Cottage Cheese Hamburger Helper

1/18/2026

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

My cottage cheese hamburger helper recipe is better than the boxed favorite you can get at the grocery store, and packed with protein, veggies, and comfort food vibes. You’ll absolutely love the creamy, high-protein sauce that sticks perfectly to the macaroni noodles and ground beef. I don’t say this lightly, but this recipe truly is comfort food at its finest! Make it for your next easy weeknight meal ❤️.

A bowl of macaroni in a thick tomato-based sauce with ground meat, peas, and carrots, with a spoon inside. A bowl of green peas and some dry macaroni are nearby.

what makes this recipe great ⤵️

Protein-packed: 29g of protein per serving to be exact!

Super creamy sauce: Blended cottage cheese not only packs protein, but it’s super creamy and sticks to the noodles really well.

Comfort food you can feel good about: It’s all about comfort food recipes during the winter months, and this one is exactly that! Plus, it packs protein, veggies and amazing flavor to boot.

Protein Hamburger Helper Ingredients

Ground beef: I prefer using 80/20 ground beef, but any fat percentage of beef will work.
Veggies and spices: Carrots, white onion, peas, garlic cloves and dried thyme is all you’ll need. I like to mince the carrots and onion, so the pieces are smaller (and so my toddler is more likely to eat it!).
Elbow macaroni: Macaroni noodles are quintessential to hamburger helper, but technically you can use any variety of pasta you’d like.
Tomato paste and tomato sauce: The combination of tomato sauce and paste gives this hamburger helper both flavor and thickness.
Beef broth: I’ve tested this recipe with beef broth and chicken broth, and both work! The flavor of the beef broth was richer and deeper. If you choose to go the chicken or vegetable broth route, you may need to add a bit more salt to compensate.
Cottage cheese and shredded cheddar cheese: You’ll need both for the creamy hamburger helper sauce. It adds protein, creamy flavor and sticks to the noodles incredibly well.

A pan of macaroni in tomato sauce with peas is being stirred with a wooden spoon. A bowl of peas, some dry macaroni, and a striped towel are nearby on a white surface.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

Meat: I know that the “hamburger” in hamburger helper calls for ground beef, but I also tested this recipe with ground turkey and chicken and they were both delicious.
Veggies: Feel free to add other veggies such as minced bell pepper or minced celery.
Broth: Veggie and chicken broth both work. You may need to adjust the salt content if you substitute for either of these.

Serving Suggestions

This cottage cheese hamburger helper is delicious and served with shredded cheese and minced fresh parsley. I’ve eaten it with a dollop of Greek yogurt/sour cream and hot sauce, too. Delish!

Storage & Reheating

Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat: To reheat this cottage cheese hamburger helper, add it to a skillet and add a few tablespoons of beef broth. Heat the pasta over low heat until it is warmed and the sauce has started to re-thicken.