Cooking with Shonte. Homemade Hamburger Helper

Come and join our house chef, Shonte', nurse practitioner and farmer for her monthly live cooking sessions.  

She writes all of her own recipes, and adds her little tips and tricks to bring mouth watering flavors to her dishes.   

You can cook with her or just join to watch. 

You can also watch on our facebook group, as we stream live.     If you aren't a member please join here.  

This month Shonte is bringing her twist to a childhood favorite:  Homemade Hamburger Helper. 

Some of you may remember those boxed hamburger helper meals when we were younger, or maybe you still eat them. Let me teach you a yummier whole food version, that is going to have your family wanting more!! This is also a great meal prep meal to freeze for later use.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoons of paprika and garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley or freshly chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh oregano and thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cup of milk
• 1 ½ cups of beef broth (I prefer Knoor brand)
• 2 cups of elbow macaroni or elbow pasta
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce (go crazy get some flavored ones if you prefer)
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese ( l prefer to grate directly from the cheese block, but you can buy it already shredded)
• Olive oil

Healthier/ Vegan alternatives:

• Beef/Turkey- substituted for plant-based meat, dried walnuts, or dried mushrooms
• Milk substitute- any nut-based milk such as oat, cashew, almond, etc. 2% or 1 % milk
• Cheddar cheese- vegan-based cheddar cheese, low-fat cheddar cheese, or a nut-based cheese
• Beef broth- substitute for a vegetable broth

Tools

• Cast iron Skillet or nonstick skillet
• Large spoon
• Large pot
• Strainer
• Meat masher utensil (optional), may use fork
• Large bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Chef Knife
• Cutting board
• Vegetable chopper (optional)
• Cheese grater

Directions

• Measure out milk and broth. If using dried broth, mix 1 tablespoon with 1 1/2 cups of hot water
• Grate the block of cheddar cheese, unless you bought already shredded cheese
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, Add 1- 2 tablespoons of salt and olive oil to the water,  to help flavor and prevent sticking when cooking the macaroni.
• Add macaroni to boiling water and cook until al dente*, strain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process, may drizzle with olive oil to help prevent sticking
• Brown meat in a skillet, drizzle pan with olive oil, saute chopped onions first,  then add meat, use a meat masher to help break up the meat while it cooks, and season meat with salt and pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley, and garlic powder
• Once the meat is cooked, stir in the macaroni, broth,  milk, and tomato sauce, season with oregano and thyme, cover, and bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once that's on a low simmer, stir in cheese until it melts.
• Sprinkle the finished product with more parsley, Serve, and ENJOY!!

Place extra in smaller containers/freezer bags to freeze for later use.

*al dente- cooked slightly underdone “to the tooth”