Back in college, Hubs and I used to make boxed meals like Hamburger Helper and Tuna Helper all the time. It was before we had Bookworm, but even afterwards we would still fall back on a Helper boxed dinner of some form from time to time. While it made dinner infinitely easier, it wasn’t healthier by any means. The amount of sodium in one serving is simply insane.
After Monkey’s migraines were linked to MSG, we had to cut out foods with MSG and its sodium sisters in the ingredients list. Have you seen how many foods on the shelves of your local grocery store have some form of glutamate or guanylate in their ingredients list? I know I was shocked when I started reading the sides of packages.
But I’ll be honest with you… there are times I miss the ease and simplicity of a really fast meal. A type of meal that I can just pull out of the pantry, make it, and have it on the table in under 30 minutes. Enter the homemade hamburger helper.
The first time I made it, I was pleasantly surprised! It turned out really creamy, really filling, and the best part of all was that I knew exactly what I put into the meal. Every single ingredient I could pronounce.
It even reheats really well for lunch the next day! What could make this recipe better?
How about that you can use whatever you have on hand? Last time I made this, I had just under a pound of leftover meat from nachos the night before. I reheated them a little bit in the skillet before adding the rest of the ingredients. And it was still just as tasty!
I’ve also used a pint of our homemade tomato sauce, and reduced the milk and beef broth to 1 cup each. It’s really versatile, and can use whatever you have on hand. Don’t think that you have to go buy these ingredients because they’re on the list. Get creative!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon parsley
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth {I use Better Than Bullion* for beef broth, which I can get for $4 at my local Wegmans}
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup tomato sauce {I use half a pint of my homemade tomato sauce}
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil and brown beef. Drain any excess fat.
- Add minced onion, garlic powder, smoked paprika, parsley, salt & pepper, beef broth, milk, tomato sauce & elbow macaroni. Bring to a bubble, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10 – 12 minutes, or until noodles are tender and liquid has become a nice creamy sauce.
- Stir in cheddar cheese.
Serves 4-6
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