One-pot hamburger helper

Step by Step

Step 1

Add the ground beef and 1 teaspoon of salt to the Instant Pot and turn on the saute feature. Break the beef up with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 2

Add the remaining salt, dried thyme, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the beef and toss the ingredients together. Cook for 5-7 minutes until beef is cooked and the vegetables begin to soften.

Step 3

Add the macaroni noodles, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and broth to the pot and stir.

Step 4

Cover the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. You will need to allow time for pressure to build.

Step 5

Quick-release the pressure and toss the noodles to release heat. Add the cheese to the pot and toss gently until the cheese has melted.

Step 6

Remove the pot to keep the pasta from cooking. Serve immediately.

Tips and Warnings

We tested this recipe with 2 types of macaroni noodles. We suggest using traditional macaroni noodles with no ridges or twists. We suggest the brand De Cecco or a similar shape.
Feel free to add more vegetables if desired.
You can use any type of broth for this recipe.
We tested this recipe with a cook time of 5 minutes, 4 minutes, and 3 minutes. We do not recommend cooking the noodles for 5 minutes, they get very mushy. We recommend 4 minutes if you are eating the pasta immediately, and 3 minutes if you are planning on meal prepping this recipe for the week. The noodles will continue to absorb the liquid throughout the week.