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No-Box Hamburger Helper™

BeefStove-TopDiner-Style

Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

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About

When originally introduced in 1971, Hamburger Helper™ aimed to help hungry customers stretch a single pound of meat into a meal for five. No-Box Hamburger Helper does it one better by making a single pound of savory ground beef into a meal for six! Not only that, No-Box Hamburger Helper has everything you're looking for in the classic boxed dish: the tender pasta, the vibrant spices, the melty cheeses, and all with that beefy flavor mingling throughout. No need to grab a box when making it from scratch is so much better!

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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups low-sodium or no salt beef broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni
  • 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • fresh parsley, optional, to taste, for garnish

Directions

Step 1 -In a large, covered skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Step 2 -Add the ground beef, the onion, and the carrot to the oil and cook, while breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and the onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 3 -Add the tomato paste, the flour, the chili powder, the paprika, the parsley, the brown sugar, the garlic powder, the salt, and the pepper to the meat mixture and stir until the tomato paste coats all the meat and doesn't burn.

Step 4 -Add the diced tomatoes, the broth, and the milk to the meat mixture and bring it to nearly a boil.

Step 5 -Add the macaroni to the sauce mixture, stir, and reduce the heat to medium.

Step 6 -Cook the macaroni mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

Step 7 -Reduce the heat to low.

Step 8 -Add the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese to the macaroni mixture and stir until the cheese has melted.

Step 9 -Turn off the heat, cover, and let the macaroni mixture sit until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 10 -Serve topped with the parsley.

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