When I was a kid, Hamburger Helper was a staple of our household. It was quick and easy and cheap, which was important for my family. My parents were young and both worked, not to mention my mother went back to nursing school when I was a toddler and my brother was a grade schooler. Quick, easy, and cheap were necessary. As we got older, Hamburger Helper appeared less and less regularly, but nevertheless, it holds a special place in my heart that reminds me of home.
As an adult, I will admit that I’ve become a bit bougie. But I am not above admitting that Hamburger Helper is delicious! Still, I don’t buy it because I know it’s crazy high in sodium and other preservatives and I feel guilty when I eat it. But I don’t have to feel guilty when I make this recipe for One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff from TasteAndTell! It’s basically Hamburger Helper that you make yourself. Best part? It only takes marginally more work than the boxed kind. You still even cook the pasta in the same pot as everything else. Love it.
Ratings
Flavor: Four Stars – We loved the hearty chunks of real mushrooms, and the salty beef flavor was so reminiscent of that boxed kind we both remember.
Skill Level: Low – Can you make a box of Hamburger Helper? The only extra step to this was sauteing some mushrooms first to add in at the end.
Overall: Four Stars – Alright, Hubby and I agreed that this was “Pretty Good,” but promptly ate the ENTIRE pan of it for dinner that night, so I guess it was better than “Pretty Good.” It’s quick and easy and not filled with all those preservatives and chemicals like the boxed kind.
Suggestions: The recipe as is calls for four cups of beef broth, but my version turned out really soupy, even after I used some flour as a thickener. Next time I make this, I’ll be cutting the amount of broth down to at least 3 cups, though it’s possible that 2 cups would even be enough.
I also used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because as I’ve said before, I can’t stomach dairy so well. Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream if you find you can’t do regular dairy but can do yogurt.
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