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People of my age may not admit it, but most of us grew up eating Hamburger Helper, to be known henceforth simply as “HH.” In fact, before I could cook from scratch, I made HH weekly as part of my “home cooking” and I thought I was doing great and my hubby loved it! Fast forward 30 years and 25 years studying nutrition, learning to cook from scratch, eat more health-minded and the HH has not darkened our door for many years.
When my friend Sylvia Britton of The Christian Homekeeper shared her recipe for making HH-like mixes in bulk for storage, my eyes lit up! Hubby could have his old favorite without all the nasties, chemicals, GMOs and junk we’ve been avoiding. She has recipes for Hamburger Cheesy Mac, Beef Stroganoff and Rice Hamburger Dish.
I made a double-recipe of the Cheesy Mac single recipe version (not using the bulk mix recipe) using liquid milk, and my husband flipped! He loved it, as did the children, and hubby insisted the recipe become a regular on our menu. The Hamburger Cheesy Mac was a big hit!
Here is Sylvia’s recipe for making the sauce in bulk (5 recipes worth) and below I’ll share what to do if making one recipe worth or two using liquid milk, not powdered.
Hamburger Cheesy Mac
Sylvia Britton
ChristianHomekeeper.org
(Sauce for single recipe version using liquid milk)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup of milk
To prepare:
Brown the ground meat in a large skillet or pot. Add one half cup of seasoning mix.
Add the water and the uncooked macaroni. Stir well (cover) and allow to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Once the macaroni is tender and all the water is absorbed, add the shredded cheese, stir.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Hamburger Cheesy Mac (Doubled)
Sylvia Britton
ChristianHomekeeper.org
(Doubled recipe using liquid milk)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (I used organic arrowroot powder)
1 Tablespoon paprika (I used organic smoked paprika)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds ground meat (I used grass-fed beef)
4 2/3 cups hot water
2 cups milk (I used homemade almond milk)
3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (I used gluten-free organic brown rice elbows)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used organic Monterey Jack cheese)
(I added 2 cups of roasted whole green beans)
To prepare:
Brown the ground meat in a large skillet or pot. Add the seasoning mix. (I mixed the arrowroot with the milk, stirred until dissolved and then added to the browned beef)
Add the water and the uncooked macaroni. Stir well (cover) and allow to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Once the macaroni is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, add the shredded cheese, stir.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Thank you Sylvia for some excellent new-old recipes! I’ll be trying your Beef Stroganoff next!
About Vickilynn Parnes
