Homemade Hamburger Helper (Healthier version!)

The best hamburger helper recipe is homemade hamburger helper. If you make it yourself at home, you never have to wonder about the nutritional content. Ground turkey lightens up this version, but the recipe makes it easy to customize to your tastes. 

Hamburger helper reminds me of babysitting when I was a teenager. It’s the standard meal that parents leave for you to feed their kids when they go out. Its a crowd pleaser, even for small children, and easy enough for a teenager to prepare.

It’s also delicious. It’s one of my secret, nostalgic, favorite foods, but as I got older, I’ve started to become increasingly concerned with things like trans fats, hidden sugars and organic ingredients.

How adult of me.

Well who knew it was just as easy to prepare without the pre-packaged box of ingredients? That’s right, DIY homemade hamburger helper makes it easy to know exactly what you’re eating.

Recently I posted a poll on Facebook about what to do with ground turkey. I mentioned that I thought ground turkey was one of the most boring ingredients out there. It seems that my facebook fans disagreed, and came back with all kinds of awesome recipe suggestions on how to use ground turkey. Whoa! Who knew people had such strong feelings about ground turkey?

I stand corrected folks.

This is a classic betsylife recipe in that it was born out of the randomness that was on hand in my freezer and pantry. Ground turkey, half a box of farfalle, some leftover mexican cheese blend, one pan…….voila! Good enough for a small child or a hungry Hubs, and ready in under 30 minutes. Plus, it tasted nearly identical to the classic boxed version. I’m sure this will be making an appearance in our house again in the future.

3.67 from 3 votes

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Homemade Healthier “Hamburger Helper”

The best hamburger helper recipe is homemade hamburger helper. If you make it yourself at home, you never have to wonder about the nutritional content.

Course Main Course, pasta

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 363 kcal

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 lb lean ground turkey
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 2 cups dry farfalle pasta
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese blend

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon while it cooks.
2. Add the milk, water, pasta, cornstarch, and spices; stir to combine. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to low and simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Healthier “Hamburger Helper”

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 363 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Sodium 388mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%

Sugars 6g

Protein 31g 62%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More easy pasta recipes

One Pot Vegetable Pasta Primavera

Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Edamame 

Healthy Kale and Poached Egg Pasta 

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