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Venison Hamburger Helper is creamy, cheesy, and supremely comforting. It’s also ridiculously easy – with everything being made in one pan! A reimagined childhood favorite that’s better than the boxed dinner, this venison recipe uses ground deer meat, shredded cheddar, and a little bit of tomato sauce to get that real “helper” taste. Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes!
Hamburger Helper was one of the first things I learned to cook when I was a kid. I’d argue that it’s largely a part of why I enjoyed being in the kitchen in the first place.
I also have a very distinct memory of my mom catching me performing a pretend cooking show, explaining to my make-believe audience the joys of this dinner. There were many! And there are even more with this ground venison version!
I’ve actually been making it for years, originally sharing this recipe in my Venison E-Book. If you’re an email subscriber, you might recognize it. (Don’t worry, I updated the book with a brand-new exclusive recipe!)
Get ready to love this one-pan pasta dinner as much as I do!
Making Hamburger Helper with Ground Venison
This is just a brief overview, find detail instructions in the recipe card below!
- Sauté some onions and garlic in butter and olive oil. That’s basically how all good recipes start – like my venison meat spaghetti sauce.
- Brown the ground venison. Add your spices, seasonings, and flour to help thicken.
- Add the beef stock and noodles. Plus, the tomato sauce. I love how everything just gets thrown in one pan!
- Stir in heavy cream and shredded cheese. Once the noodles are cooked.
- Enjoy! I seriously can’t believe how much this tastes EXACTLY like old-school hamburger helper. A total doppelgänger.
Shredding Cheese at Home
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: do not use pre-shredded cheese while cooking!
Sure, it’s fine if you’re topping some ground venison tacos with a sprinkling of cheese or enjoying it on a baked potato, but that bagged cheese is a hinderance to the cooking process for something like this venison helper.
Just like my venison enchiladas, you’ve got to shred your own cheese to make sure everything melts together beautifully and deliciously. The stuff in the bag is coated in all sorts of anti-clumping agents that prevent that!
I’m sorry for being harsh, but it’s only out of love.
And you’re going to LOVE this dinner. Trust me.
Watch the recipe video!
One Pan Venison Hamburger Helper
Equipment
- Large Skillet or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 32 ounces beef stock
- 1 pound macaroni noodles
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- 8 ounces medium cheddar, shredded
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to a large Dutch oven with a lid and place over medium heat. When butter has melted, add the diced onion and a sprinkle of Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about five minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute more.
- Add 2 pounds ground venison to the pot, seasoning it with 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. paprika, and ¼ tsp. ground mustard. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the venison is browned. Sprinkle meat with 2 tablespoons flour, stirring to combine, and cook for another minute.
- Add 8 ounces tomato sauce, 32 ounces beef stock, 1-pound uncooked macaroni noodles, and a generous pinch of kosher salt to the pan, stirring to make sure everything is well combined. Cover and bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Boil until noodles are al dente, about 10 – 12 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 8 ounces heavy cream and 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese. Serve immediately.
Shannon says
Is there instructions for how to freeze and reheat since it’s such a large helping?
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Shannon,
I don't really recommend freezing this and reheating it - as with all the dairy it could freeze funny. And you risk the noodles turning to complete mush! It'll keep in the fridge for a few days and you can reheat those leftovers for lunch or quick dinners.
If you had to freeze it, I'd suggest freezing in a small casserole dish and wrapping in foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight before you want to serve it and then pop in the oven, covered, at 350 until heated through. This should help alleviate some "gummy" or "mushy"-ness that may occur from freezing! You could even remove the foil and broil it for a few minutes to kind of crisp up the top!
Best of luck!
Amanda
Julie Decker says
This was absolutely delicious! Great consistency and flavor. Also easy to put together and I love that it's only 1 pan. Served with cornbread and the family ate it up! A keeper for us! Thank you 😊
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for your kind review! Never thought to serve with cornbread - I bet that is so good 🙂
So happy you and your family enjoyed!
Best,
Amanda