Homemade Hamburger Helper
Comfort food with pasta, made without all the salt and preservatives of a premade boxed mix.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground hamburger, turkey, or chicken If using beef, a leaner ground beef will work better. Otherwise you may want to remove some of the grease after browning the meat.
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Lowry's brand seasoned salt
- 1 ½ cup milk Use low fat if you want to keep it healthy
- 1 ½ cup beef broth A 14.5-ounce can is a little over 1 1/2 cups but close enough. I used just a little less milk to compensate, but I don't think it's necessary.
- 2 ½ cup uncooked macaroni
- 1 ½ cup pasta sauce or tomato sauce of your choice
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheese Use low-fat cheese to keep it healthy. I used a Colby Jack mixture.
Optional Ingredients
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Add the meat, onion, garlic, seasonings, and any of your optional ingredients to your dutch oven, and cook over a medium heat to brown the meat.
- Add the milk, broth, macaroni, and tomato sauce to the dutch oven, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat, and cook for 12-15 minutes with the lid removed from your dutch oven, or until you reach the desired texture.
- Remove your Dutch Oven from the heat, and stir in the cheese. Put the lid on and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
A 10 or 12 inch Dutch Oven will work fine for this meal. Can also be made in an 11-12 inch skillet.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 29gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 1192mgPotassium: 704mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1333IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 253mgIron: 3mg
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