Leftover Steak Macaroni Helper

Make a Hamburger Helper clone meal without the additives, preservatives or other strange chemicals.

Jump to recipe

No boxed meals (like Hamburger Helper) were harmed in the making of this delicious casserole-like comfort food. This recipe is one of the main reasons that I always grill more steak than I actually need for a single meal. I save the leftovers to make this and/or other delicious concoctions.

To provide a little backstory, the steaks are originally marinated (pick your favorite) before grilling, so they contain lots of flavor for this meal. If you like the marinade packets, Lawry’s Beef Marinade is a good one. It’s one of my favorites. However, creating your own marinade might be just the ticket for your particular tastes. I rarely, if ever, cook the steaks indoors — that’s what the grill is for! Grilling your steaks is not only delicious that day but adds a really nice smoky flavor to this macaroni helper dish.

If you follow this recipe exactly, there’s no meat to cook today. But you do have to run the steak through a food processor. I suppose you could also just dice it up to your desired size. Hey, it might be good with big steak bites in it!

Alternately, you could cook up some ground beef right before making this dish and adjust the salt a bit (you’d likely need more than the recipe below calls for). I’m sure it would be almost as tasty. đŸ™‚

Leftover Steak Macaroni Helper

Course:
Cuisine:
Difficulty:
Servings
6
servings
Prep time
10
minutes
Cook time
20
minutes
Total time
30
minutes

Ingredients

  • 1
    tbsp
    olive oil
    or avocado oil
  • 1
    lb
    leftover steak
    already cooked
  • 1
    sm
    onion
    finely diced
  • 3
    tbsp
    tomato paste
  • 1.5
    tsp
    smoked paprika
  • 1
    tsp
    onion powder
  • 1
    tsp
    garlic powder
  • 1
    tsp
    sea salt
    or to taste
  • 1
    tsp
    granulated sugar
  • 0.5
    tsp
    chili powder
  • 0.5
    tsp
    black pepper
  • 2
    tbsp
    all-purpose flour
    or 1tbsp corn starch
  • 2
    cups
    whole milk
  • 1.75
    cups
    beef broth
  • 3
    cups
    macaroni noodles
  • 2
    cups
    Colby jack cheese
    shredded
  • 0.25
    cup
    Parmesan cheese
    grated
  • 0.25
    cup
    fresh parsley
    chopped

Directions

  • Cut the steak(s) into large cubes, then pulse in food processor until it resembles cooked ground beef.

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and onions and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes (browning the steak a bit more also improves the overall flavor of this dish). Stir in the tomato paste, seasonings and flour. Pour in the milk, broth and pasta. Stir until combined and pasta is spread out evenly.

  • Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or however much time is needed to cook the pasta to desired tenderness. If mixture still seems a bit soupy, remove lid and continue simmering a bit longer to evaporate some of the liquid —- you may need to turn up the heat a little bit.

  • Stir in the cheese until melted and combined throughout. Serve. Garnish with parmesan and parsley (optional).