When I was growing up my mom made a lot of casseroles and hamburger helper. Since I was never a big fan of pasta, potato stroganoff was always my favorite hamburger helper variety. It's been many years since I've bought a box of hamburger helper but I like quick convenient dinners too, so I thought I'd make a healthy homemade copycat of the classic dish and this gluten free hamburger helper is just perfect!
If you've never had this variety of Hamburger Helper, it is a quick version of beef stroganoff with no cream soups or sour cream. It normally comes with a sauce mix, which I've replaced with pantry ingredients to make it both gluten free and dairy free. It's a hearty meal of meat and potatoes that your whole family will love!
If you're looking for more easy recipes for dinner, try my 30 minute gluten free beef and broccoli or my one pan Mexican beef and rice skillet meal.
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Why you'll love this potato stroganoff recipe
- ALLERGEN FRIENDLY: Unlike the original boxed meal, this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free and sugar free. Why do all of those things need to be added to a beef and potatoes dish?
- QUICK & EASY: This easy beef and potato dinner uses only one pan and takes just 30 minutes to make!
Ingredients
If you've ever bought the original potato stroganoff hamburger helper, you know it comes with a box of dehydrated potatoes and a packet of seasoning. That seasoning is where all the undesirable ingredients are hiding - so the combination of the ingredients below will replace the seasoning packet with gluten free & dairy free ingredients.
- Lean Ground Beef - I like to use lean (93/7) hamburger for this recipe, so there is less greasiness in the finished dish.
- Dehydrated Potato Slices - I buy a big can from Amazon, which is enough to make 3 batches of this recipe. They are certified gluten free. this is the key ingredient in this quick recipe. You could probably make it with freshly sliced potatoes, but I wanted to make it as true to the box version as possible.
- Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Parsley - These spices provide the flavor base to this stroganoff dinner.
- Salt & Pepper
- Tapioca Starch (or cornstarch if you're not corn free) - Starch is used for thickening the sauce in the finished dish.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I use unsweetened coconut milk in my cooking. You can use any non-dairy milk that you prefer. If you're not dairy free, use regular milk in the same measure.
- Hot Water
See recipe card for ingredient list with quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For Low Calorie Diet - Replace beef with ground turkey breast for a lower fat alternative. You will need to add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil with the liquid to keep the potatoes from sticking.
- Vegan Option - Use vegan crumbles in place of the beef. Cook the crumbles according to the package directions, then proceed with the recipe as instructed here.
- Beef Broth - Replace the water with warm beef broth for extra rich flavor.
- Not Dairy Free - use dairy milk in the same measure.
- No Tapioca Starch - replace with cornstarch in the same measure.
- Add sliced mushrooms - Add some sauteed mushrooms to this dish to give it more of a beef stroganoff flavor.
- Meatball stroganoff - Use gluten free meatballs in place of ground beef for a fun twist on this dinner recipe.
Instructions
Making homemade hamburger helper is quick and easy. You'll need a 10-inch skillet with a lid.
STEP 1: Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the excess grease.
STEP 2: Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan with the meat. Stir together and cover. Cook over medium low for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Hint: You may be tempted to stir the dish while it's cooking, but resist. Stirring will cause the potato slices to break.
Storage
Store any leftover stroganoff in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving. If the potatoes are a little dry add a tablespoon of water when reheating.
What to Serve With Hamburger Helper
I like to serve this dish with peas or green beans. You could even mix them into the potatoes if you want.
It would also be great served with a salad!
Recipe FAQs
I use a large non-stick skillet with a lid. Non stick is important, because in a regular pan the potatoes will tend to burn to the bottom during the cooking stage. The lid is crucial to simmering the potatoes.
In this recipe, I call for non-dairy milk. You can use any non-dairy milk you'd like.
In a pinch, I'd suggest using extra water in place of the milk and stirring in a little sour cream after the potatoes are cooked to get that creamy stroganoff texture.
Sure! You can easily make a vegan hamburger helper using vegan crumbles. Or if you want to leave out the meat substitutes, mushrooms would make a great addition to the recipe.
More dinner ideas to try:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Copycat Hamburger Helper Potato Stroganoff Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 5 ounce Dehydrated Potato Slices
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 2 Tablespoons Tapioca Starch sub with cornstarch
- 1 ½ Cup Hot Water
- 2 Cups Non-Dairy Milk
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking the meat into chunks, until browned. Drain the fat.1 pound Ground Beef
- Add the potatoes, seasoning, starch, water and milk to the skillet. Stir together.5 ounce Dehydrated Potato Slices, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, ¼ teaspoon Dried Parsley, 2 Tablespoons Tapioca Starch, 1 ½ Cup Hot Water, 2 Cups Non-Dairy Milk
- Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir and serve immediately.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Lorraine Bills says
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! My husband and I both love it and try to beat each other to the leftovers.
I'm so glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Nonya says
Who just has dehydrated potatoes and tapioca starch on hand? Get real
Some other commenters have used raw potatoes with no issues. Cornstarch, which is a pretty common ingredient, can be substituted for the tapioca starch. However, I think its pretty normal to have to shop for ingredients for a recipe. So even if you don't have it on hand now, you can always pick some up at the store and make the recipe later. Enjoy!
Christina says
What would the ratio of fresh potatoes be?
I've tried it a couple of times with fresh potatoes and I just cut enough to fill a 12 inch skillet about 2/3 full. For me, it was approximately 2 Russet potatoes sliced very thin. You will have to cook for a little while uncovered at the end to reduce the sauce, since the potatoes won't be absorbing the liquid.
Cyndi says
I keep a large can in my pantry at all times!!!!
Savannah says
Amazing, I’ve used this recipe quite a few times. I use kinders (salt, pepper, garlic blend) and then add the onion powder. We use canned coconut milk. I use fresh golden potatoes, slice thinly and fry them in avocado oil with a little bit of dairy free plant butter (country crock) then add them together. No need to cook for 25mins maybe about 5-10min just to thicken the sauce and ahhmazing. Thank you for sharing (:
Cynthia says
The non dairy milk is that dry?
That's liquid. Any type of plant based milk, like almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk. Or if you're not dairy free, just use regular milk instead.
Lisa lacourse says
I loved the box version as a child and they stopped making it years ago.
This recipe is spot on!
I'm so glad you liked it! It was a childhood favorite for me too. 🙂
Amanda Sundwall says
They still make hamburger helper potato stroganoff. I bought 2 boxes just the other day.
They do, but it contains both gluten and dairy which I can't eat. So I made a homemade version that is just made with whole ingredients and no unnecessary additives.
Kimberly says
I sliced some russet potatoes thin and let it simmer for 20 minutes and I added a can of cream of mushroom soup. Delish!!
Jamie Black says
How can I modify this recipe using fresh potatoes rather than dehydrated?
Hi Jamie, I haven't tried to make this with fresh potatoes but I think if you cut the potatoes into small cubes, about 1/2" wide, they should cook in the same amount of time. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid since it won't be absorbed by the potatoes.
Jamie Black says
Hi there. I haven't mad this yet but can you use cornstarch in place of tapioca starch?
Cornstarch will work just fine. Use the same amount as listed for the tapioca starch.
Leigh says
Hey! If I make this with small potatoes, how long should I cook it and should I dice up the potatoes? Thank you!
Hi Leigh, I think if you cut the potatoes up pretty small, maybe about 1/2" cubes they should still cook in the same amount of time.
Dioni Temple says
Okay I haven't tried to make this yet but I have a quick question. Can you make this with regular milk?
I think it will work just fine with regular milk.