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Close-up of spaghetti with tender noodles, seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, and grated cheese.
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Copycat Spaghetti Hamburger Helper Recipe

Creamy, saucy, cheesy, twirly—this one-pan dinner brings all the comfort with almost zero effort! A jar of spaghetti sauce steps in as the hero and keeps the ingredient list short and sweet.
Course Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 327kcal
Author Deb Clark

Equipment

  • 1 Large skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced. If someone in the house isn’t big on onion texture, you can cook it down a bit longer or even grate the onion so it melts right into the sauce.
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
  • 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce your favorite brand
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 12 ounces spaghetti, about ¾ of a box.
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
  • Optional garnish - minced parsley and grated parmesan.

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onions until the beef is browned. Drain off extra grease if necessary.
  • Season with Montreal steak seasoning, garlic powder, Italian seasoning. Stir for a few seconds so the spices coat the meat. Add the entire jar of spaghetti sauce and the beef broth. Give it a good stir.
    Ground beef and diced onions browning in a large skillet with pasta sauce added to the center and beef broth pouring over the sauce.
  • Break the spaghetti pasta into thirds and stir it into the sauce. Make sure the pasta is submerged.
    Uncooked spaghetti noodles added to a skillet filled with seasoned beef and tomato sauce mixture.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 12–14 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes so the pasta doesn’t clump.
  • Once the pasta is tender, stir in the milk and shredded cheese. Remove from the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes.
    Shredded cheese and milk being added to pasta in a skillet to create a creamy sauce.
  • Optional - Finish with minced parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

If the sauce thickens too much, splash in a little milk to loosen it up.
Want a bit of heat? Add a pinch crushed red pepper when seasoning the beef.
This works great with ground turkey too.
This makes four generous servings, six servings if you make it a meal and serve with a salad and garlic bread. 

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1166mg | Potassium: 764mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 732IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 4mg
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