I know… this is NOT soup. So, why is it on a soup blog? Because it’s important to be educated in all types of cuisines including the ones that mimic sort of gross boxed pasta with questionable seasoning packets. Let’s move on…
I used to love it when my mom would make Hamburger Helper for dinner when I was a child. I would request it every week like it was taco Tuesday.
I remember a couple of years ago, after getting over my infatuation for Hamburger Helper, I wanted to recall it’s deliciousness and make it again.
The honest answer, it was gross. If I wasn’t sober, it might have been better but after that encounter, I wanted to try to make it from scratch.
I’ve had homemade Hamburger Helper before. I googled homemade versions and found that there weren’t too many steps to making this better.
Also, this is the lasagna version because that was the flavor that I grew up eating. If you’re into a different flavor, you’ll have to google a different recipe.
The recipe I used comes from Jo Cooks One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
I’ve modified her recipe to match my preferences and I also used ingredients that I had in my kitchen already. For example, the typical Lasagna Hamburger Helper uses Mafalda pasta but I had a box of trio pasta, I added Parmesan as well as fresh spinach. In my recipe, I used pizza sauce because I didn’t have any marinara and still tasted top-notch.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes
What You Will Need:
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 4-5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
- 2 cups of Marinara Sauce
- 8 oz of any Pasta of your Choice
- 3 cups of Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
- 4-5 cups of Fresh Spinach
The How-To:
- Start by browning the ground turkey. If you’re using a fattier meat, you may want to drain the fat afterward.
- Add onion and cook until almost translucent. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce, chicken broth, and pasta. Stir until well combined. Bring this to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook for 15 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. You will also notice that the sauce has thickened quite significantly.
- Stir in the Mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese until they have melted.
- Then wilt the spinach. This will take 1-2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and Dobrou Chut’!
