Homemade "Hamburger Helper"

So you take your favorite pasta and undercook it by a minute or two.  This says cooks in 7-8 minutes so I cook it for 5-6. 

You brown a pound of your favorite meat. (I chose turkey to make the dish a bit less beefy.)  Brown meat with a small chopped onion.  Add veggies your family will tolerate.  I added celery, mushrooms and black olives.  I really wanted to add a bell pepper but my daughter can smell them a mile away!  Then you add a cup of chicken stock and a half cup of cream or half and half.  You will want the mixture to be soupy so that it will not dry out in the oven. 

You can add a can of tomatoes to the mixture as well.  I had to take a picture of these apart from the other ingredients.  I just had to.  I am savoring each and every jar until they are gone!

Cook together until veggies are soft.  Then take a handful of your favorite cheese and add to the mixture.  Stir it in and cook a bit longer.  Try to ignore the fact that it looks like vomit with cheese on it.  That is just a coincidence.  It will taste nothing like that.   



Drain the pasta and prepare for greatness!



Okay, so maybe it's mediocreness but you get the idea.  Mix it all together.

I can never put anything in the oven without adding a bit more cheese.  That is what I have done here.  Just top it with cheese.  It won't hurt a soul.

Put the whole shebang into a 375 degree oven and let it cook until it is all mellowed-out and bubbly.

I got fancy with this batch and added bread crumbs before baking.  It is not required.  It will delight the crowd without the crumbs.  Serve this dish with a green salad or some other green veggie.  My kids love it and it is really very easy and a one-pot meal if you have a skillet that can bake in the oven. 

Enjoy a meal with the family my friends!