Master Mix: Hamburger Helper Kits Part 2

Four More Hamburger Helper Recipes

I've had quite a bit of positive feedback on my Make Your Own Hamburger Helper kits and some requests for more recipes.  Here are a four more to try out. If you study the recipes you'll see that the premise is the same: A pasta or rice, a meat, a sauce packet, some times a can of vegetables.  Once you get the hang of it, you can go "off script" so to speak and start making your own to suit your taste! I love that you can control the ingredients (whole wheat pasta, no msg, etc) as well as the cost. Yet you get the benefits of a quick and speedy dinner on those busy nights!

The four recipes I have for you today are not only at the bottom of the post, but can also be printed off by clicking here.

Chili Mac
Lasagna
Potato Stroganoff
Cheese Jambalaya

The basic premise for all of them is to create the pantry kits by assembling the dry ingredients together. In a ziplock gallon size bag, add in the pasta or rice, the canned items and mix up the sauce packets in a sandwich bag, and put the sauce packets in the bag as well.  Staple the recipe to the outside  of the bag and store until ready to use.

The first tutorial I showed how to make up the Pantry Kits. This time I'll show you how I cooked one up for dinner.  I made the Cheese Jambalaya  with Kielbasa as my fresh ingredient.

Since I made mine with Kielbasa I sliced it into bite sized pieces. If you are using sausage, cook your sausage and drain grease from skillet before proceeding:

In large skillet add water and seasoning packet. Stir to blend.  Add in all remaining ingredients, stir over medium heat to boiling.

Reduce heat, cover skillet and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Uncover skillet and turn off the heat. Add cheese and stir to blend.

Let jambalaya sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.  Sauce will thicken up as it sits.

Chili Mac Helper:

Pantry Kit: (staple a copy of this recipe to outside of gallon bag)

In gallon sized bag place:

1 ½ cups elbow macaroni

1 can diced tomatoes

Optional: 1 6 oz. can tomatoe paste (if you like your chili mac abit more tomato saucy)

Sauce Packet: (mix the below list in a sandwich sized bag. Seal  & store in the gallon bag w/other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tablspoon Corn starch

1 Tablspoon Chili Powder (adjust to your preference of hotness)

1 teaspoon each: Onion Powder, garlic, salt and sugar

Fresh Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot hater

½ -1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese.

To Cook Chili Mac:

Brown ground meat and drain grease.  Add hot water, macaroni, drained tomatoes, tomato paste  and sauce packet.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.  In the last few minutes of cook time add the cheese, turn off heat and let mixture stand uncovered about 5 minutes.  Sauce will thicken as it stands.

Lasagna Helper:

Pantry Kit: (Store the following in a gallon sized ziplock bag and attach this recipe to the outside of bag)

1 ½ cups egg noodles

1 can stewed or diced tomatoes

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Sauce Packet: (mix the following in a sandwich baggie, seal and store in the gallon bag w/other ingredients) 

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tablspoon each: Corn Starch,  Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon each: onion powder, garlic, salt sugar

Fresh Ingredients:
1 1lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot water

½-1 cup shredded cheese: jack or mozzarella

To Cook Lasagna Helper:

Brown ground meat and drain grease. Add hot water, noodles, tomatoes,tomato paste  and sauce packet.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender.  In the last few minutes of cook time, add the cheese, turn off the  heat and let mixture stand uncovered about 5 minutes.  Sauce will thicken as it stands.

Potato Stroganoff:

Pantry Kit: (Store the following items in a gallon sized zip lock bag and attach this recipe to the outside)1 can diced or sliced potatoes, Optional : one small can sliced mushrooms,

Sauce Packet: (mix the following in a sandwich sized bag. Seal and place in gallon bag along w/ other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tablspoon: Corn starch

2 teaspoons: Garlic powder

1 teaspoon: onion powder, parsley, salt, sugar

½ teaspoon pepper

Fresh Ingredients:1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot water

½ cup sour cream  (optional)

To Make Potato Stroganoff:  Brown meat and drain grease.  Add in potatoes,  hot water,  mushrooms and sauce packet.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes  stirring occasionally until potatoes or tender.  Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream (optional). Let stroganoff sit uncovered 5 minutes. sauce will thicken as it sits.

Cheese Jambalaya:

Pantry Kit: (Store the following items in a gallon sized zip lock bag and attach this recipe to the outside)

1 cup  instant rice

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes ( I used rotel tomatos for abit for “kick”)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Sauce Packet: (mix and store in a sandwich sized bag. Seal &  place in the gallon bag with other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tablespoon: cornstarch

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon: basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and sugar

Fresh Ingredients:
1 lb. meat: Choose from sliced kielbasa/sausage, or ground beef or sausage or even cubed chicken

3 cups hot water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

To make Jambalaya:

Brown meat, (or if using kielbasa slice kielbasa and place in the skillet) drain grease, add in the rice, tomatoes,tomato paste  water, and sauce packet.  Bring to a boil.  cover and simmer on low approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until rice is tender.  Uncover and turn off the heat.  Stir in the cheese. Let Jambalaya sit for about 5 minutes.  The sauce will thicken as it sits.




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