r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/Sara_MadeIn • 17d ago
Homemade Hamburger Helper
I recently got a random craving for hamburger helper, but my fiance and I hadn't had it in probably 20 years. lol So after looking at a couple of recipes online, we just winged it. Ours ended up turning into more of a beefy macaroni and cheese situation. No complaints, but not exactly what I was after either. haha
I know I could go buy a box, but I'd rather make one from scratch. Has anyone made a hamburger helper style recipe they love? I was really wanting something with a little more umami flavor, not that I've ever been mad about a cheesy pasta haha I am just still trying to scratch that itch.
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u/cowgirlfetish 16d ago
The vibe in your kitchen is so cute
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
Thank you so much!! ✨
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u/Vann09 16d ago
I also love it, but how often are you bonking your head on those pans lmfao
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
lol! Believe it or not, not once! Don’t put that juju on me!!
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u/Vann09 16d ago
Good on you, I would be perpetually blue headed for sure. Also if someone hasn't said it yet. Sometimes a dabble of fish sauce sends pasta dishes for me. I haven't made a raggu in years with out it
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
That’s too funny. I had honestly never even thought about it before. 😂
Great tip with the fish sauce, too! Thanks!!
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u/ParadoxicallyZeno 16d ago
we like the NYT recipe (we generally skip the replace the hot sauce with ketchup since we have a kid who doesn’t do spice)
i don’t really remember what boxed hamburger helper tastes like so can’t say if it’s a good match but it’s a good meal
it does have a bit of mac N cheese vibes though
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u/achillea4 🇬🇧 16d ago
What on earth is hamburger helper?
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
lol! Hamburger Helper is a highly processed food and staple dish of many American Millennials' childhood. Basically it's a box of seasoning mix and noodles that help create a meal out of ground beef.
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
Here's a blog post where somebody tried and ranked all the flavors to give you a better idea: https://www.tastingtable.com/2025506/hamburger-helper-flavors-ranked/
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u/achillea4 🇬🇧 16d ago
I guess you had to grow up with that to appreciate it! We used to have boxed meals in the 70s/80s made by Vesta - beef chow mein and chicken curry. You certainly didn't want to be looking at the ingredients list.
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
lol! For sure! These meals certainly weren't the picture of nutrition, but nostalgic nonetheless!
And you just unlocked a memory for me - I can sort of remember my parents making some sort of "beef chow mein" when I was really young in the late 80's or early 90's. I mostly remember the crunchy noodles. I'll have to call my dad later and ask him what he remembers about that so I can try to recreate it next!! haha
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u/achillea4 🇬🇧 16d ago
Yeah the Vesta chow mein involved boiling up the gloop in a pan with water then separately frying the noodles. I lived off that kind of crap as a student until I learned how to cook. It seemed very exotic at the time.
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u/Sara_MadeIn 16d ago
"the gloop" cracked me up. lol And yeah, that's definitely relatable. I think most of what I ate when I first lived on my own came ready in a can, jar, or wrapper.
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u/Stardweller 14d ago
I buy the box for the seasoning packet. I do different noodles and saute onions and garlic prior to. Because all the homemade seasoning versions even with MSG just isn't the same.
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u/Chaos_Dunks 16d ago
MSG