How to make homemade Hamburger helper !

How to make home made Hamburger Helper ShipShapeMama style! lol

Now, I'm the type of person that I believe you don't have to make food from out of a box, food is much nutritious when you cook all your ingredients fresh !

Now lets start what ingredients you will need!

* 1 whole garlic clove or 1 tablespoon freeze dried minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 teaspoons of Lawry's all purpose season
* 1 cup of mix vegetables/ variety is optional (can veg. optional)
* 4 medium potatoes or 3 large
* 1/4 of a onion or 2 tablespoon of freeze dried mince onion
* 2 pounds of ground beef
* 1 Large soup pot / wooden spoon

                        est cook time : 40min-1 hour cook time !


Now for the cooking part, lets start by finding a suitable pot to cook in. I prefer a large sauce like pan because its perfect to fry and steam potatoes. Lets preheat our sauce pan on medium, what is medium? Turn your dial on your stove to the center. If you dial is like mine, it goes to 6. So I would set it to 3 for medium. Wait until your pan gets warm enough before adding in your ground beef. You don't want to add your meat to a cold pan. why? Well, a cooking pan must be evenly heated to evenly cook food inside of it. If your pan is unevenly heated, some bits and pieces of food like potatoes will not cook properly.

Okay ! ..When your pot is nice and warm, add your meat. While your meat is slowly cooking, this is a opportunity to skin your potatoes and dice them up into even pieces. This is important because if you have bits of potato bigger than others, your food will not cook evenly. You can end up with over cooked bits of potato with under cook ones. I would suggest to cut your potato in half and than cut the half's into half's again, you should end up with four pieces from one potato. From there you can cut your four piece pretty easily and evenly. Now make sure you check on your meat while slicing and dicing.

Be sure not to cook your meat all the way through, we only wanted cooked half way. Meaning, you should still see pink or redness in your meat.The time your done cutting your potatoes, your meat should be cooked half way. So, this is the time to add you diced potatoes. Be sure to mix your meat and papas well in your pot once you added them. Cover you pot with your lid so it can steam for a few minutes.

While your meat and potatoes are steaming, this is the time to dice up your fresh onion and garlic clove. Be sure again that they are cut evenly ! But if your deciding to use freeze dried garlic and onions, this is fine and good because you know already they are cut evenly.

After your done cutting up your onion and garlic, check on your meat. You should still see pink and remember your heat temperature should still be set to medium.

You next step after checking you meat will be to add your Lawry's all purpose season, black pepper(amount optional), mince onion and garlic. Be certain that once you have added your seasons, to stir your mixture properly. Never cut into the meat with your cooking utensil, be sure to gently start by swiping your cooking tool by sliding it through the walls of your pot and work your way to the center. You don't want to mash up your potatoes because you will end up with soggy mashed up food in fatty oil. Eww ! lol Be gentle with your food !

Now for the important part, once you mixed your mixture well. Cover it again with your lid to the pot and let steam for 6 more minutes. Its important to have the lid closed properly for this process.

After 6 minutes have past, check on your mixture. Your potatoes should be cooked half way through, which means the outside potato bits maybe a little soft but still slightly firm in the center. When you have made sure you are on track cooking, this is the best time to add your frozen/can mix vegetables in your mixture.

If you are wondering why we add our vegetables last..its because they cook very fast and sometimes your store bought vegetables might of been cooked before but just not all the way through.

Once you have added your last ingredient, be sure to mix your mixture well.. but remember ! Gentling mix, so your potatoes do not fall apart. Cover your pot once again and let steam for another 10 minutes. You can slightly turn up the heat at this point but this is optional. Some stoves get hotter than others and gas stoves cook faster than electric stoves. I'm working with a electric stove.

After you 10 minutes have past, your food should be ready ! Be sure to check that your potatoes are cooked all the way through, if not..steam for another 5 minutes. Once your food has finished cooking, this is the most important part in my opinion to reduce the fat.

Be sure to drain your food from excess oil from the pot, do it while your food is still warm and not cooled. When oil cools, it sticks to your food and maybe hard to remove. You can drain the fat from your meat by keeping the lid on the pot and carry your pot to the sink and slowly tip your pot to drain the fat. I keep the lid on while doing this so my food does not spill out into the sink. lol

Once you have done this, you are ready to eat !

Now you may ask your self, what can I eat with this? Well, I enjoy eating 2 tbsp of light sour cream with mine with 2-3 small corn tortillas.  Yummy !



Bonn Appetite !
Thanks for reading !