Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

Alrighty parents, this one is for those busy families who always seem to have something going on whether it be the PTO moms, Soccer dads, 101 kid’s activities, weekly meetings, mandatory school functions, or those parents like me who seem to just loose hours in a day.

I am not too proud to admit that I am one of those parents who often resorts to the “Hey who wants cereal for dinner?” or the “How about spaghetti O’s, do you want them with the meatballs or Franks?” But let’s face it there is not a whole lot of nutrition in any of these dinners.

Did you know that one can of spaghetti o’s has 240 calories, or 110 calories in 3/4 cup of Captain crunch…?
Only 3/4 cup, please I usually eat 2 bowls!”

Although these are very convenient go-to dinner ideas, they are not the best nutrition wise.

So I thought I would share a go to recipe for my family, that is a quick, easy and healthy twist on hamburger helper. We are talking a one pan 20 min start to finish that your kids will love!

{ INGREDIENTS }

• 1 pound ground turkey or lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk *may need a little extra at the end
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups uncooked whole wheat macaroni
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

You can get creative too – if your kids are picky eaters, puree up some veggies to add in to the sauce (may need extra liquid to compensate)!!!  Think green or red peppers, spinach…endless possibilities!

{ INSTRUCTIONS }

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground turkey or beef, onion, paprika, parsley, and garlic powder. If using a ground beef with a higher fat content add in the seasonings after draining the grease.
2. Stir in the almond milk, broth, macaroni and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted – as the cheese melts, you may need to add more milk or water to desired consistency.

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 cup approximately = 1 yellow (1/2 cup pasta), 1 red (3/4 cup protein), 1 blue (1/3 cup cheese)

Recipe adapted from countrysidecravings.com