I had a bit of a deprived childhood regarding comfort food classics. My mom, bless her and her genuine intentions, sort of did a 180 with her cooking after she was diagnosed with cancer for the first time – she wanted to feed her family food that was nutritious and beneficial, and as much as I can appreciate her intentions in retrospect, when I was a kid, I wasn’t thrilled about my mom’s new approach to cooking.
Like most kids, I wanted to eat the good shit, meaning foods packed full of artificial flavours and ingredients. I didn’t want bloody quinoa for dinner, I wanted Pogos, Bagel Bites and Hamburger Helper.
Believe it or not, I didn’t try Hamburger Helper until I was in my 20s, and good Lord this shit is delicious. It isn’t necessarily the healthiest food to eat, but it tastes damn good, which is what matters most, in my own humble opinion.
I thought I would share with all of you how to go about making some homemade Hamburger Helper – arguably healthier and not as synthetic. This recipe comes from delish.com.
“INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTA
4 c. sifted all purpose flour
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 c. water
FOR THE HAMBURGER HELPER
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. Frank’s red Hot
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. chicken stock
3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
FOR THE PASTA
- Place sifted flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add salt, olive oil, and water into the well. Using a fork start incorporating flour into the liquid until combined enough for you to start kneading the dough with your hands. Knead for about 8mins minutes until smooth and elastic. If needed, adjust the dough with more flour if it is too wet or more water if it is too dry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for half an hour.
- After the dough has rested, roll into a rectangle about ½ inch thick and cut into strips ¾ inch wide. Cut each strip into ½ inch rectangular pieces.
- Lightly flour your cavatelli board and roll each piece gently with your thumb down the board. Lay your cavatelli in a single layer on a floured sheet tray until ready to cook. If you are planning on making the pasta ahead, you can put it into the freezer until you need it.
FOR THE HAMBURGER HELPER
- Start boiling salted water in a pot for your pasta. While that is heating up add onion and garlic to a large saute pan and cook until translucent. On medium high heat add the ground beef to brown with the garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Once cooked drain some of the oil from the beef if needed.
- After the meat is cooked, add your cavatelli to the boiling water and cook for about five minutes, until they float to the top of the water. It is always good to take a fork and try a piece if you are unsure.
- On medium-low heat add franks red hot, sour cream, and broth to the beef and stir until the sauce is combined. Then add your cooked cavatelli to the beef sauce and stir in your cheese until melted (you can increase or reduce the amount of cheese to your liking). Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with sliced green onion and enjoy!” the recipe states.
Have at ‘er, friends!
ontheedgeofeverything 
