I agree that Hamburger Helper tastes awful, so it isn't something that I have ever wanted to recreate. But apparently others do. Check out all the recipes for hamburger helper here:

Cooks.com

Nothing wrong with wanting to take the basic elements of "hamburger helper" and improve the overal dish in some way.

Noodles, ground meat (including sausage) and cheese has so much potential.

I think you can work with any noodle and any ground meat but you have to approach the cheese part differently.

Number one, you'll need to make a "cheese sauce" rather than use straight up cheese. Here's an easy recipe:

EASY CHEESE SAUCE

1 stick butter
1 2/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped/shredded cheese**
1 tsp mustard
4 Tbs flour

Mix together and cook over low heat until smooth

Secondly, you'll have to choose a good melting/cooking cheese. Most cheddars are'nt really good for this. Some good, smooth melting cheeses: Gruyere, Emmentaler, Jarlsberg, Vermont Cabot, Jack, Muenster, provolone, fontina, Gouda, Edam, and even blue cheeses. Try mixing for your own unique blend.

Joe

Well, I know most of you here will just shudder, but you could also melt Velveeta in a little milk, or use a can of cheese soup.

I don't use Hamburger Helper, but when I was working and DH was doing the cooking, he would make it. They all kind of taste the same to me. HH has its place, but it's a little too expensive considering that all it is is a box a macaroni with a packet of seasoning. We always added more macaroni to double what was in there, finding the sauce too runny. Macaroni tends to soak up liquids overnight in the fridge, so left-overs are often better than freshly cooked.

I do make a couple of dishes that were probably what DH was shooting for when he bought the HH. One is called "slumgullion", and in some places it's called goulash. It's merely cooked crumbled hamburger, cooked macaroni, canned chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper if you have it, salt and pepper. I raised two families cooking that one, once a week, and the kids really loaded up on it. The other is one that I don't have a name for. It's cooked crumbled hamburger, cooked macaroni, a can of mushroom soup and some sour cream.

I realize this is not something you're ever going to see on a cooking show and the thought of eating it will make some of you gag, but there are a lot of people who can't afford real cheese and things like imported mushrooms, but need to fill up hungry kids and a man that's done physical labor all day. --Ilene

My version is browned hamberger, onion, salt, pepper. Cook whatever noodles you have on hand. Add to the berger, a can of cream of mushroom or celery soup, some milk to the consistancy of gravy, and some frozen mixed veggies that have been cooked (I forget to cook them first and they come out a bit hard yet!) Mix it all together and add some sour cream if you have it. If you don't, don't worry about it. We had this Monday night. I made a huge pan of it, cause I still haven't learned to cook for two. DH took the leftover to work for lunch the next day. If you want cheese in it, add some pre shredded, but not a huge amt, as it will get gummy.

Tami

Isn't Hamburger Helper just a dried concentration of bouillon powder, onion, celery, etc.? To be used when in a big hurry, or lack energy to go the regular route of making your hamburger recipe?

I tried using Hamburger Helper a couple of years ago, and vowed that I would never touch it again!!! Would rather make time to follow a good recipe - rather than take that kind of shortcut!

Maybe there IS a way to duplicate a mix with your own put-together-ingredients that would taste good! But I wouldn't even try. I'm never in that much of a hurry!! No need to resort to that type of store-bought "convenience" item. Am I wrong???

I make all my "convenience" foods so I can control the ingredients and keep the price low. You would enjoy the copies of "Make-A-Mix Cookery" and "More Make-A-Mix Cookery" by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward & Madeline Westover.

I also use Jifts-In-A-Jar recipes for homemade "convenience" foods.

More recipes found at the link below.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Thrifty Times - Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipes

I only ever cooked Hamburger Helper once. Matthew came home from a friends house, where he had had some and he asked me to buy it. Apparently it didn't taste as good the second time around because he decided he didn't want it again.

You can take any of your favourite meat sauces or just tomato basil sauce and toss in cooked macaroni or other noodle shapes to make a quick tasty dinner.

Or try making something like the Greek Pastitsio. This dish needs to be baked.

Pastitsio (San's Recipe)

Simmer together for 40 minutesÂ
2 T butter
2 large diced onions
1# ground beef
32 oz can of ground, peeled tomatoes (in their juices)
8 oz can of tomato sauce
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cinnamon
a couple of grinds of black pepper

in the interim, melt in a small sauce panÂ
3T butter
1/3 C flour
2 ½ C milk
1 ½ tsp salt
a little pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
stir all of the above for several minutes until it thickens then bring it to a boil for a minuteÂremove from heat
whisk together 1 C of "egg beaters" (or 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk) and stir this into the flour and milk mixtureÂset aside 1C of the sauce and add in ½ C of ricotta cheese

Spray a 9 x 12 baking pan with a cooking spray and lightly cover the bottom of the pan with dry bread crumbs

Measure 2 C of elbow macaroni and cook only until itÂs still fairly firmÂdrain the macaroni and put half of it in the pan with the bread crumbs. Cover this with all of the meat and tomato sauce. Pour the béchamel sauce that doesnÂt have the ricotta in it, over the meat sauce. Sprinkle this with ½ C of grated parmesan cheese. Add the rest of the cooked pasta on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour on the ricotta-enriched white sauce and sprinkle on another ½ C of parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Don't knoww hat's with the cheese.....but you might try browning a pound ground meat in a frying pan with half an onion, cook slowly until until all the meat is no longer pink, drain excess fat if there is any.
Then add a can of beef broth a cup of small pasta...either elbows or shells, and a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes Rotel is good if you like it spicy...cover and simmer until the pasta is done, about 12 to 15 minutes, top with grated cheese ( GRATED is important!), cover until cheese melts and serve.
Total costs, less than $2...plus the meat.
Linda C

My kids love this -
Brown Ground Beef in a frying pan - break up into little pieces and cook until no longer pink. Drain off grease.
Mix in a jar of salsa - I use the chunky kind. Cook until it is warmed through. Add cooked macaroni (usually elbows or shells). You can add additional items if you like - veggies, kidney beans, hot peppers, more spices....
I serve with some shredded cheddar and a little sour cream.
You could omit the macaroni and serve on a bun - sort of like a sloppy joe. Be creative - you could also use ground chicken, turkey, pork, veal - whatever is on sale.
For instance ground chicken, cheese sauce, broccoli & macaroni. My MIL who had 6 kids used to make a dish called good and plenty , basically leftovers cut up and reheated, sauce to match, served over macaroni (or left over mashed potatoes - maybe melt a little cheese on top depending on the dish.

This is a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that I've made before, and it's very good. It may not be quite as simple as your recipe, but it's really not too hard to follow. I've also frozen individual portions of it in plastic containers before, and it reheated nicely.

Chrissy

Skillet Macaroni and Beef
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 large onion , chopped fine
1 red bell pepper , chopped fine
6 garlic cloves
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain beef, leaving 2 tablespoons fat in skillet, and reserve. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic to fat in skillet and cook, covered, until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add macaroni, tomato sauce, broth, oregano, and reserved beef to skillet and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve.

My friend browns hamberger and cooks a box of mac n cheese, then stirs them together. Pretty simple.

Tami

I used to make versions of this all the time and my kids love it. I always cooked the macaroni/noodles in the sauce. I have made the tomato versions and also an original version using brown gravy mix.
I am going to try the pastitsio recipe this week. It looks like something my kids would really like.
Lisa

I had a failed attempt at hamburger helper last night! Rachel Ray has this recipe for a creamy mac n cheese and I was just going to add some hamburger meat to it. Didn't taste so good. The mac and cheese called for onion and bacon....should have just left it out. I think it needs a little tweaking and it would be ok. I'm trying to stay away from things in a box. http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/pizza-pasta-recipes/creamy-macaroni-and-cheese-with-bacon/article.html Thats the recipe for the mac n cheese. I'm going to try leaving out the bacon and only using a little onion. And use more hamburger than 1.5 lbs...that wasn't enough. But the cheese sauce tasted really good.

A childhood favorite was cooked elbow macaroni and spagettie sauce poured in a baking dish. A layer of american cheese slices on top and then baked/broiled just long enough to melt the cheese. Comfort food at its finest.

One of my single person in a hurry burger dishes is to brown hamburger chunks, drain the grease, and add a big can of Bush's baked beans. Most people prefer extra brown sugar also. Very fast, very filling, fairly inexpensive. With bread and a salad you have a balanced meal. Goes great with a tall glass of cold milk. Bet the family asks for it over and over.

: )
lyra

I second that Cook's Illustrated recipe, but I use a backward approach.

I saute the veggies until softened then stir in the oregano and garlic. Stir for a bit to bloom the flavours. Then add the chicken stock and simmer until they are very soft. This gets pureed then mixed with the tomato sauce. Then I brown the meat, add the sauce and the macaroni, bring to a simmer, and let cook until the macaroni is tender.

I always have to cook it a little longer than the recipe says, and I add a bit of water if it starts to look too thick before the pasta is cooked through.

Once it is done, I stir in the cheese. I have used cheddar, mozarella, mexican mix, and gouda and they were all good.

Dances,

Why do you puree the veggies? Is this "sneaky cuisine?" Hmmmm? ;)

Every time I see the box at the Acme or hear the words "hamburger helper" I am reminded of the scene in one of the Chevy Chase movies where someone serves hamburger helper - without the hamburger.

The closest I come to making something like it is when we're having chili and more people than expected turn up and I add some cooked whole wheat elbows to the pot.

But what happened to Eric, the original poster?

I find that occasionally a poster who frequents many other forums will pop in for a specific question and then forget to check back, I know it's happened to me on other forums.

I know it can be irritating to the people who offered help/advice; I always like to hear from the OP, even if it's a while after.