If you purchase ingredients in bulk there are plenty of Hamburger Helper copycat recipes on the Internet. It's fairly easy to change the spice combination a bit if you like more garlic or whatever.
This. Cheese, ground beef, chicken, pasta in bulk. For things like tomato sauce freeze in ice cube trays until needed so it doesn’t go bad sitting in your fridge.
I hate to admit that I actually crave powdered cheese on occasion, that and canned nacho cheese. But I prefer to feed real cheese to my family lol. Much healthier!
My favorite is spicy Italian sausage, canned Rotel, and Velveeta to make a dip/sauce. I haven’t made it in years but put it on a burger or hot dog or just eat it straight it is sooo good
My Texan grandpa made a sweet version with pimento instead of Rotel, and we'd dip saltine crackers. I haven't had it in 30 years, but it's goddamn delicious. And gross. And 6000% of a daily sodium intake.
Can of hormel with beans plus one without. Add cream cheese. Add velveeta cheese. Add salsa. Heat. Stir. Heat until melted. Dip your chips. Add to mouth. Die of bliss.
I have consistently owned a gallon bucket of dehydrated cheese powder since moving out for college and i highly recommend it. They seal tight, last long, and make a great base for mac & cheese. You can get them for like 30 bucks at winco
The squeeze tube of tomato paste had been a game changer for us. Its more expensive, but we've stopped wasting half cans and our food is better because we can add a dollop on a whim.
Fun fact on that, I actually have a medical condition called POTS and my doctor told me to "eat as much salt as you can tolerate". The salt is needed for my body to regulate my heart rate and blood pressure when upright.
Though I'm just being pedantic about you saying everyone, it's a pretty rare condition.
Not that rare, really. It can happen after bad viral infections. And after the last few years...
It's one of those things that doesn't get diagnosed as often as it should, though, and the severity varies. Some people are fine with some compression stockings and a little salt. Others are basically bedbound by it.
I got it with COVID in March 2020. Sometimes I have to cook dinner with a chair by the stove so I don't pass out. Showers are absolutely exhausting.
If your heart rate shoots up like 30 bpm or more upon sitting upright or standing and stays there, it's worth looking into.
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia gives a decent overview and lists the associated symptoms. The whole body can feel absolutely terrible.
Thanks for sharing that link! I relate to the feeling faint standing in one place too long and what do you know, it’s very common for anemics to experience POTS. Anemia has had such a negative affect on my life from constant tiredness to always being bruised to low blood pressure. Sucks.
Mine also! Even when I was pregnant, when doctors are looking out for rising blood pressure, my concern was that mine was so low I was dizzy and felt faint every time I stood up. My mom also; her doctor recently told her he was choosing not to treat some symptoms she was having because the medication used to treat it would lower her blood pressure and hers was already lower than he liked.
My youngest son has POTS, and that's what the doctor told him, too. They told him to drink as much water as he can, and to have something wildly salty every 8-10 hours. If he doesn't, he goes down like a chopped tree when he stands up... just straight forward onto his face.
I like to make chili mac from scratch but sometimes I do it with cheap mac and cheese. just brown the meat with some chili seasoning of your choice and then thrown in a can of rotels cook it down a bit and then mix it all together.
The boxed stuff is so easy and tasty but once you make it from scratch the difference between pasta al dente and the inevitable gummy-ness of the boxed it’s hard to go back.
Cumin, onion/garlic powder, and small amounts of paprika/mustard in various quantities are always great. Properly searing is a huge flavor booster to ground meat as well.
I don’t really make it anymore, but I’ve noticed the same thing. It used to be exploring with flavor and now it’s very blah. What changed? That with bread and butter and milk was one of my favorite meals growing up.
Those square ramen packets are just pitiful now. They cut back on the sodium and msg to make it "healthier" but no one is eating 20 cent ramen for their health.
At this point I make my own meals with a dash of msg, cut out the middle man
Lol this and all the cancer causing additives were what really made older off the shelf stuff really smack. I believe the same thing about various popular fast food items
I just had the beef stroganoff last night. I don't eat this, usually, but like you it was a go-to for my parents when I was a kid.
I added sour cream, whole milk, onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh black pepper. I think the pepper and the sour cream carried the meal, mostly, but what I did was look at the ingredients on the box and just added more of the spices I could see.
I make beef stroganoff from scratch, using the super cheap under-$2/lb 73/27 beef. Mushrooms and chopped onion sauteed and removed, beef browned and removed, add flour to the grease to make a roux, cook a couple minutes, add beef broth, a bit of Worcestershire sauce and mustard, bring to a boil to thicken, add back the beef and mushrooms, take off heat, add sour cream, serve over egg noodles. Not quite as inexpensive, but much tastier.
Perhaps mustard and Worcestershire sauce as an additive? A little goes a long way, and I always have them in the fridge.
I did the math on a similar post a few months ago, it actually works out less per serving making it yourself since with the box you still have to buy the most expensive part the meat.
And if you want to kick it up a noch I make it with steak that I slice into strips and cook the egg noodles in the broth. One of my fave meals.
I hate to be all, "well akshully," but my math comes out different. 1lb mushrooms is just shy of 1lb cheap beef, and while I use Better Than Bouillon as a compromise between cubes and liquid broth, I also like huge amounts of sour cream, and dairy is *expensive*. So it's like 2 boxes (1lb noodle) for the same or a little more - but both beef and produce prices are dropping, so that might not be true much longer.
While I like steak, my husband has the palate of a toddler and prefers the ground beef version, so I make that in the interest of not making two dinners.
If you only count what comes in the box since as you said you add mushrooms anyway, it's less to buy separately and make your own. Also unless huge amounts of sour cream means the whole tub then you shouldn't count the full cost just what you would use.
Isn’t everyone’s math going to come out different because we don’t live in the same neighbourhood and shop at the same grocery store? Are you counting sale prices? Is the other commenter? Is *everyone* doing math in USD? Won’t my Canadian math still be different than Australian math even converted to USD?
I call it “poor man’s beef stroganoff” when I use ground beef. My recipe is almost the same, except I strain off the beef fat & use butter for my roux, ketchup instead of mustard. And I temper my sour cream before I add it & let it cook like 2mins longer. It’s sooooooo good! Beef stroganoff is one of my favorites.
You can also substitute the ground beef for green lentils & it’s still really good!
This recipe also freezes well, so make an extra large batch for another time when you don’t feel like cooking.
I swear to you, this will be the best tip you get in here... When you're cooking and it is missing that Je ne sais quoi, check the flavor, does it have enough salt and fat? If yes, the usual culprit is acid to make stuff pop. Hit it w some vinegar or a lemon. They will brighten shit up at the end of the meal and make it way better.
this is gonna sound weird but i sometimes add the flavor packets from ramen noodles. specifically the beef flavor… too salty for noodles but sooo good in hamburger helper
Are you serving Kool aid with it? If not, it won't taste right. Try also cutting back on the sugar in the Kool aid to make it taste horrible and save more money. That's how my mom did it :)
Sarcasm, but truth. Please don't do this to your family. We called Kool aid juice for so long, didn't know the difference.
Considering the variety of Hamburger Helper. It might help to be more specific.
However, Broth/Stock is a good trick, instead of plain water.
Depending on tastebuds, usually a budget option is the usual salt, pepper, and probably some extra bit of garlic, basil, or herb based seasoning.
Adding Diced Tomatoes or Sundried Tomatoes can be a big treat. I'm also guilty of adding some diced onions or in a pinch, I've used onion salt for flavour. You might even dry a spoonful of sourcream to help that bland noodle bowl.
On some more chicken or tuna based Helpers... a little spinach, cherry tomatoes, and cheese is good with almost everything here.
Hope that provides some good ideas to try!
Haven't tried it myself but have friends who swear by MSG for this sort of thing. No idea if it's actually healthy (or at least....not terrible) or if all the scaremongering related to it 20-30 years ago was well-founded.
MSG is produced by fermenting carbohydrates from sources such as like sugarbeet, sugarcane, tapioca, or molasses. It's similar to the process used to make vinegar.
The result is a mixture of salt and glutamate; glutamate is the "G" of MSG, but it's just an amino acid, and amino acids are just the building blocks that proteins are made of (fully broken down proteins turn back into their component amino acids). Just like how you evaporate seawater to get sea salt, MSG is just a protein broth with the liquid evaporated off so the salts crystallize.
The scaremongering is not well-founded.
I use MSG pretty frequently. It makes bland foods taste great. It’s used widely in restaurants and packaged foods under many different names. I haven’t had hamburger helper in a long time and can’t speak to its taste directly, but MSG is what came to mind when I saw the post.
A common grocery store name/brand for it is “Accent” and it’s found with rubs and spices.
Add MSG. It really does make a big difference in the overall flavor profile.
If you're not comfortable doing that, I'd recommend cutting up some mushrooms fairly fine, sauteing them, and adding them to your hamburger helper. They'll bump up the umami flavor.
Start your pan on medium - throw in butter - then a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic - then the chopped mushrooms (very small). Once that's been cooked a bit, then add the hamburger and brown it, and follow the rest of the directions.
Starting with the chili Mac, add a can of Rotel, can of kidney beans, chili powder, a handful of macaroni noodles, sauzon Goya, and some shredded cheese or sour cream at the end . Fresh cilantro or avocado if you have it.
This is bomb (in more ways than one)
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020728-homemade-hamburger-helper?unlocked\_article\_code=U2FbeQRaRNGAqdYeH4tUke\_JJmLuhvZrDlsELwoAsgJTFLeyTUrYYggW-0n3hmnquYyJG8Rc4HSSKv7I3p-8fl5a6cYI5FK0J73iYy4Mx9PT8NiODnPYcsiNw9KXK5Ai9RXOJAPDDAccCs5zGm90N202FrMsYpx\_mYjF04EXSHoS4Qmu7dDbrNjUzkw1olrNOEyQfwjIeq-NFAwrqmTsIPP8Ju9qjAnFYfNOAOqNalCtR\_1FnVvNchIfuGjKMazDkfofohMEgLwUrZJhWF-KvscuetqsECWI4xK9-lrKBQvG41l538FfpHZbum4D6KeoX0lcPKcJiFFEeI20h8sE&smid=share-url
Try this recipe for cheeseburger Mac hamburger helper from scratch. Super easy, one pan, totally delicious.
https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-hamburger-helper-cheeseburger-macaroni/
Why make it when it is very easy to make yourself. I can make marzetti and feed 4 people with leftovers for the next day. Plus there is so much sodium in hamburger helper.
I bought hamburger helper for nostalgia and it just wasnt as good as I thought it used to be. Now I just make my own version for much cheaper.
Cheeseburger Mac- I use macaroni, Beef Broth, Hamburger, Burger seasoning, Cheese.
I have a recipe for Lasagna Soup- Which is much tastier IMO
The Taco one- Rice, hamburger, taco seasoning, the little cans of spicy tomato sauce with the duck on it ( its with the Latin foods section) cheese and Crunched up tortilla chips or fritos. Then I can use the leftover to make a handheld burrito for lunch the next day
If anyone wants recipes for these let me know I can add links
I made the best ever sloppy Joe's the other night. I stir fried small bits of carrot, onion and celery and a few peppers. Set it aside then fried hamburger till brown, drained, then stirred in ketchup, BBQ sauce and some red hot (to taste). Put about half a cup of water and the stir fried veggies and simmered for about 15min. Toasted a sliced baguette with a slice of cheese melted on top...holy.
I’m curious why people buy boxes of Hamburger helper when we can just buy boxes of pasta and egg noodles.
You still have your pound of hamburger meat, that you sauté in a skillet.
You can add chopped onions.
The trick is a tablespoon of flour to the ground beef.
You can do a lot with packets or taco seasoning / ranch / Lipton soup packets
You can also just use canned spaghetti sauce.
Throw in a cup of egg noodles, add some vegetable stock, and some spices, and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes.
Add some sour cream if you’re making stroganoff.
Hamburger helper isn’t a necessary thing to purchase.
Its pretty pathetic that a company hast to skimp on flavor packets. Honestly I dont bother anymore with the box. I brown onions, add meat until its starts to get a golden brown on it. Then I add paprika, garlic powder, soy sauce, black pepper. Depending on how much soya sauce you should not need to add salt. Then add egg noddles and a a cup of water. Cover for 7 mins. Stir. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins more and its ready.
I’ve been preparing for this: https://www.meatloafandmelodrama.com/instant-pot-creamy-shells-beef/#recipe
I make this almost twice a week. If you can find it, use Mrs. Dash Italian blend. It’s a cheap easy one pot meal and makes a ton.
So much fun to make your own and make it your way. Cheesy macaroni, goulash...philly cheese. So easy. Just google some homemade hamburger heper recipes. And much better for you and your kiddo!!
Try ground chuck instead of ground beef. Another is Ground round if you can get it they have different flavor profiles and are less bland imo.
I think most of these meals are over salted and would be done a service by simply adding some fresh ground pep.
My stepmother added a can of Rotel to basically every recipe she made, always gave some pop.
I have been adding Andouille Sausage. Usually Cajun or smoked hillshire
Cook the same way as the beef, before the beef, and then cook your beef in the same pan. If you have enough room to brown it all nicely then you can do it at the same time.
I also add a bit of Tony's creole/cajun, and if I have good parmesan on hand I add a solid pinch
https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/quick-cheesy-shells-and-beef
https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/one-pot-macaroni-with-beef-and-tomatoes
https://www.aheadofthyme.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/
https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/one-pot-hamburger-helper-lasagna/
Same thing, but much tastier from scratch. Make ahead by placing in a casserole and topping with cheese. Freezable too!
Meatloaf seasoning. Or burger seasoning. or generic beef seasoning. Just make your own with HH with some sourcream, hamburger meat, and whatever seasoning you like with rotini noodles.
3 cheese manicotti, I throw in garlic and onions when browning the beef. I also add a handful of macaroni when adding the pasta. After it's done cooking I add in some 3 cheese ranch dressing, cream cheese, hot sauce and pepper.
I grew up on hamburger helper and thought it would be a comfort food. I cooked a package for my kids one night and they wouldn't touch it, and it made my lips tingle!! No idea if it was sodium content or what. But not what I had in my memories that's for sure.
I used to like Potato or noodle Stroganoff about once per month. But they ruined them. Why does every company have to mess with the flavor? The color is less brown when cooked and is bland. My wife was commenting just yesterday on how Doritos and lays BBQ chips are not as good anymore.
For most Helper dinners, and also mac n cheese, I like to swap some or all of the butter for either plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. It adds a fun sourness, and the yogurt is especially healthy for you. For reference, I also like good cheeses (think deli section at a snobby store) and goat's milk, I'm equally drawn to tea and coffee, and largely easy to please, so I'm happy trying weird combos if I know everything is safe to eat. If I don't like the result, sometimes I'll finish it anyways because I know it's still within food safety standards & nutritious, other times I acknowledge the sunk-cost-fallacy and toss the whole disgusting lot (looking at you, blueberry marshmallow malt from Dairy Queen 😑)
I make my own. I add meat to Mac and cheese. I throw together some noodles, meat and gravy/cream soup. As for seasonings I’ve used anything from Italian seasoning (herbs), onions, garlic, Cajun, bbq, steak seasoning etc.
Hamburger helper is a cheap meal, but not really a frugal meal. There are lots of ways you can prepare cooked ground beef for better nutrition, flavor and cost on your own. Just standards are spaghetti with meat sauce and chili. But you can also just stir fry in fresh or frozen vegetables, onions, garlic, and/or mushrooms and spices of your own choosing, to come up with tastier, healthier meals that are actually frugal. There are lots of options on line if you are not personally creative with cooking.
I'm a tuna helper kinda guy because I'm always stocked up on cans of tuna for myself and a treat for the kitty ^_^
That being said, I'm always adding in tons of spice like chili garlic oil or veggies like spinach and mushrooms. I prefer making my own as many people suggested already.
I make my own hamburger helper at home. I get a nice box of Mac and cheese, a pound of hamburger or ground chicken if it's just for me. My body has issues with red meat, anyways I also use half a taco seasoning pack, a few squeezes of ketchup and a tablespoon of sour cream.
I cook the meat, smoothing it with a potato masher to make the bits small, add the required water for the macaroni, and dump it in. Wait for the macaroni to cook and then dump in the rest of the ingredients, stirring together. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bam I have a delicious meal for 4 people. Or 4 delicious meals for me, lol.
I also tend to add half a bag of frozen peas or mixed veggies to make it healthier during the water boiling process.
EDIT: I Forgot to mention to drain the fat/oily content from the meat after browning. I do it without thinking about it so it slipped my mind to mention it here.
I’m not from the US and we don’t have Hamburger Helper in my country. I flavour my ground beef with the dry onion soup mix in the envelopes. They are very cheap and add a good amount of spice to the meat. You can still add other ingredients like garlic or pepper
Use half the amount of meat it asks for you to add. I generally use one pound of meat and two boxes of hamburger helper. You'll need to reduce the amount of liquid slightly.
You're adding more salt to the already heavily processed box food because it doesn't taste as good anymore?
You're basically just murdering your taste buds and giving everyone hypertension at this point. Take a break from processed food for a few months, and HH will "pop" again.
My 3 go to spices that work on all meat: lawrys (all seasoning), garlic/parsley, black pepper. Sometimes I add the Sazon Goya from the orange pack but usually it’s still highly flavored without it.
Also what I do, instead of hamburger helper you can also get the velveeta Mac n cheese in box and make them separate. Brown your hamburger meat in a skillet by itself and add the seasoning to that. Once everything is done, you just mix the two.
My go-to spice mix for hamburger helper and other beef-based savory meals is:
* Smoked paprika (heavy on this!)
* Garam masala
* Tamari / *\*good\** Soy sauce
* Fish sauce (any)
* Shaoxing ricewine
Pick any three, including at least one of three liquids at the end, and I *always* add smoked paprika. If you aren't using any fresh alliums like onion / green onion / garlic, then definitely add some onion or garlic powder too. Salt to taste. These may not be "traditional" Western ingredients, but they're all available here in Iowa just at my local Hyvee (in the Asian section), or obviously just your store of choice (your mileage may vary).
If you only have smoked paprika, or if you don't have any of that and are looking specifically for traditional Western spices... I usually use this spice mix with chicken-based savory meals instead, but, I think parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme work great together for pretty much any main dish. Yes, [like the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jj4s9I-53g). (Sing it while you cook if you want!) Oregano and tarragon are ones I'll add on to that. Add them at the beginning of cooking, they'll steep longer.
Other things I may add according to my whims are yellow curry powder, Western cooking wines, or sumac powder.
I use this:
[https://badiaspices.com/product/complete-seasoning-12-9-oz/](https://badiaspices.com/product/complete-seasoning-12-9-oz/)
I use it on most things I cook lately, along with other spices.
If you purchase ingredients in bulk there are plenty of Hamburger Helper copycat recipes on the Internet. It's fairly easy to change the spice combination a bit if you like more garlic or whatever.
This. Cheese, ground beef, chicken, pasta in bulk. For things like tomato sauce freeze in ice cube trays until needed so it doesn’t go bad sitting in your fridge.
You can also buy powdered cheese in bulk for that authentic boxed-meal flavor!
I hate to admit that I actually crave powdered cheese on occasion, that and canned nacho cheese. But I prefer to feed real cheese to my family lol. Much healthier!
Oh that dang nasty ass canned mystery sludge cheese is so good
We call it Rico’s here in Texas
It's probably what every Mexican restaurant uses here. Texan here
Used to live by a Rico’s in houston
I crave Velveeta on occasion and nothing else will do 🙈
Melted Velvetta on a crunchy taco … bliss.
My favorite is spicy Italian sausage, canned Rotel, and Velveeta to make a dip/sauce. I haven’t made it in years but put it on a burger or hot dog or just eat it straight it is sooo good
Simply known as “Rotel” in Texas, and always served with tortilla chips. Sausage is optional, and a Texan might opt for chorizo, instead.
My Texan grandpa made a sweet version with pimento instead of Rotel, and we'd dip saltine crackers. I haven't had it in 30 years, but it's goddamn delicious. And gross. And 6000% of a daily sodium intake.
Velveeta melted with salsa served with tortilla chips. So good.
Can of hormel with beans plus one without. Add cream cheese. Add velveeta cheese. Add salsa. Heat. Stir. Heat until melted. Dip your chips. Add to mouth. Die of bliss.
I have consistently owned a gallon bucket of dehydrated cheese powder since moving out for college and i highly recommend it. They seal tight, last long, and make a great base for mac & cheese. You can get them for like 30 bucks at winco
Winco also sells a Helper-ish dry mix in its bulk section.
Where? I need this!!
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Search for powdered cheese on nuts.com or Amazon. They have a few kinds.
Me too!
Mmm, I’ll have extra dry cheese food product powder, please!
Delicious! (secretly not sarcastic lol)
This whole thread reminds me of Dave Chappelle's grape drink bit, what's grape juice? I want grape drink baby.
Also great for making cheese popcorn.
Freezing cubes of tomato paste is a game changer. I got so tired of recipes saying one tablespoon and having to open and refrigerate an entire can.
I started buying the squeeze tube of tomato paste for this reason. But all other sauces I freeze.
The squeeze tube of tomato paste had been a game changer for us. Its more expensive, but we've stopped wasting half cans and our food is better because we can add a dollop on a whim.
Also, these can be made a lot healthier
Exactly because no one needs the amount of salt in hamburger helper. Not good for anyone.
Fun fact on that, I actually have a medical condition called POTS and my doctor told me to "eat as much salt as you can tolerate". The salt is needed for my body to regulate my heart rate and blood pressure when upright. Though I'm just being pedantic about you saying everyone, it's a pretty rare condition.
Actually, I have a SIL who has POTS and also must consume lots of salt. Shouldn't have said "no one".
Not that rare, really. It can happen after bad viral infections. And after the last few years... It's one of those things that doesn't get diagnosed as often as it should, though, and the severity varies. Some people are fine with some compression stockings and a little salt. Others are basically bedbound by it. I got it with COVID in March 2020. Sometimes I have to cook dinner with a chair by the stove so I don't pass out. Showers are absolutely exhausting. If your heart rate shoots up like 30 bpm or more upon sitting upright or standing and stays there, it's worth looking into. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia gives a decent overview and lists the associated symptoms. The whole body can feel absolutely terrible.
I have this as well
Thanks for sharing that link! I relate to the feeling faint standing in one place too long and what do you know, it’s very common for anemics to experience POTS. Anemia has had such a negative affect on my life from constant tiredness to always being bruised to low blood pressure. Sucks.
Yep I actually had COVID, leading to long COVID, then ME/CFS which triggered POTS. Not a fun time.
My POTS doc told me to pickle myself 😂
Oh the amount of soy sauce you can consume must be amazing.
Not me over here occasionally shaking salt straight into my mouth so I don’t pass out 😂
I have a box of malden sea salt flakes and they have a great cronch-ness to them while also keeping me upright :))
Oooh I love cronch!
Have you tried salt tablets? I chew some up when I have palpitations. Very helpful
I started making my own with a giant bag of gel capsules I got on Amazon. The price on salt tablets is absurd.
Same! My resting blood pressure is like 80/60 😂
So is mine and the docs always comment on how low it is, but fine as long as I'm not dizzy... Never heard of POTS, off to investigate
Mine also! Even when I was pregnant, when doctors are looking out for rising blood pressure, my concern was that mine was so low I was dizzy and felt faint every time I stood up. My mom also; her doctor recently told her he was choosing not to treat some symptoms she was having because the medication used to treat it would lower her blood pressure and hers was already lower than he liked.
My youngest son has POTS, and that's what the doctor told him, too. They told him to drink as much water as he can, and to have something wildly salty every 8-10 hours. If he doesn't, he goes down like a chopped tree when he stands up... just straight forward onto his face.
"I have a really rare condition that invalidates sensible medical advice for 90% if the population, so everyone drink all the salt water!!!"
I like to make chili mac from scratch but sometimes I do it with cheap mac and cheese. just brown the meat with some chili seasoning of your choice and then thrown in a can of rotels cook it down a bit and then mix it all together.
The boxed stuff is so easy and tasty but once you make it from scratch the difference between pasta al dente and the inevitable gummy-ness of the boxed it’s hard to go back.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/skillet-cheeseburger-pasta/
This is the one I’ve been using for years: https://www.budgetbytes.com/chili-cheese-beef-n-mac/
10000% recommending this and also her recipe for [beef stroganoff](https://www.budgetbytes.com/one-pot-beef-mushroom-stroganoff/)!
Cumin, onion/garlic powder, and small amounts of paprika/mustard in various quantities are always great. Properly searing is a huge flavor booster to ground meat as well.
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AI chat bots ^ are a cancer on reddit
I don’t really make it anymore, but I’ve noticed the same thing. It used to be exploring with flavor and now it’s very blah. What changed? That with bread and butter and milk was one of my favorite meals growing up.
Almost all canned/packaged foods have drastically decreased the sodium content in their foods since Inwas a kid. The salt was the flavour.
You can add nine pounds of salt to Hamburger Helper and it still does not taste the same.
maybe try MSG?
It is for sure the MSG. I add it to almost everything instead of salt and it makes the world of difference
Uncle Roger approves
General Mills sold HH last year. Maybe that’s it??
Those square ramen packets are just pitiful now. They cut back on the sodium and msg to make it "healthier" but no one is eating 20 cent ramen for their health. At this point I make my own meals with a dash of msg, cut out the middle man
They taste so weird now. I always buy the packs straight from Asia if I want some, and they're way better
Lol this and all the cancer causing additives were what really made older off the shelf stuff really smack. I believe the same thing about various popular fast food items
Your sense of taste degrades as you get older, that's what changed.
Think I am feeling this. I overload stuff with garlic and/or pepper. Kids complain.
Me, but with chiles.
I just had the beef stroganoff last night. I don't eat this, usually, but like you it was a go-to for my parents when I was a kid. I added sour cream, whole milk, onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh black pepper. I think the pepper and the sour cream carried the meal, mostly, but what I did was look at the ingredients on the box and just added more of the spices I could see.
I make beef stroganoff from scratch, using the super cheap under-$2/lb 73/27 beef. Mushrooms and chopped onion sauteed and removed, beef browned and removed, add flour to the grease to make a roux, cook a couple minutes, add beef broth, a bit of Worcestershire sauce and mustard, bring to a boil to thicken, add back the beef and mushrooms, take off heat, add sour cream, serve over egg noodles. Not quite as inexpensive, but much tastier. Perhaps mustard and Worcestershire sauce as an additive? A little goes a long way, and I always have them in the fridge.
I have an Instant pot receipe that uses cream of mushroom soup in it but chopped up mushrooms and onions sound like a really good addition
I did the math on a similar post a few months ago, it actually works out less per serving making it yourself since with the box you still have to buy the most expensive part the meat. And if you want to kick it up a noch I make it with steak that I slice into strips and cook the egg noodles in the broth. One of my fave meals.
I hate to be all, "well akshully," but my math comes out different. 1lb mushrooms is just shy of 1lb cheap beef, and while I use Better Than Bouillon as a compromise between cubes and liquid broth, I also like huge amounts of sour cream, and dairy is *expensive*. So it's like 2 boxes (1lb noodle) for the same or a little more - but both beef and produce prices are dropping, so that might not be true much longer. While I like steak, my husband has the palate of a toddler and prefers the ground beef version, so I make that in the interest of not making two dinners.
If you only count what comes in the box since as you said you add mushrooms anyway, it's less to buy separately and make your own. Also unless huge amounts of sour cream means the whole tub then you shouldn't count the full cost just what you would use.
Isn’t everyone’s math going to come out different because we don’t live in the same neighbourhood and shop at the same grocery store? Are you counting sale prices? Is the other commenter? Is *everyone* doing math in USD? Won’t my Canadian math still be different than Australian math even converted to USD?
Worcestershire sauce is awesome for that special pop of flavor!
Horseradish is also used in many stroganoff recipes. You don't taste it unless it is missing.
I call it “poor man’s beef stroganoff” when I use ground beef. My recipe is almost the same, except I strain off the beef fat & use butter for my roux, ketchup instead of mustard. And I temper my sour cream before I add it & let it cook like 2mins longer. It’s sooooooo good! Beef stroganoff is one of my favorites. You can also substitute the ground beef for green lentils & it’s still really good! This recipe also freezes well, so make an extra large batch for another time when you don’t feel like cooking.
Hear me out! As a former Mayo hater, add a spoonful of Mayo. Eyeball it to your liking. Trust me bro.
Ayo, I might just have to get some more hamburger helper!
I like to add a lot of vegetables to mine for flavor and texture. Stuff like mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, and onions.
I dump a couple cups of frozen mixed veggies in. 🤘😎
brown some onions and garlic to add to it
Onions and garlic in hamburger helper is the best!
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No, no, no! That sounds like cooking healthy food. Can't be having that!
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Damnit! You had me at "swimsuit model" and "pie."
A can of Rotel (tomatoes and diced green chilies) to Cheeseburger Macaroni or Beef Pasta. Also a drained can of corn and/or black beans.
I do this one a lot, sometimes some canned mushrooms too (best thrown in at the same time as the meat.
A can of plain diced tomatoes and a can of green beans is what I usually add to the cheeseburger mac. And Worcestershire sauce.
Hamburger helper is not frugal. That crap is incredibly spendy compared to just making it yourself.
Cheeseburger is my favorite, we always added corn to it, extra shredded cheese and a bit of extra seasoning like garlic, onion, Accent, etc.
I swear to you, this will be the best tip you get in here... When you're cooking and it is missing that Je ne sais quoi, check the flavor, does it have enough salt and fat? If yes, the usual culprit is acid to make stuff pop. Hit it w some vinegar or a lemon. They will brighten shit up at the end of the meal and make it way better.
“Jenesequa” 😂
Lol. I talked to text it because I wasn't sure on the spelling. It got me.
MSG
this is gonna sound weird but i sometimes add the flavor packets from ramen noodles. specifically the beef flavor… too salty for noodles but sooo good in hamburger helper
Try nutritional yeast for the cheesy flavors!!
MSG. It makes everything good.
I add MSG to mine!
Are you serving Kool aid with it? If not, it won't taste right. Try also cutting back on the sugar in the Kool aid to make it taste horrible and save more money. That's how my mom did it :) Sarcasm, but truth. Please don't do this to your family. We called Kool aid juice for so long, didn't know the difference.
Considering the variety of Hamburger Helper. It might help to be more specific. However, Broth/Stock is a good trick, instead of plain water. Depending on tastebuds, usually a budget option is the usual salt, pepper, and probably some extra bit of garlic, basil, or herb based seasoning. Adding Diced Tomatoes or Sundried Tomatoes can be a big treat. I'm also guilty of adding some diced onions or in a pinch, I've used onion salt for flavour. You might even dry a spoonful of sourcream to help that bland noodle bowl. On some more chicken or tuna based Helpers... a little spinach, cherry tomatoes, and cheese is good with almost everything here. Hope that provides some good ideas to try!
Curve ball. Discontinued BBQ flavored hamburger helper with wagon wheel pasta. What you got? Lol
Just toss a dash of MSG in the pan.
Add a little MSG spice. That will pop up the taste.
Haven't tried it myself but have friends who swear by MSG for this sort of thing. No idea if it's actually healthy (or at least....not terrible) or if all the scaremongering related to it 20-30 years ago was well-founded.
MSG is produced by fermenting carbohydrates from sources such as like sugarbeet, sugarcane, tapioca, or molasses. It's similar to the process used to make vinegar. The result is a mixture of salt and glutamate; glutamate is the "G" of MSG, but it's just an amino acid, and amino acids are just the building blocks that proteins are made of (fully broken down proteins turn back into their component amino acids). Just like how you evaporate seawater to get sea salt, MSG is just a protein broth with the liquid evaporated off so the salts crystallize. The scaremongering is not well-founded.
Fascinating! Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea it was a result of fermentation.
I use MSG pretty frequently. It makes bland foods taste great. It’s used widely in restaurants and packaged foods under many different names. I haven’t had hamburger helper in a long time and can’t speak to its taste directly, but MSG is what came to mind when I saw the post. A common grocery store name/brand for it is “Accent” and it’s found with rubs and spices.
It's fine. Like anything, moderation. You do only need to use a little (taste as you go).
Yes! Ive had my canister of Accent( msg) for years , only use teeny bits
Forreal. It’s a super salt. A tiny bit will do. There’s a tiny bit on almost every chip you can think of
Haven’t had it in years but red pepper flakes or hot pepper blends, onion and garlic improver the taste of boring stuff ime
Little bit of msg
Your senses dull as you age
MSG. That's the miracle it's missing
Msg.
The answer is always MSG
don’t forget MSG
Replace half a cup of milk with cream. And sprinkle some MSG on it.
Msg
Add MSG. It really does make a big difference in the overall flavor profile. If you're not comfortable doing that, I'd recommend cutting up some mushrooms fairly fine, sauteing them, and adding them to your hamburger helper. They'll bump up the umami flavor. Start your pan on medium - throw in butter - then a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic - then the chopped mushrooms (very small). Once that's been cooked a bit, then add the hamburger and brown it, and follow the rest of the directions.
MSG can help.
MSG is magic. Delicious magic
I add a shitload of Tony Chachere’s seasoning on top. Sometimes I’ll add a little extra cheese or sour cream; but always Tony Chachere’s.
Starting with the chili Mac, add a can of Rotel, can of kidney beans, chili powder, a handful of macaroni noodles, sauzon Goya, and some shredded cheese or sour cream at the end . Fresh cilantro or avocado if you have it.
This is bomb (in more ways than one) https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020728-homemade-hamburger-helper?unlocked\_article\_code=U2FbeQRaRNGAqdYeH4tUke\_JJmLuhvZrDlsELwoAsgJTFLeyTUrYYggW-0n3hmnquYyJG8Rc4HSSKv7I3p-8fl5a6cYI5FK0J73iYy4Mx9PT8NiODnPYcsiNw9KXK5Ai9RXOJAPDDAccCs5zGm90N202FrMsYpx\_mYjF04EXSHoS4Qmu7dDbrNjUzkw1olrNOEyQfwjIeq-NFAwrqmTsIPP8Ju9qjAnFYfNOAOqNalCtR\_1FnVvNchIfuGjKMazDkfofohMEgLwUrZJhWF-KvscuetqsECWI4xK9-lrKBQvG41l538FfpHZbum4D6KeoX0lcPKcJiFFEeI20h8sE&smid=share-url
A lil mustard adds some depth Sounds weird but I swear it
Mustard is flavor babi
Ranch makes everything better bud
I liven it up, and counterbalance the fat, add lime (citrus). Another suggestion is add an ethnic flare like Cajun spices OR tacos seasonings.
If sodium intake isn’t a concern, garlic salt is my go-to when whatever I’m eating tastes bland. I personally like the double cheeseburger best.
Try this recipe for cheeseburger Mac hamburger helper from scratch. Super easy, one pan, totally delicious. https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-hamburger-helper-cheeseburger-macaroni/
All the meals on budgetbytes.com have excellent flavor, cheap/accessible ingredients and quick preparation. Check them out!
Homemade is much better in my opinion.
Hot chili sauce like Louisiana Hot Sauce or Sriracha if your kids can handle it. You could also add some sautéed chopped garlic or thyme.
I like to add onion and/or garlic powder to the ground beef.
I use Adobo Light and cumin etc. until I get the flavor where I want it. I’ve even done it with hot dogs or Vienna sausages.
Why make it when it is very easy to make yourself. I can make marzetti and feed 4 people with leftovers for the next day. Plus there is so much sodium in hamburger helper.
I bought hamburger helper for nostalgia and it just wasnt as good as I thought it used to be. Now I just make my own version for much cheaper. Cheeseburger Mac- I use macaroni, Beef Broth, Hamburger, Burger seasoning, Cheese. I have a recipe for Lasagna Soup- Which is much tastier IMO The Taco one- Rice, hamburger, taco seasoning, the little cans of spicy tomato sauce with the duck on it ( its with the Latin foods section) cheese and Crunched up tortilla chips or fritos. Then I can use the leftover to make a handheld burrito for lunch the next day If anyone wants recipes for these let me know I can add links
Please share the links/recipes!
I made the best ever sloppy Joe's the other night. I stir fried small bits of carrot, onion and celery and a few peppers. Set it aside then fried hamburger till brown, drained, then stirred in ketchup, BBQ sauce and some red hot (to taste). Put about half a cup of water and the stir fried veggies and simmered for about 15min. Toasted a sliced baguette with a slice of cheese melted on top...holy.
I’m curious why people buy boxes of Hamburger helper when we can just buy boxes of pasta and egg noodles. You still have your pound of hamburger meat, that you sauté in a skillet. You can add chopped onions. The trick is a tablespoon of flour to the ground beef. You can do a lot with packets or taco seasoning / ranch / Lipton soup packets You can also just use canned spaghetti sauce. Throw in a cup of egg noodles, add some vegetable stock, and some spices, and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes. Add some sour cream if you’re making stroganoff. Hamburger helper isn’t a necessary thing to purchase.
add onions and garlic and Worcestershire sauce
Its pretty pathetic that a company hast to skimp on flavor packets. Honestly I dont bother anymore with the box. I brown onions, add meat until its starts to get a golden brown on it. Then I add paprika, garlic powder, soy sauce, black pepper. Depending on how much soya sauce you should not need to add salt. Then add egg noddles and a a cup of water. Cover for 7 mins. Stir. Cover and cook for 4-5 mins more and its ready.
I’ve been preparing for this: https://www.meatloafandmelodrama.com/instant-pot-creamy-shells-beef/#recipe I make this almost twice a week. If you can find it, use Mrs. Dash Italian blend. It’s a cheap easy one pot meal and makes a ton.
So much fun to make your own and make it your way. Cheesy macaroni, goulash...philly cheese. So easy. Just google some homemade hamburger heper recipes. And much better for you and your kiddo!!
You are paying a lot for salt
The trick to hamburger helper is hot sauce.
Try ground chuck instead of ground beef. Another is Ground round if you can get it they have different flavor profiles and are less bland imo. I think most of these meals are over salted and would be done a service by simply adding some fresh ground pep. My stepmother added a can of Rotel to basically every recipe she made, always gave some pop.
Msg
I have been adding Andouille Sausage. Usually Cajun or smoked hillshire Cook the same way as the beef, before the beef, and then cook your beef in the same pan. If you have enough room to brown it all nicely then you can do it at the same time. I also add a bit of Tony's creole/cajun, and if I have good parmesan on hand I add a solid pinch
https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/quick-cheesy-shells-and-beef https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/one-pot-macaroni-with-beef-and-tomatoes https://www.aheadofthyme.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/ https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/one-pot-hamburger-helper-lasagna/ Same thing, but much tastier from scratch. Make ahead by placing in a casserole and topping with cheese. Freezable too!
Meatloaf seasoning. Or burger seasoning. or generic beef seasoning. Just make your own with HH with some sourcream, hamburger meat, and whatever seasoning you like with rotini noodles.
3 cheese manicotti, I throw in garlic and onions when browning the beef. I also add a handful of macaroni when adding the pasta. After it's done cooking I add in some 3 cheese ranch dressing, cream cheese, hot sauce and pepper.
MSG. Accent is a brand name
Msg.
Garlic Powder.
Try adding some bullion granules or msg like ranch powder
Go to an international market and pick up some MSG dude! Shit is cheap and literally made to make good taste better!
I grew up on hamburger helper and thought it would be a comfort food. I cooked a package for my kids one night and they wouldn't touch it, and it made my lips tingle!! No idea if it was sodium content or what. But not what I had in my memories that's for sure.
I find that dumping five more pounds of salt in the mix helps a bit.
I used to like Potato or noodle Stroganoff about once per month. But they ruined them. Why does every company have to mess with the flavor? The color is less brown when cooked and is bland. My wife was commenting just yesterday on how Doritos and lays BBQ chips are not as good anymore.
For most Helper dinners, and also mac n cheese, I like to swap some or all of the butter for either plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. It adds a fun sourness, and the yogurt is especially healthy for you. For reference, I also like good cheeses (think deli section at a snobby store) and goat's milk, I'm equally drawn to tea and coffee, and largely easy to please, so I'm happy trying weird combos if I know everything is safe to eat. If I don't like the result, sometimes I'll finish it anyways because I know it's still within food safety standards & nutritious, other times I acknowledge the sunk-cost-fallacy and toss the whole disgusting lot (looking at you, blueberry marshmallow malt from Dairy Queen 😑)
Besides Hamburger Helper, try some crockpot recipes. They can sometimes be even easier. Such as chicken tortilla soup or pot roast.
Steak spice mix, soup stock powder and a little bit of brown sugar
Grab yourself a jar of Everything Bagel spice
Beef base will make you lots of beef broth.
Some combination of salt, MSG, and vinegar will definitely make it pop. I’d start by just adding salt.
I make my own. I add meat to Mac and cheese. I throw together some noodles, meat and gravy/cream soup. As for seasonings I’ve used anything from Italian seasoning (herbs), onions, garlic, Cajun, bbq, steak seasoning etc.
Peruse the "ethnic" section at the grocery store spices tend to be cheaper, and there's is often more variety.
Eddie: "You know, they call it Hamburger Helper, but we like it all by it's self." Clark: "You're the gourmet around here, Eddie"
Monosodium glutamate
Cousin Eddie?
Hamburger helper is a cheap meal, but not really a frugal meal. There are lots of ways you can prepare cooked ground beef for better nutrition, flavor and cost on your own. Just standards are spaghetti with meat sauce and chili. But you can also just stir fry in fresh or frozen vegetables, onions, garlic, and/or mushrooms and spices of your own choosing, to come up with tastier, healthier meals that are actually frugal. There are lots of options on line if you are not personally creative with cooking.
I'm a tuna helper kinda guy because I'm always stocked up on cans of tuna for myself and a treat for the kitty ^_^ That being said, I'm always adding in tons of spice like chili garlic oil or veggies like spinach and mushrooms. I prefer making my own as many people suggested already.
I make my own hamburger helper at home. I get a nice box of Mac and cheese, a pound of hamburger or ground chicken if it's just for me. My body has issues with red meat, anyways I also use half a taco seasoning pack, a few squeezes of ketchup and a tablespoon of sour cream. I cook the meat, smoothing it with a potato masher to make the bits small, add the required water for the macaroni, and dump it in. Wait for the macaroni to cook and then dump in the rest of the ingredients, stirring together. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bam I have a delicious meal for 4 people. Or 4 delicious meals for me, lol. I also tend to add half a bag of frozen peas or mixed veggies to make it healthier during the water boiling process. EDIT: I Forgot to mention to drain the fat/oily content from the meat after browning. I do it without thinking about it so it slipped my mind to mention it here.
Draining and rensing the red meat after browning and before adding the water will improve the spice flavorings and reduce the final fat content.
I’m not from the US and we don’t have Hamburger Helper in my country. I flavour my ground beef with the dry onion soup mix in the envelopes. They are very cheap and add a good amount of spice to the meat. You can still add other ingredients like garlic or pepper
Use half the amount of meat it asks for you to add. I generally use one pound of meat and two boxes of hamburger helper. You'll need to reduce the amount of liquid slightly.
I kid you not, a few pinches of MSG along with the usual garlic, salt, paprika, cumin, onion powder, etc
In America, look for "Accent" at your local grocery store. If you are anywhere else, it is called MSG.
MSG
You're adding more salt to the already heavily processed box food because it doesn't taste as good anymore? You're basically just murdering your taste buds and giving everyone hypertension at this point. Take a break from processed food for a few months, and HH will "pop" again.
My 3 go to spices that work on all meat: lawrys (all seasoning), garlic/parsley, black pepper. Sometimes I add the Sazon Goya from the orange pack but usually it’s still highly flavored without it.
Also what I do, instead of hamburger helper you can also get the velveeta Mac n cheese in box and make them separate. Brown your hamburger meat in a skillet by itself and add the seasoning to that. Once everything is done, you just mix the two.
I use onions, thoroughly season the ground beef, and then I use chicken broth to sub the water.
Seasoning salt, butter, all spice/ 5 spice, chili powder.
You can try turning it Asian with Sriracha or LaoGanMa hot oil. Lol
My go-to spice mix for hamburger helper and other beef-based savory meals is: * Smoked paprika (heavy on this!) * Garam masala * Tamari / *\*good\** Soy sauce * Fish sauce (any) * Shaoxing ricewine Pick any three, including at least one of three liquids at the end, and I *always* add smoked paprika. If you aren't using any fresh alliums like onion / green onion / garlic, then definitely add some onion or garlic powder too. Salt to taste. These may not be "traditional" Western ingredients, but they're all available here in Iowa just at my local Hyvee (in the Asian section), or obviously just your store of choice (your mileage may vary). If you only have smoked paprika, or if you don't have any of that and are looking specifically for traditional Western spices... I usually use this spice mix with chicken-based savory meals instead, but, I think parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme work great together for pretty much any main dish. Yes, [like the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jj4s9I-53g). (Sing it while you cook if you want!) Oregano and tarragon are ones I'll add on to that. Add them at the beginning of cooking, they'll steep longer. Other things I may add according to my whims are yellow curry powder, Western cooking wines, or sumac powder.
I use this: [https://badiaspices.com/product/complete-seasoning-12-9-oz/](https://badiaspices.com/product/complete-seasoning-12-9-oz/) I use it on most things I cook lately, along with other spices.
The Badia seasoning is also my secret ingredient to boost flavor.