This upscale gluten-free hamburger helper skillet dinner brings together tender ground beef, gluten-free pasta, and a quick stovetop cheese sauce that actually holds together without clumping or turning gritty. The sauce thickens naturally with the pasta starch, so you get a creamy weeknight meal that does not require packet mixes or additives.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
This is a fancy gluten free hamburger helper recipe that I created for those busy weeknights. Hamburger Helper is a popular packaged food product you can buy in any grocery store. The original mix is not gluten free. My recipe is a healthier, gluten-free alternative to the popular boxed meal.
When I saw this Hamburger Helper recipe on the NYT Cooking site, I knew I needed to make a gluten-free version that could be cooked in a lot less time. I tweaked the recipe so it could be cooked in under 30 minutes. The original recipe took 25 minutes just to caramelize onions!
My recipe is the best gluten free hamburger helper recipe. I made it with real, simple ingredients, and I added in some extra flavor with wine and bacon. This recipe will serve a family of four with leftovers or a family of six.
If you are looking for more recipe inspiration, I have tons of easy Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes to try.
A Note From My Kitchen
I tested this recipe with Jovial and Tinkyada gluten-free pasta brands, and both held their shape and texture when cooked directly in the sauce. They released enough starch to help thicken the cheese sauce without turning mushy, which is the main challenge when making gluten-free one-pot pasta. You do need to be careful not to overcook this dish because the pasta can get mushy over time.
I tried Barilla, but it did not hold up as well; some broke apart during simmering, and it got mushier.
For a dairy-free version, I only tested VioLife cheddar with So Delicious heavy cream. (Note above, a reader commented she had great luck using Daiya. It melted smoothly into the sauce and did not separate, but I recommend reducing the heat earlier and keeping a bit of extra broth on hand in case you need to thin it more.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Elbow Macaroni – Not every brand will hold up to cooking in a big pot, so I recommend the Jovial and Tinkyada brands of gluten free macaroni.
- Ground Meat – I used 90% lean ground beef for this recipe, but you can also use ground turkey, chicken, pork, or Impossible Meat. Any of these meat options will work well.
- Bacon – Any bacon will work in this recipe. I used applewood-smoked bacon.
- Onion – I recommend yellow onions.
- White Wine – I used an inexpensive white wine since it was just cooked into the sauce.
- Beef Broth – Use regular or low-sodium. Both add the same amount of flavor.
- Heavy Cream – I do not recommend using half-and-half. So Delicious dairy-free heavy cream also works.
- Cheddar Cheese – I used a Mexican blend of shredded cheese; you can use this or cheddar. If you are dairy-free, use dairy-free cheese.
- Ketchup – I used this in order to reduce the hot sauce in the original recipe. My kids are not into spicy. If you want yours to be spicy, you can use all the hot sauce.
- Hot Sauce – I used Sriracha, but any gluten-free brand will work. See this list of gluten free Sriracha. If you don’t like spice, omit this ingredient.
Substitutions:
- You can use chicken broth as a substitute for beef broth.
- If you do not like spicy, omit the hot sauce ingredient.
- You can use minced garlic in place of garlic powder.
Need more one pot meal ideas? Try this Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese or this 30 Minute Gluten-Free Beef Stroganoff. You may also love this one-pot Gluten-Free Cheeseburger Pasta recipe.
How to Make One-Pot Gluten-Free Hamburger Helper in 30 Minutes:
Step 1: Add oil to a Dutch oven, large 12-inch skillet, or soup pot. Add the diced onions, chopped bacon, salt, and pepper. Note: I keep my bacon in the freezer and just cut it from there. Use 4-5 slices. Cook the onions and bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the ground beef and cook until the ground beef is mostly cooked. Use a wooden spatula to chop the meat as it cooks into bite-sized pieces.
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Step 3: Add the white wine and stir. I tend to use inexpensive white wine for this recipe. There is no need to use expensive wine. Most white wines should be gluten free. You can read my article on gluten-free wine to learn more about gluten in wine.
Step 4: Add the broth, heavy cream, hot sauce, ketchup, and seasonings. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
🔑 Sandi says: Some gluten-free pasta is prone to getting mushy. I always recommend using either Jovial or Tinkyada elbow macaroni. It seems to hold up a lot better to cooking in sauces.
Step 5: Remove the lid and add the gluten free elbow macaroni to the pot. Stir so the macaroni is mixed in. Stirring the pasta will prevent it from sticking together and cooking in clumps. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 6: Stir after 5 minutes. Cook until the pasta is al dente. This will vary by brand, but I used Tinkyada gluten-free macaroni, which took about 9 minutes.
Step 7: Add the shredded cheese and stir it into the hot pasta. The residual heat melts the cheese perfectly without overcooking the pasta. Serve this easy one-pot dinner hot.
Tips For Success
1. As mentioned above, use gluten free pasta brands that can hold up to cooking in a one-pot recipe.
2. Be sure to cook this recipe with the cover on the pot. It will help the gluten free pasta cook quickly, so it has a shorter cooking time. This will reduce the chance of ending up with mushy pasta.
3. Feel free to add any vegetables you like. I sometimes will add carrots and other chopped veggies. Bell peppers can add sweetness, or zucchini for added nutrition. (Your kids won’t even notice the extra veggies!)
Serve With:
- These Roasted Italian Green Beans make a tasty side dish.
- My kids say bacon makes these Roasted Brussels Sprouts even better!
- Make a batch of these Gluten Free Dinner Rolls or Gluten Free Breadsticks to dip into the sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can omit the wine or reduce the amount. If you omit the wine, add more broth.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 4 days. To reheat this Hamburger Helper, place some of the Hamburger Helper in a pot on the stove. Reheat on medium-low heat with a splash of broth to prevent it from drying out.
I do not recommend freezing leftovers. Gluten-free pasta does not hold up well when frozen.
More Gluten-Free Dinner Ideas:
- The Best Gluten-Free Meatloaf – This is a family favorite. Even my picky eater loves this recipe.
- Ground Turkey Meatballs – These are amazing in sauce over pasta or served in a meatball sub sandwich!
- Easy Air Fryer Roasted Cornish Game Hens – This is a great recipe. These hens are seasoned to perfection!
- Sloppy Joe Pie – This is pure comfort food the whole family will love.
- Gluten-Free Salisbury Steak – Another great comfort food to try.
- Gluten-Free Cajun Chicken and Pasta – Make it in 30 minutes!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
30 Minute Gluten Free Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 14 ounces gluten free elbow macaroni * see notes
- 1 pound ground beef * see notes
- 5 strips bacon
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ½ cup white wine *see notes
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups beef or chicken broth regular or low-sodium
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce more if you like spicy.
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese * see notes
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Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil to a Dutch oven, 12 inch skillet, or soup pot. Add the diced ½ cup yellow onion, 5 strips bacon, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Note: I keep my bacon in the freezer and just cut it from there. Use 4-5 slices. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the 1 pound ground beef (or ground meat) and cook until the ground beef is mostly cooked. Use a wooden spatula to chop the meat as it cooks into bite-sized pieces. Add the ½ cup white wine.
- Add the 3 cups beef or chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, ⅓ cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons ground paprika, 1 bay leaf, and 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder. Cover and cook for 5 minutes so the liquid gets hot.
- Remove the lid and add the uncooked 14 ounces gluten free elbow macaroni to the pot. Stir so the macaroni is mixed in. Stirring the pasta will prevent it from sticking together and cooking in clumps. Boil 5 minutes then reduce the heat to medium low.
- Stir after 5 minutes. Cook until the pasta is all dente. This will vary by brand but I used Tinkyada gluten free macaroni and it took about 9 minutes.
- Add the 1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese and stir it into the hot pasta. The residual heat melts the cheese perfectly without overcooking the pasta. Serve hot.
Notes
- I recommend Jovial and Tinkyada brands of gluten-free elbow macaroni. They hold up the best to cooking in sauces like this recipe requires.
- You can use any ground meat, including vegan meats, in this recipe.
- You can use dairy-free ingredients to make this recipe. I tested VioLife Cheddar and the So Delicious brand heavy cream. I recommend Impossible Meat, Daiya, or VioLife dairy-free cheeses and vegetable broth.
- The white wine adds incredible flavor, but it can be omitted. Add additional broth if you omit it. I tend to use inexpensive white wine for this recipe. There is no need to use expensive wine. Most white wines should be gluten free. You can read my article on gluten-free wine to learn more about gluten in wine.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe because the pasta gets mushy.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
It’s really quite good and nothing like the old box version. It’s in my rotation for this week in fact. I very seldom use heavy cream in anything but whip cream or desserts so I sub 1/2 & 1/2 as I always have that on hand for my coffee. 🤗
Hi Tammy, I am so glad you loved this dinner recipe. It is also great to hear that half and half worked well. Thank you for sharing that in case any readers on have that on hand!
This is excellent comfort food! We have this in our rotation. It is soooo good!
I am so glad you all loved this recipe, Nancy. Thank you!
Made this for the first time tonight. It’s so delicious. I’ll definitely be making this again.
I am so glad you loved this recipe. We make it at least twice a month!
Making this for dinner tonight. Halved the recipe so enough for the two of us then the other half of the box for tuna macaroni salad and ribs for dinner tomorrow. 🤗
I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know. I love you have enough for leftovers!
Amazing! Easy to follow instructions, great taste and good leftovers. Here is a picture of our leftovers, we couldn’t wait to eat it so we took a pic of the leftovers. I used Barilla GF pasta so we will see how it holds up to reheating.
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It is a family favorite in our home. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review.
I love this recipe! It’s so flavorful and hits all those “comfort food” high points-even my non GF husband loves it and requests it! I use Rummo rigatoni because I find that it hold up really well and even the hubby doesn’t complain about it being GF. Truly one of my favorite GF recipes (and you have a LOT of great ones!).
Thank you so much for coming back to let us know that Rummo pasta works well in this recipe. I keep hearing good things about it.
What can you use instead of ketchup, I can’t do night shades.
Hi Sheila, I did a quick search and there are several nightshade free ketchup brands available.
So yummy!!!! And so easy! I make mine with ground turkey and I use chicken broth in place of the wine. My whole family loves this. It will surely be in the regular rotation from now on. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Thank you so much, Ella. I am so glad your family has a new recipe in rotation!
We made this week before last and my 17 yr old celiac son had three helpings! He was so happy! Even the gluten eaters in our house loved it! Will absolutely make this recipe again.
I am so glad everyone loved the recipe!! My son inhales this when I make it for dinner too!
Excellent meal and super easy to make. I use ground chicken and chicken broth and omit the wine and it still turns out perfect! Thanks for a great quick cook meal!
I am so glad you loved this recipe. I haven’t tested it with chicken and chicken broth, so I am glad to know it tasted great!
Is the fat from the bacon and ground beef drained off before adding other ingredients?
Draining the fat is optional. I don’t drain it, but you can definitely drain all or some of the fats.
I tried this just as written and it was delicious! We have one daughter that has to be dairy free, so I am going try coconut cream for the dairy creamer. This recipe reminded me of hamburger help back from the 1980’s!
I am so glad this recipe brought back memories. There are several brands of dairy-free heavy cream in grocery stores, which may be better than using coconut cream. So Delicious is one I saw at our grocer.
This recipe will be going into my favorites for certain. I struggle to find recipes that I enjoy with gluten free pasta and this one is FIRE!
I am so glad you loved this recipe. Our family devoured it, which is a good indication it is a good recipe for the blog :-). Thank you.
I’ve made this recipe twice now. It’s a new family favourite even with non GF eaters! Excellent recipe & easy to make. I used Catelli pasta and no problems the next day. Thank you!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. I saw Jovial has two new pasta shapes for their gluten free pasta…this would be a great recipe to test fun shapes, like the catelli, with.
I made this recipe yesterday, and it was delicious. Thank you, Sandi.
You are very welcome. I am so glad everyone loved it.
Sandi
I made this for my family and everyone loved it. My gf son and his not gf sister both gave it a thumbs up! This recipe is full of flavor and is hearty. I used ground turkey and Tinkyada elbows-and it was delicious. I love the fact that it is a one pot meal with not much mess to clean up as well!
I am so glad everyone loved it. It is so much easier when everyone can enjoy the same meal!
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and I LOVE it! This is definitely a keeper. I used GF Barilla elbow macaroni and since I cook for one, I’m hoping it freezes well. Either way, I’ll be having this for lunch and dinner the next few meals and won’t mind at all as it is delicious!
I am so excited you loved the recipe. Please keep me posted on how it freezes. I am not sure how it would hold up.
At what point do you add the wine?
Add it in after the meat is browned. I had it above and added it to the recipe card.
This was easy to make and the flavors blended so well to make a delicious dish. I only added one tablespoon of my favorite hot sauce and it was spicy enough for us.
I am so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
How much more broth should I add if I’m omitting the wine?
The wine amount is 1/2 cup so you swap that with 1/2 cup broth.