whole family will love. It's cheesy and beefy and it's even better than Hamburger Helper.

4.61 from 94 votes

Recipe by: Kelsey Smith

Prep time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes minutes

Total time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1-½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 16 oz elbow macaroni
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, brown the ground beef. When the ground beef is done cooking, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot liner to make sure there are no burned bits on the bottom. Drain fat if needed (see notes).

  • Cancel the saute setting. Add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper to the pot, stirring to coat the ground beef.

  • Add the elbow macaroni, beef broth, butter, submerging the macaroni in broth but do not stir (this could cause a burn error).

  • Close the Instant Pot lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time begins.

  • When the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy whipping until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Buns In My Oven Homemade Hamburger Helper.

Ground beef: Drain the ground beef if needed/desired. Lean ground beef and ground turkey will not need to be drained. The butter adds fat back in.

To double the meat: Add an extra half cup of water and a little extra seasoning (rounded scoops instead of leveled scoops).

Storage: Allow the dish to cool before storing. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 26gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1136mgPotassium: 409mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 645IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 246mgIron: 2mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ground beef, Instant Pot

Tried this recipe?Rate it to let me know how it was!

Food safety

According to FoodSafety.gov, ground beef should be cooked to 160 °F (71.1 °C).

  • Remember not to use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
  • Always wash your hands and clean cooking surfaces after touching raw meat.
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

More Beef

  • Easy Chili Cornbread Casserole
  • Easy Mexican Cornbread Casserole
  • Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole
  • One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

About Kelsey Smith

I am a freelance content writer by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing comfort food recipes.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Corinne says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (15)
    We just loved it. I did put half of the spices recommended. And it was sooooo good.😊

    Reply

  2. Dayna says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (16)
    My family loved this recipe. Such great comfort food. I did change it up just a bit. I had some pork leftover so I added about 1 cup of chopped pork. I also added 3 cups of sharp cheddar cheese plus 1/4 cup of whipped cream cheese. It was delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Yesss, that sounds amazing.

      Reply

  3. Kristina says

    Made this for dinner tonight and it’s really good. Great meal on a budget!

    Reply

  4. Rachelle says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (17)
    My family loves this instant pot dish! What a tasty one dish meal, and so easy to make. Perfect amount of spice, comfort food at it's finest!

    Reply

    • Jeannie Bryant says

      I can’t wait to try this! Just one quick question…in the recipe description it says to cook for 4 minutes, but in the actual recipe it says 5. Does it matter? Thanks so much!!

      Reply

      • Kelsey Smith says

        Thank you for pointing that out! 5 minutes is the right one. I will fix that.

        Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Yes, same cook time. Enjoy!

      Reply

  5. Andy says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (18)
    Made this for whole family and even my picky 10 year old loved it. However, to make her happy, I made a few small changes to get that cheeseburger taste. She is a dill pickle lover so I added about a tablespoon of pickle juice. Also diced up onions very small and when browning the beef used about a teaspoon and half of worcestershire sauce. Finally added a couple tablespoons of ketchup. Definitely tasted just like a McDonalds quarter pounder. I thought your dry seasoning ratios were perfect! My wife has celiacs so I had to use gluten free noodles. To make sure those noodles didn't turn to mush, I only pressure cooked for 3 minutes and instantly released the steam. This worked out well!

    Reply

  6. Julie says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (19)
    Can't believe all the great reviews for this. I used HALF the amount of seasonings, and that was still too much! Will use 1 teaspoon of most of them next time, hopefully it will turn out better. Both me and my husband normally eat seasoned or spicy foods daily, so it's not due to a sensitive palate!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

      • Kim Scott says

        Can you use milk instead of heavy cream?

        Reply

        • Kelsey Smith says

          It won't be quite as creamy, but yes, absolutely. I use milk all the time.

          Reply

  7. Dannah says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (20)
    Tried this for our Sunday football night dinner with family tonight and everyone loved it. Definitely won’t be the last time making it. Super easy, fast and delicious to make. Love it.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Love to hear that, so happy the family enjoyed it.

      Reply

  8. Sjonnie Holling says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (21)
    Today I made your instant pot cheeseburger macaroni. I also put mushrooms in. It was delicious, great recipe, thank you!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Happy to hear it, mushrooms sound great.

      Reply

    • Lisa says

      Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (22)
      I made this recipe tonight. I added bellpeppers and onions. 3 cups of cheese. It was delicious 😋.

      Reply

  9. Patricia Sirwaitis says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (23)
    So. Good.
    Thank you for posting this recipe, it was an instant hit. I plan to use it often and will look for more of your IP recipes.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Excellent! I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed it.

      Reply

  10. Amy says

    I made this to the recipe and it was delicious. I was wondering if you could replace the macaroni with cauliflower and still cook it the same way. Have you tried that?

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I have not tried that but it sounds delicious. My guess would be less liquid and shorter cook time. Here is a cauliflower macaroni recipe that is somewhat similar.

      Reply

  11. Sam says

    Made this for dinner tonight and we loved it! Perfect for a fall evening and great comfort food! Delicious!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      So glad you loved it Sam!

      Reply

  12. Amy Pletcher says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (24)
    Your cheeseburger macaroni i.p. was so good!! Pasta was PERFECT!!!! I did not have ground mustard but did have Auntie NoNo's Hamburger Seasoning which had ground mustard in it along with chipotle chili pepper. It had a kick to the dish which I thought my family (husband and daughter) would have liked but unfortunately they didn't. I love macaroni so I thought it was delicious!! Definitely a grown version of the traditional hamburger helper.

    Reply

  13. Amy Pletcher says

    I plan on making this dish for dinner tonight. I was wondering if it could be made ahead and warmed through later? Could it even be made into a freezer meal, transferred into a baking dish?

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Yes to both questions, this dish reheats very well. I often make this at the beginning of the week and eat the leftovers all week long.

      Reply

  14. Carole says

    Very easy and very flavorful.... I will definitely make it again 🙂

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I appreciate the comment, Carole! Happy to hear you enjoyed it.

      Reply

  15. Adorisa says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (25)
    Made as written and it was ok, I needed to add more spice for our preference. What I liked about it was that this was fast and simple, good for a busy weeknight meal. Served with roasted cauliflower.

    Reply

  16. Jo-Anne MacDonald says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (26)
    Love it! Going to make it again

    Reply

  17. Erin Lopers says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (27)
    Very easy and good recipe! Even my husband loved it.

    Reply

  18. Sarah says

    After putting in the elbows and the beef broth and the butter, do you need to stir everything? Or just leave the elbows on top of the ground beef?

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      No, and in general, it's best not to stir most dishes like this in the Instant Pot because it can crowd the pot and cause a burn error. You can press down the macaroni slightly to submerge it in the liquid.

      Reply

      • Lisha Farr says

        I can’t wait to try it. I can’t eat hamburger helper anymore because I’m sensitive to some ingredient in it that upsets my stomach. The more I can control what goes in it, the better. I’m excited!

        Reply

        • Kelsey Smith says

          You'll have to let me know what you think!

          Reply

  19. Azeema says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (28)
    I've never had hamburger helper but was always intrigued as a child, LOL. Decided to make this today - a snow day plus first day of work in almost 2 weeks meant I needed something easy with ingredients I had on hand! I used ground turkey but still had heavy cream left over from holiday recipes. It was tasty! Most importantly, my 19 month old ate THREE bowls of it. It's so hard to get him to eat protein and this did the trick. Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Toddler approved, love it! Thanks for coming back to share that, I'm glad you liked it.

      Reply

  20. Danielle Casello says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (29)
    Easy and oh so delicious!! Even my picky 13 year old loved it! 😄

    Reply

  21. Jenn says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (30)
    This was pretty good, I think it would be better with sharp cheddar but I wasn’t sure. Next time! The BEST part of this meal is that the kids ate it without complaining!!! That is worth more than MY opinion!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I'm happy the kids are happy!

      Reply

  22. Kari says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (31)
    Followed this recipe as is besides adding onions to my ground beef. Turned out awesome! Will make again. It’s not fancy….but delicious:)

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Excellent! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. Maybe hold your pinky out when you eat it and it will feel fancier. ha!

      Reply

  23. Nancy says

    If I use 2 lbs of ground beef but the amount of macaroni called for, should I increase the seasonings?

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I would but only slightly. Try rounded scoops of each seasoning instead of leveling off so you get just a smidge extra.

      Reply

  24. Jessica M says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (32)
    We loved it! I have some leftover and would like to know if anyone tried to freeze and reheat it?

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I have not tried it but usually macaroni and cheese freezes very well, and this is basically a mac and cheese dish. Happy to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  25. Jeri says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (33)
    Made this for dinner tonight. It was really good. Definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  26. Luca says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (34)
    Really really delicious. Following the recipe was so easy and the taste was so good! I have left some for lunch tomorrow!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      That's nice to hear, thanks Luca!

      Reply

  27. Bobbie says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (35)
    This is so easy to make! I used ground turkey instead of beef!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      That sounds delicious.

      Reply

  28. sspencer says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (36)
    my husband loves this recipe so much. it is super easy and very good. I add some chopped onion to it.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Thank you for taking the time to write a review! I appreciate it, and I'm happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply

  29. Lindsay Pevny says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (37)
    I'm going to try this on stovetop, but it looks pretty foolproof - and with fresh ingredients it'll easily be so much better than Hamburger Helper. Pretty much the same amount of effort too.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I also recommend the stovetop recipe on Buns in My Oven. It uses corn starch to thicken the sauce and uses milk instead of heavy cream.

      Reply

  30. Jeff says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (38)
    Don't know what went wrong. I am a very experienced cook. I followed the recipe exactly. Comparing it to hamburger helper should've been a clue. I have never tried hamburger helper, but after reading it's ingredients I have no desire to. If this recipe is better than hamburger helper I can't imagine how bad hamburger helper must taste. We took a couple bites and tossed it out. What a waste of hamburger, pasta and cheese! This recipe ranks right up there with our all time worst.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Hi Jeff, sorry to hear you weren't a fan of my recipe. I suppose not everyone is a fan of Hamburger Helper. Best of luck.

      Reply

  31. Danielle says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (39)
    So good and tastes like a creamier, better version of hamburger helper! It’s super fast to make, which is definitely my favorite part. I used ground turkey and chicken broth because that’s what I had and it still tasted great!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      Yay! I appreciate you dropping back by to tell me how everything went. I'm so happy to hear that.

      Reply

      • Emme says

        I always have whole milk in the house so this could be a great emergency meal for my family. Have you tried it with whole milk instead of the heavy cream? Obviously, it would be less creamy, but do you think I should use a little less milk or the same amount?

        Reply

        • Kelsey Smith says

          You are right, it'll be less creamy but it will definitely work. Add half and from there try a tablespoon at a time to make sure it doesn't get soupy.

          Reply

  32. Christy says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (40)
    I literally made this yesterday. My 2 year old daughter loved it! And it was very nostalgic for me....and it tastes way better than the boxed stuff!!!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I love to hear that. One day my boy will be old enough to enjoy this with me!

      Reply

  33. Christine says

    Hi! Have you had success in doubling this in the IP? One lb of pasta Is never enough for my 3 grown men, lol! 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      I haven't tried doubling it, but it would probably take longer to come to pressure which could end up overcooking the pasta. Maybe reduce the cooking time by one minute. I'm just guessing though. Volume-wise, I think the 6qt IP can handle it.

      Reply

    • Mar B Vita says

      Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (41)
      So believe it or not, this was my very 1st instapot recipe I made... and it was FANTASTIC! Additions I made were: a pinch of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of dried parsley, and I mixed smoked gouda with the cheddar, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and I am so happy that my very first instapot recipe was such a hit in the household. Thanks so much for this!!

      Reply

      • Kelsey Smith says

        This makes me so happy to hear. Thank you so much for coming back to tell me how it went. I get so nervous putting my recipes out there, so it's wonderful to hear this one was a hit.

        Reply

  34. Liz says

    Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni - Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipe (42)
    I tried this recipe and followed the ingredients. It turned out so good. I wish I would have added corn to it. The seasoning was tasty. Thanks for the recipe. It was easy, fast and delicious.

    Reply

    • Kelsey Smith says

      You are very welcome, thank you for taking the time to tell me how it went.

      Reply

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