Homemade Tortellini Hamburger Helper

This filling and easy homemade hamburger helper recipe has gone wild on social media. We tested this insanely easy and customizable cheesy pasta dish, and it has us raving about one of the most comforting homemade weeknight dinners ever. 

With filling tortellini pasta and ground beef as the star, this creamy sauced concoction is a straightforward elevated dish for busy families. 

Why you will love making this TikTok Hamburger Helper Recipe.

Simple Ingredients – When this viral dinner recipe was published, it was listed as a five-ingredient dinner recipe. The audience went wild as there were more than five ingredients. HOWEVER.

Like the creator, we don’t exactly count salt and pepper and seasonings in “ingredients”; therefore, there are only a few solid ingredients you need to purchase to make this work – meat, tortellini, pasta sauce, cream cheese, and regular cheese.

Easy dinner for a busy weeknight – Like most households, the week can be pretty chaotic. This easy tortellini recipe is a dinner that can be made all lumped together in the same pot and tastes incredibly delicious. 

Where did this trending TikTok recipe come from?

We saw it in our tiktok stream from creator @mealsandmunchies. 

Check out the entire hamburger tortellini recipe in the video below. 

@mealsandmunchies

An easy dinner for a busy weeknight! #dinner #familydinner #dinnerrecipe #dinnerideas #food #cooking #easyrecipe #pasta #weeknightdinner #lazycooking #easymeal #meal #fyp #foryou #familydinner #cheapdinner #familymeal

♬ original sound – Brooke

Ingredients:

• ground beef
• Seasonings – salt and black pepper and Italian seasoning.
• pasta sauce
• cream cheese, cubed for easier melting
• fresh or frozen tortellini pasta
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• chopped fresh parsley

How to make Homemade Hamburger Helper 

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Brown beef in a skillet and drain grease. Return beef to skillet and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
3. Stir in pasta sauce and cream cheese.
4. Continue to heat over medium-low heat, stirring, so the cream cheese melts and combines well.

5. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
6. Add to meat and sauce skillet and mix well.
7. Top with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
8. Remove from oven and serve topped with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Paper towel to remove grease – No draining Required!

I learned in this video how many people do not use a paper towel to drain grease! Many people use a colander to collect, dispose of, or reuse, which is fine.

However, it’s just as easy to fold and add a paper towel to the pan itself and use a spatula to move around the pan and soak up any grease without removing the meat. 

Easy Recipe Variations

Make it a Mexican night by using a packet of taco seasoning and Mexican cheese. 

Seasoning is one of those variable options. If you need some ideas for lots of flavors, we suggest garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh basil, and pepper flakes. 

Protein is totally easy to change up. This homemade version of hamburger helper would be pretty epic with Italian sausage instead of the hamburger. But also try ground chicken, lean ground beef, or ground pork.  If the dish is too thick for your taste, try adding a bit of pasta water, additional pasta sauce, or even heavy whipping cream to thin it out. 

Find yourself without tortellini on hand? Try cooked macaroni noodles, egg noodles, or penne.

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