This Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is a delicious one-pot spin off on one of your favourite childhood meals, and it’s loaded with extra veggies!
Oh hey there!
I’ve just classed up your favourite childhood dinner to make it healthier and more wholesome – I mean, why not end the week with a one pot meal and a little bit of wine, right????
This Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is loaded with extra veggies, made with whole wheat pasta and you can even sub in some ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef if you’re looking to make this casserole extra lean.
As a kid, my mom never ever let us have Hamburger Helper. I feel like it’s a cornerstone of my childhood that I’m missing out on. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that Hamburger Helper and the like is probably the type of meal you serve your kids when you have just given up for the day and are too tired to function, not necessarily a treat you should look forward to.
But I’ve got a real penchant for junk food. Honestly, I used to look forward to eating TV dinners and ramen noodles as a kid. My mom insisted on homemade and healthy for literally every single meal (except for the odd time she took us to McDonald’s when my dad went away on a business trip…) so I always felt like the odd one out among my friends. I had to wait for a visit to my grandma’s in order to get my fill of crap food (mostly because my grandma couldn’t cook LOL).
Like, even as a healthy food blogger these days, my guilty pleasure is processed food. I kid you not, I once ate a whole box of Kraft Dinner (the Canadian version of Mac n Cheese) by myself for lunch on Christmas Day because it was my cheat day and I wanted to finally give in to my cravings. I don’t know where my love of trashed up boxed food comes from, but all I know is that I’m here for it.?
Just like I’m here for this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper.
Healthierrrrrrrrr being the operative term. Like, I really can’t promise you that you will lose weight or reach your personal fitness goals with this recipe (or any of my recipes for that matter LOL) but I can tell you that you can feel less guilty about indulging your guilty pleasures if they are anything at all like mine.
You don’t have to worry about all the preservatives that come along with boxed foods like this, and you can still spend a lot less time in the kitchen, making less of a mess at that, because this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper is a one-pot recipe.??Also, like I love doing with just about everything, I highly recommend you add in ALL the veggies in your fridge. Seriously.
I think my vegetable addiction is actually handy in that it often combats my cravings for processed food. I end up spending way too much time in the produce section of the grocery store so it keeps me out of the aisles where all the delicious carb-heavy packages of pre-made foods are calling my name.
Here are some great ideas for healthy add-ins to this deliciously mouth-watering cheeseburger casserole:
- Carrots
- Spinach/kale
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Red cabbage
Just dump your whole vegetable crisper up in here okay? Any excuse to make this healthier…
I made a slightly (okay, much) unhealthier version of this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper in the form of a Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger Casserole a few years ago if you’re looking for a different twist on this one-pot meal. Obviously that one’s another one of my faves but it’s not exactly something I eat on a regular basis anymore. Darn millennials and their health goals, right?
Since moving home I’ve actually been really focusing on myself in pretty much every way possible. I’m really taking this whole career woman, mid-20s, now-is-the-time-to-be-selfish thing to the next level and I have to say, I feel like I’m really thriving in a way that I never was before.
I’m going to the gym everyday for an hour or two (more for mental health purposes but the exercise don’t hurt the appearance if you know what I mean?), I’m working non-stop on this site that used to be a mere hobby of mine, and I’m also really focusing on my overall health and personal growth. I mean, hello, look how this blog has morphed from me writing about all the ways I was stuffing my face to now aligning my creations more to what I’m regularly eating, like healthier foods and meal prep ideas. It’s funny how priorities change over time ehh?
I know, all this philosophizing over Hamburger Helper.
Go ahead, I give you permission to go ahead and make this giant pot of deliciousness. Just be prepared to share it or basically eat it the whole week as leftovers because it makes a TON of food. You’re welcome!!!
Will you be making this Healthier Homemade Hamburger Helper?
I absolutely love remaking my favourite childhood classics, even if I didn’t end up trying actual Hamburger Helper until I was almost 21 years old. OMG. What was I missing out on?!
If you try any of my recipes be sure to let me know on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or in the comments – I’d love to see what you come up with!?
| Servings |
servings
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- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef or ground chicken
- 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 796mL can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 cups dried whole wheat macaroni
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
Ingredients
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- In a large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add ground beef or chicken, onions and garlic, and cook until browned, about 4-5 min.
- Add in carrots, celery and red pepper, sauteeing for another 2-3 min.
- Add broth and crushed tomatoes, along with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add dry macaroni and cover with a lid, cooking on medium heat and stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until pasta is completely cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Top with parsley (optional) and serve!
1 Comment
Lesley Metcalfe
June 15, 2017 at 16:21This looks so good! Gonna make it tonight! (Speaking of childhood indulgences, I have a mega-weakness for Nacho Doritos and Oreos.)