Jump to RecipeHomemade Hamburger Helper with ground beef is a crowd favorite in our household. In this post, I will share our Homemade Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Lasagna. In the post, I will answer some burning questions about ground beef that I have heard…1. How do you thaw it? 2. Can ground beef be cooked frozen? How long does ground beef last in the fridge? And a couple more.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Let’s jump into all the questions about ground beef before we share this recipe…
How do you thaw ground beef?
The best way is to let your ground beef thaw in your refrigerator. However, if you are like me and forget about thawing beef for dinner until about a couple hours before dinner, the next best way is in a bowl of cool water. You can even let the water drip on the package to speed up the process.
I love our flat vacuum seal packaging of our ground beef, because it allows for quick thawing times.
Can you cook frozen ground beef?
Yes! You can cook ground beef frozen. To do so add your ground beef to a skillet heated to medium. Sear the ground beef and begin breaking it apart till it is thawed and cooking as normal.
What is the bestground beef seasoning?
Well we are pretty partial to our house blend Grill Seasoning. You can purchase it over at Pacheco Beef. Here are a couple other ways to season your ground beef.
How long does ground beef last in the refrigerator?
According to the USDA ground beef can last 3-4 days in the fridge. However, in our household 5-7 is my rule of thumb.
Homemade Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Lasunga Recipe
Ground beef; seasoned with our Italian Beef Seasoning
Diced tomato
Tomato sauce & spinach (two handfuls, just to sneak in some extra veggies) Tomato paste
Pesto
Bowtie pasta, cooked
Egg
Ricotta
Parmesan
Mozzarella
Salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Begin by browning the ground beef in a 10” oven safe skillet on medium and seasoning with our Italian Beef Seasoning recipe.
Once the ground beef is seasoned, add in the tomato paste and let cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Then add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and pesto. If you would like to sneak in some extra veggies, before adding the tomato sauce, puree a couple of handfuls of spinach in the tomato sauce then add to the ground beef.
Once the tomato products and the pesto are combined, stir in the pasta.
Whisk the egg and add to the ricotta. Season the ricotta and egg mixture with salt & pepper to taste. Combine the mozzarella and parmesan.
Spread the ricotta mixture on the top of the beef, tomatoes, and pasta. Then top with the mozzarella and parmesan mixture.
Bake at 425 for 30 – 45 minutes until the cheese is browned on top.
Homemade Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 10" Oven Safe Skillet We prefer to cook in castiron, however, if you don't have a castiron skillet or even an oven-safe skillet you can transfer to an oven-safe pan to bake.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef seasoned with our Italian Beef Seasoning
- 1 14.5 oz diced tomato
- 1 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach just to sneak in some extra veggies. This is optional.
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 1/2 lbs bowtie pasta cooked
- 1 egg
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups mozzarella grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Begin by browning the ground beef in a 10” oven-safe skillet on medium and seasoning with our Italian Beef Seasoning recipe.
- Once the ground beef is seasoned, add in the tomato paste and let cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Then add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and pesto. If you would like to sneak in some extra veggies, before adding the tomato sauce, puree a couple of handfuls of spinach in the tomato sauce then add to the ground beef.
- Once the tomato products and the pesto are combined, stir in the pasta.
- Whisk the egg and add to the ricotta. Season the ricotta and egg mixture with salt & pepper to taste. Combine the mozzarella and parmesan.
- Spread the ricotta mixture on the top of the beef, tomatoes, and pasta. Then top with the mozzarella and parmesan mixture.
- Bake at 425 for 30 – 45 minutes until the cheese is browned on top.
Italian Ground Beef Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp. thyme
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4/ tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper or more if you like a little spice
Instructions
- Place the beef in a bowl.
- Add all spices and mix with your hands.
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