Hamburger Mixes

Mindy Whiting

Hamburger “Helper” Mixes


Many years ago, in a land far away, this girl chose to spend the rest of her life with this boy. Unknown to her, the food item she thought was in every kitchen, was not in the home where the boy grew up.  He grew up with a variety of foods being made, and mistakenly thought his new little bride could make all those varieties. Of course there were many varieties to be found in boxes, so all was well.  In several of the boxed dinner helpers she made, there was something he didn’t like. Picky, picky, picky. She even tried to sneak one by him and not tell him the box it came out of, but he knew.  Unbeknownst to her, there was some little spice or preservative in every box of helper that the husband didn’t like.  So there were sadly no more boxes to be purchased, and no more quick dinners to be had.   

    Many years later, when that girl was learning how to make everything instead of buying it, she found that she could make those handy dandy little helpers, and again she could have dinners quickly put on the table on those nights when she didn’t have time to prepare the five course dinner the husband had grown accustomed to. (Not really, but he could have vivid dreams about them if he chose.)  Seeing that she could make something tasty out of real ingredients she could pronounce instead of the MSG, colorings, and science lab chemicals in those little boxes, she realized it might have been a grand thing her selective, a.k.a. picky, husband forbid her to cook those for him.  (He didn’t exactly forbid, but she liked him well enough to abstain from purchasing them.)

    There are many recipes to be had for those helper recipes, but here a few that the wife has tried, and her husband approves of.  They can be made in advance and stored in jars or containers with the directions on them, or just labeled and looked up in your cookbook when making. These little helpers can also be nice little housewarming gifts, or maybe new Momma gifts, or new bride gifts when the girl is just learning how to feed her husband.  

    Make sure to read the whole recipe before you make them, each one has a couple of more ingredients that you will need.  It’s really sad when the wife starts on dinner, and realizes she doesn’t have everything she needs. Husbands sometimes don’t want that PB&J the wife offers because of said oversight. Not that it’s ever happened to this wife. 😉

 

Lasagna Hamburger Helper

Sauce Packet:

1 ½ Tblsp. Corn starch

1 Tblsp. Mixed Italian herbs

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 ¼  teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

 

In another baggie, add 2 cups egg noodles.  

 

Lasagna Hamburger Helper

 

Table of Contents

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain.

Add 2 cup hot water, 1/2 cups milk, pasta and sauce packet, and 1 cup stewed or diced tomatoes.

Simmer covered, approximately 12 minutes, or til pasta is tender. Near the end of cooking, add ½ cup shredded mozzarella

Turn off heat and uncover, sprinkle with parmesan. Let stand about 5 minutes to thicken.

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Salisbury Hamburger Helper

Sauce Packet:

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon pepper

 

I another baggie, place 1 ½ cups egg noodles.

 

Salisbury Hamburger Helper

 

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain.

Add 1 cup hot water, 2 cups milk, pasta and sauce packet, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Simmer covered, approximately 12 minutes, or til pasta is tender.

 

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Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper

Sauce Packet:

1 Tblsp. Corn starch

2 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Onion powder

1 tsp. Garlic powder

1 ¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp sugar

 

In another baggie, place 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni.

 

Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper

 

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain.

Add 1 cup hot water, 2 cups milk, pasta and sauce packet.

Simmer covered, approximately 12 minutes, or til pasta is tender. Near the end of cooking, add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Turn off heat and uncover, sprinkle with additional ½ cup cheddar if desired. Let stand about 5 minutes to thicken.

 

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Cheesy Jambalaya Hamburger Helper

Sauce Packet:

1 Tblsp. Corn starch

2 tsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. Garlic powder

1 ¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp sugar

 

In another baggie, place 1 cup rice.

 

Cheesy Jambalaya Hamburger Helper

 

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain.

Add ¾ cup hot water, 2 cups milk, rice and sauce packet, and 1 cup stewed or diced tomatoes.

Simmer covered, approximately 12-20 minutes, or til rice is tender. Near the end of cooking, add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Let stand about 5 minutes to thicken.

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