Homemade Hamburger Helper

I'm always checking out recipes for homemade versions of the boxed and processed meals that come from the grocery store that are easy to make and use real food ingredients!  I'm sure almost everyone at one time or another has had Hamburger Helper...the most popular and my favorite was always the Cheeseburger Macaroni.  So here is a good tasting version that takes about the same amount of time to make the boxed counterpart.

12 ingredients is all you need....the milk didn't show up for the photo op!

Brown the beef...

Add Milk, spices and dried pasta....

Cover and simmer until pasta is tender....

All that is left to do is eat!!

Here is what you'll need

• 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7 works well)
• 1/2 of a small onion diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayeene (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups uncooked large elbow macaroni
• 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)

And this is how you make it all come together...

• Large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, brown the beef, onion, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Add the milk, beef broth, macaroni and tomato sauce and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover until pasta is tender...usually about 10-12 minutes (be sure to stir is occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan)
• Stir in the shredded cheese until melted

Ultra Easy Mac&Cheese

Another quick vacation is over and now I'm heading back into the kitchen with everyone's favorite Mac&Cheese!  Mac&Cheese is the ultimate comfort food but anything from a box contains a bunch of processed items that we can all do without.  So here comes a great tasting recipe that uses real food.

There you have it...6 ingredients is all that you need!!

Simmer the milk and noodles until tender

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and you are done.

Here is what you will need:

• 2 cups dry pasta
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (do not use pre-shredded cheese)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Here is what you are gonna do with that stuff:

• Add milk and pasta to a sauce pan over medium heat until milk simmers (not boiling)
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until pasta is tender (mine took 12 minutes) - stir frequently
• Turn off heat and stir in rest of ingredients until cheese is melted.
• Add additional milk until you reach your desired level of creaminess