Homemade Hamburger Helper

Tags

dinner, easy hamburger helper, ground beef, healthy meals, Kraft Hamburger Helper, sharp cheddar cheese

If you love the Kraft Hamburger Helper, this one is sure to please!

Not only is it healthier, but it is a much better tasting than the boxed stuff and takes just as long to whip up!

Truly a win-win!

We made it slightly spicier than the boxed stuff, but Mei and Emily had no issues with the spice and gobbled this one right up!

 

Have you entered my giveaway yet? There is a fantastic twist at the end!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef (use 93% lean for a nearly fat-free recipe)
• 2-1/2 C fat-free milk
• 1-1/2 C hot water (from the tap)
• 2 C (8.4 oz) dry, whole wheat elbow macaroni (I had a box of Hidden Veggie pasta that we used and the flavors were still spot on)
• 1 TBS cornstarch
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBS chili powder (1-2 tsp if you like less heat)
• 1 tsp sugar (or a little more if you forgot to decrease the chili powder)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 C of 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beef with a wooden spoon, breaking up the meat as it browns, until it is no longer pink.

Mix the milk, water, cornstarch and spices in a large measuring cup, stirring until thoroughly combined then pour it into the skillet with the ground beef. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the pasta is done.

Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese until thoroughly melted and serve immediately!

Mei’s Favorite Spaghetti!

Tags

favorite spaghetti, hidden veggies, pasta sauce, spaghetti sauce

Mei absolutely LOVES spaghetti! We usually reserve these for bath nights since it tends to be a rather messy meal as well – but this is one dish where she will eat any and all meat and veggies are mixed in, along with a quarter pound of pasta – all by her little lonesome!

This is also a great meal to serve picky eaters since you can hide any manner of veggies in the meat sauce and feed your lovelies all sorts of vitamins and minerals that they won’t usually go for. If you have any non-meat-eaters in your family, you can also spring to blend the veggies into the sauce and adapt it to your families needs.

Basically, you can’t go wrong with this sauce! The last few times we have made this, we have frozen half the sauce since we tend to make too much and it warms up nicely for lunch, any day that you feel like having it. I mix the sauce with bits of leftover pasta and ravioli that we have made and frozen as well for a very filling meal for those days where you only want to put in minimal effort and come out with a great meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground meat 
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 200 g or 1 C mushrooms, sliced
• 1 zucchini or courgette, finely diced
• any other veggies you like (ie. eggplant, bell pepper, etc)
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce – we like to choose one that only has garlic as a seasoning so the veggies and seasonings we add in will stand out
• 3 TBS of Italian seasonings (either a ready-made blend or your favorites ie. garlic, rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 lb pasta
• freshly grated parmesean cheese

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan then add the onion and carrots (if using) and saute until soft, tender and lightly colored. Add the rest of the veggies you are using and saute until tender and glistening. Add the ground meat, seasoning generously with salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Brown the meat then add the jar of pasta sauce and simmer until the veggies and meat are cooked through. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to directions. Serve the pasta with a generous serving of sauce, sprinkling with freshly grated parmesean cheese.