Homemade Cheeseburger "Helper" Recipe

Ever been so tired you need to will yourself to hold it together? Winter nights can bring a bit of exhaustion. It's the time of year when people get the sniffles, dogs hesitate to go outside and the nights are just long and drear. That's when I reach for this one-pot homemade hamburger helper. It's cheesy, gooey, filling and done in 25 minutes. Did I mention it's super cheesy? You can see the strands of cheese as you scoop this onto a plate. While transferring this to a plate is the polite thing to do, I've been known to eat it straight from the pot. The cook has to taste and adjust for seasoning, right? 

The ingredients are pantry staples and minimal. You cut an onion and a clove or two of garlic. Cook it through, then brown your protein (beef or turkey), add tomato paste, broth, milk and water. Bring it to a simmer and then toss in your pasta. Elbows are featured here but I've since learned I prefer shells. The pasta gets cooked and then the sauce and cheese are added in. The cheese pulls in this are off the hook. 

A secret to this is adding the sauce after it's done cooking. I've found if adding the sauce to the simmering liquid, the flavors meld and mellow to the point that they disappear into the dish. To keep this macro-friendly, I added it at the end and then you get a punchy, flavorful pasta that's still loaded with cheese pulls and flavor. 

Now that I've explained the dish, I'll see you later. It's time for me to grab a bowl and relax in front of something on Netflix. 

MAKEAHEAD

To make evenings less frenetic, I like to measure the ingredients in the morning or the night before. I soften the onion and add the garlic and store in a food prep bowl, then combine the spices in another. Finally I'll measure the ketchup and mustard and keep in a small food prep bowl. Everything is measured out and ready to make for dinner. Even if you don't make this ahead, it's a super easy and fast meal to prepare. 

ONE POT

Sauce pan or dutch oven size is important for this recipe. All the ingredients need to be submerged in the liquid so the pasta cooks uniformly. For 3 servings use a 4 cup saucepan. For 6 servings use a dutch oven that holds 8 cups. 

PASTA TO USE

Any pasta with a 10-11 minute cook time works. My favorite shape are medium sized shells. They trap some of the cheese and meat mixture in the cavity of the shells. 

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Use any cheese you enjoy.
• Any pasta that takes approximately 11 minutes to cook will work.
• Use the "milk" you normally cook with.
• Use meatless ground "beef", dairy free milk and cheese for a vegan version.

TIP

• If using pre-shredded cheese, rinse and blot it dry. It'll make it all melty and gooey. 

3 servings* (ingredients for 6 servings is beneath the cooking instruction).
445 cals | 12 F | 49.7 C | 4.5 SF | 6.1 S | 33.4 P

*calculated using 93% ground turkey

LOG IT USING MY FITNESS PAL: NJFV Homemade Cheeseburger Helper

HOMEMADE CHEESEBURGER HELPER RECIPE

3 servings:

10 oz 93% ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I use 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tbs tomato paste 
1 1/2 tbs sugar free ketchup

1/4 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard (I use close to a tsp)
1 1/4 cups no sodium beef stock or use water and a no sodium granulated beef packet
1/4 cup fat free milk

1 cup water

6 ounces elbow pasta 
1 cup lowfat Mexican mixed cheese

Avocado or Olive Oil Cooking Spray

2 tbs Grated Pecorino romano, optional 

Add onion and garlic to a microwave safe bowl, spray with cooking spray and cook until softened. I use my "soft vegetable" setting. Set aside. Heat a 4 cup saucepan to medium-high heat. Coat bottom with cooking spray. Add the ground meat, cook/crumble until browned. Add softened onion/garlic mixture paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute so spices are fragrant. Add beef stock, milk, water and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 11 minutes or until pasta is cooked through. If mixture is too dry while simmering, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup hot water. Stir every couple minutes to avoid sticking. Once pasta is tender, remove from heat. Stir in ketchup and mustard. If you've added a little extra water and the pasta seems too watery, cover and allow to sit for approximately 5-8 minutes or until excess liquid is absorbed. Then and add cheese a little at a time, stirring after each addition. Taste and add a little more kosher salt and pepper to taste. 

6 servings

20 oz 93% ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1-3 tsps kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbs tomato paste

3 tbs sugar free ketchup

1/2 - 2 tsps Dijon mustard 
2 1/2 cups no sodium beef stock or use water and a no sodium granulated beef packet

2 cups water
1/2 cup fat free milk

12 ounces elbow pasta 
2 cups lowfat Mexican mixed cheese

Avocado or Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Grated Pecorino romano, optional 

Follow the instructions above but prepare in a dutch oven or saucepan that holds 8 cups.