Adapting One Pot Meals: Creating Your Own Hamburger Helper

One pot meals are the best! I love how quick they are to fix and how fast they are to clean up (especially in a non-stick skillet!).  I can't remember the last time I actually bought hamburger helper because this is so simple. 

1 lb. ground beef

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups water

chili spices (your choice) 

1 beef bouillon cube

1 cup small shells

3/4 cup frozen peas

2 cups cheddar

Brown meat in pan with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and steak seasoning. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir in water, bouillon cube, and chili spices. Bring to a boil and add in pasta. Turn down to a simmer and cook for approximately six minutes and add peas. When pasta is cooked, stir in cheddar until cheese is melted. Serve. 

See? Quick and simple. 

Doesn't it look amazing? 

And the even better thing is how easy it is to change this up. 

You need meat (or not, whatever you want), liquid (chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, milk, beef broth, enchilada sauce, etc), veggies, and a starch.  And cheese! I love cheese. You can really use about any combination you want. 

I make spaghetti this way. Hamburger, tomato paste, 3 cups chicken broth, 8 oz. spaghetti, and parmesan cheese. 

Stroganoff? Hamburger, make a roux with flour and the grease, add milk or beef broth, then add in noodles and some sour cream at the end. Yum! 

Alfredo?  Chicken, mushrooms, roux, chicken broth (or milk), whipping cream, noodles, and broccoli and parmesan at the end. 

(Change the pasta shapes just for fun. I love interesting pasta shapes!)

Serve with bread and a salad. Or absolutely nothing else if you're really hungry! 

What flavor combinations can you imagine?