# Hamburger Helper sides?



## KyMama

I tried making homemade hamburger helper and they didn't like it so I am back to buying the "real" stuff. The problem is that I have to fix at least 2 boxes, and that is barely enough. I used to fix it all the time because it was a cheap meal, but now with the price of ground beef (and a teenage boy) it is one of the more expensive things I make. Right now they (the boys + DH) eat it alone, but I'm thinking if I add sides I might be able to get by with one box. But what do you fix with cheeseburger mac (their favorite)? 

Or if you have a recipe for cheeseburger mac I would love to try it. Finding a recipe would be better than having to buy the boxes all the time. 

TIA


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## Danaus29

Green beans and potatoes, corn on the cob, Pea soup, lentils with tomato, salad, squash soup, plain sliced tomatoes, any kind of fruit, apple pie, apple crisp, peach cobbler, pineapple upside down cake, deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, potato salad.

My recipe for cheeseburger mac is probably more expensive. I use the velveeta shells and cheese, 2 boxes, 1 pound hamburger or sausage browned, 1 quart canned tomatoes (cooked down a bit) and a couple onions fried with the meat added after the meat is cooked through. Add some garlic powder and other seasonings to taste. Cook the pasta while the tomatoes are cooking down and the meat is browning, cut 2 minutes off the cooking time. Drain the pasta, add the tomatoes and cook for the last 2 minutes. Add meat and onion mixture, add garlic powder and seasonings, add cheese sauce last. Stir well until cheese is blended. Add more shredded cheese, stir in and serve. Dh is the only one not real fond of this. He says it tastes too much like Hamburger Helper.

You could substitute regular pasta and velveeta instead of the box stuff, that would be cheaper. I don't use enough velveeta so it goes bad before I make another batch.


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## Rocktown Gal

When I fix hamburger helper (usually the kind with potatoes or beef noodle kind) I have green beans and apple sauce with it. It does make it stretch further. One box is not really enough for us, but two is too much.


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## RedHeadedTricia

Well I have been know to throw the veggies right in the HH (Hamburger Helper) pan. Stewed or diced tomatoes in the "red" or Italian types or the cheesey mac. Creamed Corn or regular corn in Salisbury is one of my boys favorite. Broccoli califlower, carrots, mixed, even green beans has made into the "chessy" types. And I have done red/ black or even navy(white) beans in the Mexican styles along with some corn/ cream corn, again some diced tomatoes (with green chiles are good too) with some shredded cheese on top w/ a little sour cream. My girls use to love the curly 4 cheese with Ham & Broccoli. I loved the whole one pot dinners that I still make with either Hamburger Helpers types or even with the Pasta Roni's. I can stretch a box and save the other for another meal.


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## wanda1950

Lots of store brands are good & cheaper. I'm wondering how some mashed beans would work for an extender--looks like it might work with the taco type flavors. (whoops Trish--just saw your post.

Green beans or peas are our fav veggies with hamburger helper but they're not very filling. Maybe try some hearty whole wheat bread if they'll eat it. Try them on it as garlic toast.


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## KyMama

I fixed the potato stroganoff once and had peas and carrots on the side, and they completely freaked out. I guess part of it is growing up differently. My dad will fry a burger and have beans and potatoes with it. It seems to me that cheeseburger mac is close enough for beans and potatoes but my DH looks at me like I have lost my mind. 

We tried the store brands and they just don't taste right to me. The noodles are tougher I think, or maybe they just don't get as big making them denser. I can usually get an alright price when using coupons, but I wish I could find a recipe where I could keep all the ingredients on hand. I've also considered only using one pound of ground beef to two boxes of HH, that's save me $2.50 right there. I actually everything to make Danaus29's recipe. I have a 4 yr old so shells and cheese are a must in my house. 

I was sitting here thinking that if I could come up with something that is as quick and easy as HH I might be able to do away with it altogether. It is usually my go to meal after football practice or on Wednesdays because of church. I'm off to google one skillet meals that I can package ahead of time. 

Thanks


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## buslady

When I was younger, I worked at Stampers in Marshall MO. We would run the Banquet brand until we got our quota in, then stop the line, change boxes to Safeway, run it for a while, and then fill in with other brands. Our product never changed; just the packaging. This was dinners and pot pies. I'm sure they still do it today. I think now it is known as con agra.


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## FrodoLass

I always cut the meat in half. You don't really need a whole pound of ground meat for each box.


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## Danaus29

2 boxes with sides makes too much for us for one meal. Leftovers are eaten at work. Saves money compared to eating out or cold cut sandwiches.

My grandma had one hard and fast rule, a vegetable and a fruit were served at every meal. Dh didn't understand doing that either, at first. After 10 years of getting veggies at meals he finally got used to it.


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## oregon woodsmok

I have no idea what Hamburger Helper is like. However, if I had kids that wanted noodles with burger and cheese sauce, I'd do it this way.

Cook a 1 pound package of wide egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and mix with the finished sauce.

For the sauce, I'd brown a pound of burger with some onions (if they will eat onions), add a cup of water and a beef bouillon cube, simmer until the meat was done. Take another cup of cold water and mix a tablespoon or two of flour into it, pour that into the meat to thicken into gravy.

Just before serving, mix in cubes of Velveeta, until it melts. Then mix with the noodles.

That meat and cheese sauce would also be good over potatoes.

You need some sort of veggie to go with that meal. My kids would always eat coleslaw and apparently not realize it was a vegetable.

You can make it go further by cooking more noodles and use more water and another bouillon cube and a little more thickener to make more gravy. I wouldn't get too crazy with the cheese. It's strong flavored and it's no longer cheap.

If you happen to have a Grocery Outlet, or a wholesale grocers, you can buy gallon size cans of cheese sauce that is pretty tasty served with noodles. It's cheap enough if you can find it at th right store.

You can actually make that cheese sauce without meat for a bit of savings.

The classic way to stretch meat using noodles is to make spaghetti. 

You know your kids will eat noodles with cheese sauce. If they insist on the expensive convenience food, let them go hungry one night. They will get less demanding real quick. You are the parent and you should be the one controlling the budget, not the kids.


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## Guest

KyMama said:


> I tried making homemade hamburger helper and they didn't like it so I am back to buying the "real" stuff.


Sorry, but that made me giggle. "Real" Hamburger Helper is the horrible stuff around here (yes I've tried it). The pasta-based skillet meals I throw together with no recipe (a homemade hamburger helper, I guess), are wonderful. Mmmmmm.

Usually, the only side I serve with it is salad.


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## FairviewFarm

See the basic recipe for _Almost Hamburger Helper_ here: http://backtobasicliving.com/blog/tag/almost-hamburger-helper/


A *Cheeseburger Macaroni* version was printed in a local newspaper a while ago:

Cheeseburger Macaroni: Brown 1 lb. ground beef; drain. Add 1 cup water, 1Â½ cups uncooked macaroni, two cans (15 oz. each) chopped tomatoes and Â½ cup burger helper mix. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Top with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese five minutes before serving; turn off heat, stop stirring and allow cheese to melt. If you donât have shredded cheddar cheese on hand, lay a few slices of sliced cheese across the top and let it sit to melt.

From: Wisconsin State Farmer, 3/16/2001:C4

I've used the following guidelines too:

*How to Make a Casserole from What's on Hand*

http://food.unl.edu/web/fnh/make-up-casserole


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## marinemomtatt

Oregon woodsmok,
that sounds so good I just may feed that to my guys tonight...its meat night for them and I think they'll love it. They will also love the fact that I have to thaw a 2 lb. block of gramma's ground beef...burgers for their lunch tomorrow!

We are another family that has no idea what HH is, except a box of something on the grocer's shelf.


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## Lilycatherine

This is a very old recipe which I have updated, all of my three sons loved it and it is posted with others on my blog but I will write it for you here.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can undiluted tomato soup
1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) egg noodles cooked about a minute or so less than the pkg. directs and drained
1 C. cheese cut in dice OPTIONAL
1 C. sour cream OPTIONAL
cheese slices or shreds for top of dish (4 oz.)

Brown meat and drain if desired. Mix with the 2 cans of undiluted soup and the noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired. I made it like this for years, but to jazz it up, it is really great to add the diced cheese chunks and sour cream, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY. Just stir it in along and spread it all into a well buttered dish or I have used a large cast iron skillet and baked the whole thing in it after having browned the meat. Top with cheese and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 30-40 minutes until it is bubbling around the edges. Good luck and I hope you like it. The original name was Granny's Dish but I called it Cheeseburger Strogonoff.


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## Genevie

This is the recipe I use for a cheeseburger casserole. I like a heaping side of steamed broccoli with my meal but I know folks that think of HH as the meal with no sides required. If the family thinks it is weird to have a serving of veggies with the casserole, consider serving a salad course before the dish hits the table - that way there is more of a mental distinction between the two items and everyone gets some veggies.


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## eyore

Can't help with the cheeseburger mac, but if they like the chili one I have a recipe for that.
I found this recipe many years ago and have made it a few times.

Beefy Mexican Soup

1-lb hamburger
1 med. Onion
Â¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 package Hamburger Helper mix for Chili Tomato
5 cups water
1 teaspoon chili powder
Â½ teaspoon garlic salt
Â¼ teaspoon salt
1- 16 oz whole tomatoes
1 &#8211; 8oz can whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives

Cook and stir ground beef, onion and green pepper in large pot until beef is brown; drain. Stir in Sauce mix, water, chili powder, garlic salt, salt and tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in noodles, corn with liquid and olives. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until noodles are done. 

I leave out the green pepper and olives when I make this no one would it if I put it in.


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## DamnearaFarm

I typically just buy the noodle based (and usually Mongolian Beef, Cheeseburger Mac and Stroganoff) ones. I use two boxes and/or an extra handful of dry pasta tossed in. If it's two boxes I use only 1.5 lb of beef. I usually add a half cup extra water when I do add the extra pasta. Veggies can be tossed right into the mix as well.


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## rags57078

if pork sausage comes on sale buy a bunch and mix it 1/2 hamb and 1/2 sausage , good stuff, about once a year it goes on sale here for around $1.25 per lb tube


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## 36376

I use 1 lb. hamburger to 2 boxes HH. One lb. of meat is too much for one box. I usually do a steamed vegetable or a salad or just raw veggies. Just keep it simple and have fun with it. :grin:


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## lathermaker

Cook 1 pkg. Macaroni shells. Drain.

Brown 1 # ground beef with a small diced onion & a dash of garlic powder. . 
Drain the grease.
Add:
1 can Tomato soup undiluted
3-4 slices American Cheese
1 can Mushrooms~ drained, optional.
I season it with some Italian Seasoning too.
2 TBSP. Ketchup
Mix all of the above together and let simmer while you cook the pasta.

Mix this all together and Viola' you have supper.

I sometimes will add some vegies to the pasta water to cook, to add a little color and more nutrition.


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## Louisiana Mom

I used to make this alot when the children were younger:

Brown a little hamburger (1/2 -1lb)
Boil some egg noodles
Then make a package of brown gravy mix (or now I make homemade)
When it's all cooked, stir it together.
Serve with a can of veggies & a slice of bread if desired.

Also try cooking a different pasta like penne and using it as you would spaghetti.

Pasta, a little meat, and a jar of spaghetti sauce, or left over chili with maccaroni (chili mac) You could top it with a little cheese if you wish.


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## Kiss the cook

RedHeadedTricia said:


> Well I have been know to throw the veggies right in the HH (Hamburger Helper) pan. Stewed or diced tomatoes in the "red" or Italian types or the cheesey mac. Creamed Corn or regular corn in Salisbury is one of my boys favorite. Broccoli califlower, carrots, mixed, even green beans has made into the "chessy" types. And I have done red/ black or even navy(white) beans in the Mexican styles along with some corn/ cream corn, again some diced tomatoes (with green chiles are good too) with some shredded cheese on top w/ a little sour cream. My girls use to love the curly 4 cheese with Ham & Broccoli. I loved the whole one pot dinners that I still make with either Hamburger Helpers types or even with the Pasta Roni's. I can stretch a box and save the other for another meal.


I add a can of cream corn and serve with garlic bread for a complete meal.


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## RobertDane

KyMama said:


> I tried making homemade hamburger helper and they didn't like it so I am back to buying the "real" stuff. The problem is that I have to fix at least 2 boxes, and that is barely enough. I used to fix it all the time because it was a cheap meal, but now with the price of ground beef (and a teenage boy) it is one of the more expensive things I make. Right now they (the boys + DH) eat it alone, but I'm thinking if I add sides I might be able to get by with one box. But what do you fix with cheeseburger mac (their favorite)?
> 
> Or if you have a recipe for cheeseburger mac I would love to try it. Finding a recipe would be better than having to buy the boxes all the time.
> 
> TIA


Fritos large size corn chips..I scoop up the mac with them...yum...


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