I think you have it there but call it something different. No, that's mac and cheese - what is it that you call mac and cheese again? Kraft dinner or something?
Anyway, hamburger helper is this horrible stuff in a box. You brown ground beef, then add the noodles from the box and the god-awful seasoning packet from the box, some milk, some water, and simmer until the noodles are tender. It may not sound that bad on paper, but it's HORRIBLE. Kind of like cheeseburger macaroni, but gross-er.
Done from scratch, many of the recipes aren't bad, but where it loses it is that seasoning packet. I don't know how they manage it, but they make everything taste simply vile.