Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper
This slow cooker hamburger helper is the perfect simple meal made in the crockpot with ground beef, gluten-free pasta, and a simple veggie boosted sauce!
Why you’ll love this slow cooker hamburger helper
Remember Hamburger Helper? It’s one of those easy life hacks where you just add ground beef and you have a fully composed dish. I have a delicious copycat hamburger helper recipe for it, but how can it be any easier? How about just making it in the slow cooker? 😉
I love an easy slow cooker hack like my slow cooker Greek chicken, and I wanted to make a fully composed meal with this slow cooker hamburger helper. Here’s why you’re going to love it…
- Quick and easy! Aside from cooking the ground beef base ahead of time, the slow cooker does all of the heavy lifting with this recipe.
- Gluten-free. Though you can easily make this recipe with pasta, it’s tested and perfected with a gluten-free pasta in mind.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
| Ingredient | What it does | Potential swap |
| Ground beef | This is the main protein for the dish | Ground turkey |
| Beef broth | This is the liquid that cooks the pasta and brings the sauce together while adding extra flavor! | Chicken broth |
| Almond milk | This adds some creaminess to the flavor of the sauce. | Coconut milk, or even coconut cream if you’d like an even thicker sauce. |
| Pasta sauce | I use my own brand, Daylight veggie pasta sauce, for an extra boost of veggies without tomatoes! | Any pasta sauce will work! |
| Brown rice pasta | You can swap another gluten-free pasta, or even a regular pasta! | You can swap another gluten-free pasta, or even a regular pasta! Just keep an eye on the cook time to make sure it doesn’t over or undercook. |
| Cheddar cheese | This adds the signature Hamburger Helper vibe! | You can omit the cheese, or simply add some nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. |
| Onion, garlic, and herbs | This adds more flavor. | You can use dried or fresh versions of these aromatics. |
How to make slow cooker hamburger helper
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Brown the ground beef and season with salt, pepper, parsley and oregano. Add the onion and garlic at the end. Remove from the heat.
Step two. Add the ground beef, beef broth, 12 oz of pasta sauce, and almond milk to the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 1/2 – 4 hours. Turn the slow cooker up to high and add the uncooked pasta and the remaining 4 oz of pasta sauce. Cook on high for 15-25 minutes until the pasta is cooked through.
Step three. If using cheese, add the cheese and stir to combine. Cover for 2-3 more minutes to melt the cheese.
Step four Remove the lid and add serve topped with chopped parsley!
Can you put raw ground beef in a slow cooker?
Technically, you can, though I do not recommend it, especially for this recipe. Browning the meat first adds better flavor and texture, and allows you to fully crumble the beef, rather than having it cook in solid pieces on the slow cooker.
If you were to add raw ground beef to a slow cooker, you would need to adjust the cook time, and expect that the ground beef wouldn’t have as good a texture or flavor.
If you’re making a slow cooker meal with ground beef, simply take the extra few minutes to brown it in a pan beforehand for a much yummier meal overall!
Recipe FAQS
Store this recipe in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply add it to a pot with some extra broth and reheat on low until warm.
I don’t recommend freezing fully cooked pasta as it can change the texture. A much better hack for freezing this slow-cooker hamburger helper is to freeze the fully cooked ground beef with the liquids. Allow for it to fully defrost before adding it to the slow cooker, and then cook as directed!
If you tried this Slow Cooker Hamburger Helper or any other recipe on my blog please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Other Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love…
Slow cooker hamburger helper
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp dried parsely
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ¼ cup beef broth, sub chicken broth
- 16 oz pasta sauce, divided, use my Daylight veggie pasta sauce for a tomato-free swap with hidden veggies!
- ¾ cup almond milk
- 10 oz elbow pasta, gluten free
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded, see notes
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- Using a large pan set to medium heat, add the ground beef and season with salt, pepper, parsley and oregano. Crumble until browned, adding the onion and garlic at the end and cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Lightly grease the slow cooker and add the cooked beef. Pour in the beef broth, 12 oz of pasta sauce, and almond milk. Stir well to combine and cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 1/2 – 4 hours (see notes on cook time).
- Turn the slow cooker up to high and add the uncooked pasta and the remaining 4 oz of pasta sauce. Stir to combine and cover. Cook on high for 15-25 minutes, stirring about halfway through, until the pasta is cooked through.
- If using cheese, add the cheese and stir to combine. Cover for 2-3 more minutes to melt the cheese. Remove the lid and add serve topped with chopped parsley!
Can you make this in the instant pot? Sounds great!