I’ve been known to use a box of Hamburger Helper about once a week. Sometimes, it’s the easiest dinner solution, when you’re a single parent with two kids.

However, my kids have really gotten tired of the same meals every week, so I tried out this new Copycat Hamburger Helper recipe. It was an instant hit! I even let the kids add the melty cheese on top of the pasta, at the end of cooking, so they feel like they’ve helped in making dinner.

This recipe is just as easy as making the box mix, so I’m never going back to my old ways!

 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 small onion ,finely chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (Gluten Free: dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in the beef broth)

2 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cup natural non-MSG beef broth

2 cups dried whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta (Gluten Free: use GF macaroni)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

 

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until no pink remains. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, seasonings and flour. Pour in the milk and broth and stir. Stir in the macaroni.

Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the macaroni is done. For al dente check after 9 minutes.

Stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted.

Serve immediately garnished with some chopped fresh parsley if desired.

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Quick Tip: For a fun twist, replace the seasonings with a packet of taco seasoning!

Recipe and Image courtesy of:Daring Gourmet