We used to do a lot of Hamburger Helper meals. Hey, they were fast, easy, budget friendly, and we all enjoyed them. After Kelsie was diagnosed with food allergies and we started reading about the artificial ingredients that are added to foods like that, we made a huge change in the way we started eating. The first thing to go was pre-packaged skillet dishes such as those.
We missed eating some of those flavor combinations so I set out to recreate them in a healthy, allergy friendly, organic way. This is one we eat a lot because it's fast to throw together and it's so filling. A huge plus is this feeds a crowd! We always have left overs, since we are only a family of 4, therefor we always have this twice in one week.
This recipe was adapted from David Venable's cookbook.
Scroll down for a printable version.
What do you need?
6 slices bacon, chopped and cooked crispy
1 pound of ground beef
¾ pound noodles of your choice, we chose Farfalle
3 cups half-n-half
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded monterey jack
¼ cup grated parmigiano
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
What do you do?
1. Cook your ground beef, drain the grease and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt..enough to make it taste like the ocean. 3. Add the pasta to the water once it starts to boil and cook until done. Follow the directions on your pasta package since all pasta cook times vary.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat the half-n-half in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in all the cheeses and then add the milk once the cheese has melted.
5. Do not allow the cheese saucee to boil! Add all of your seasonings to the cheese sauce.
6. Drain the pasta. Combine the pasta, cheese sauce, and ground beef in the large saucepan. Stir to combine.
7. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
Notes: Turn this into a casserole by placing in a 13x9 inch baking dish when you are on step 6. Top with the crumbled bacon and bread crumbs. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown and it's bubbly around the edges.
