"This Hamburger Mac and Cheese is made with ingredients we always have on hand in under 20 minutes. It's may not be fancy, but this one-pot meal is a comfort family favorite that is always easy, satisfying, and a hit even with picky eaters!"
Hamburger Mac & Cheese
AKA Hamburger Helper
Servings – 4
Prep Time – 10 Minutes
Cook Time – 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Macaroni and Cheese Dinner box, the option with the cheese pouch (not powdered)
6 cups water
1lb extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup margarine
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
Vegetable Optional
1 cup frozen carrot and peas mixture, thawed
Directions:
Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Stir in Macaroni; cook 7 to 10 min. or until tender, stirring occasionally. (I like mine a little al dente.)
Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet on medium heat; add in garlic powder, pepper; drain any excess grease. Set aside.
Drain macaroni. Add in margarine or butter, milk or cream and cheese pouch. Add to ingredients; mix lightly until creamy.
Add in hamburger mixture, and option vegetables (if using). Stir until well combined over very low heat.
Serve hot with a aside salad and garlic bread!
"It's essentially the same ol' boxed version of the hamburger helper that you can pick up at the grocery store, but so much better semi-homemade and skipping unnecessary add-ins! And it is a TOTAL lifesaver on busy weeknights when we don't really want to cook or haven't planned ahead."
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.