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Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
4.70 from 10 votes

Instant Pot Hamburger Helper

Rika
This Instant Pot Hamburger Helper is a classic macaroni recipe that is cooked in a pressure cooker for only 5 minutes. It tastes better and healthier than the boxed Hamburger Helper.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 532 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound dried elbow macaroni pasta
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced , (around 3 garlic cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning , (or use oregano)
  • 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder, (use more according to your liking)
  • ½ teaspoon salt, (use more according to your liking)
  • ½ teaspoon ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2-3 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions
 

Brown the Ground Beef:

  • Press the “Sauté” function key. Select a temperature with the “Adjust” key for “Normal”. When Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays “Hot” and you can start sautéing.
  • Heat one tablespoon oil in a skillet. Cook the ground beef undisturbed for about 1-2 minutes, then turning and keep cooking until brown.
    Don't forget to keep scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks on it to prevent burning. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Saute the Seasoning Ingredients:

  • Add onion into the pot and cook until translucent, stir in garlic, chili powder, ground mustard, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning (or oregano), Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, sugar.
    Then turn off the "Sauté" by pressing "Keep Warm"

Pressure Cooking:

  • Add the browned ground beef and one cup of beef broth, stir until combined.
    Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks on it to prevent burning.
  • Add pasta and the remaining of the broth (2 cups of broth). Make sure that the pasta is cover with the liquid by pressing gently but DO NOT STIR!
    Place the lid and ensure the valve is in the “Sealing” position. 
  • Set to "Manual" setting and cook for 5 minutes with quick release. Remove the lid and select "Cancel". Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
    Note:  If you find the pasta is still too tough for your liking, you can close the lid and set the pressure cooker to "Manual", and set timer to "O", then do a quick release after the pressure cooking is done.

Add Milk, Cheese and Corn Starch:

  • In a mixing bowl, stir in one tablespoon of corn starch with 2 cups of milk. Add the milk mixture into the pot, add cheese and slowly stir until combined.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Beef Broth: 
I used the Organic Beef Flavored Broth from Sprout's store brand. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 28gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 742mgPotassium: 503mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 858IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 317mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!