No More Hamburger Helper in This House

Healthier-For-You Hamburger Helper

While searching for my weekly challenge Monday night, the husband surprised me by suggesting he pick the recipe. Was I hearing him correctly? Yes! He was really beginning to show some interest in this little project. I quickly handed over my stack of cookbooks and told him to to take his pick. 

Surprisingly, the husband chose a rather low-cal meal. I'm not sure if it was  the nutritional information that caught his attention - in all honesty, it was probably the Hamburger Helper-like directions - but I had to give him credit for helping. And since he picked a nutritious one-pot meal, I couldn't complain.

It's true: I was a bit hesitant while our dinner was simmering. I was so worried the big skillet of slop I'd created was going to taste awful.

But I let the dish simmer away, lifting the top only to stir it around and make sure it wasn't burning all over the bottom of my prized skillet, and I must say I was quite pleased with the result. No, this isn't the meal I'd like to serve at our next dinner party, but it was perfect for a cold Tuesday night. Oh, OK, it was perfect for a cold Wednesday night, too.

Healthier-For-You Hamburger Helper
Adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe

1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained
1 cup tomato sauce
2 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta (we used rotini)

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded low-fat Mexican blend cheese

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. Soak up the excess fat with a paper towel, and rinse the meat and onion mixture in a colander.

Rinse the beans and add to the skillet. Stir in the tomatoes, sauce, macaroni and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer the mixture, covered, and stir often for 15-20 minutes - or until the macaroni is tender.

Remove the skillet from the stove and sprinkle the cheese over the mixture. Let the cheese melt for about two minutes and serve.

**Amount Per Recipe: 6 Servings (1 Cup Per Serving)

Calories 289, Total Fat 11 g, Carbohydrate 27 g, Total Sugar 4 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 23 g

** These are the nutrition facts from the BHG cookbook. I figure the nutritional info of my take on the recipe is close, and I'll update this post as soon as I've got a bit more energy.