Hamburger Helper is barely edible as it is, but by changing the cooking directions a bit and adding a few basic ingredients you can make it taste good. Different kinds of Hamburger Helper have different quantities of water, milk etc., so I'll try to keep these instructions as generic as possible.
Step one: Brownin' da Beef
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When browning the ground beef, add salt, pepper, basil and (depending on the variety of 'Helper) crushed red pepper. Other spice choices include thyme or oregano, but I've found the above combination works best.
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Halfway through the browning add a clove of fresh minced garlic. Don't add it with the other stuff, it'll burn. If you've only got garlic powder (shame on you!) add it at the very end of the browning - it burns really fast.
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When the beef is browned drain and rinse it. The major thing that makes this stuff unsettle your stomach is all the grease. Don't rinse it too well, it'll dry it out. Just enough.
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Wash out your pan, for the same reason listed above.
Step Two: Mix it up
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After you've added all the stuff the box tells you to, bring it to a boil. It'll take longer that usual because you washed (and therefore cooled) the pan.
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Cover the pan and THEN reduce the heat. The drop in heat with cause the food to steam and the cover will trap that steam, cooking it faster.
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The firmer the pasta the less gross it'll feel sliding down your throat. Cook it for 3/4 of the time they tell you to and taste it to see if it's still crunchy. Stir it once while it's cooking.
Finishing Touches
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The cheese in the mix isn't great and the stuff in some varieties they direct you to reconstitute with milk is even worse. Add some real cheese before you eat it. Mozzarella and Parmesan seem to work best. please note, if it came in a can or as individually wrapped slices it's not real cheese. Cheese comes in bricks and you grate it yourself.