The last few months of the school year are always a wildly hectic time at our house, with end of the year testing kicking into high gear, spring and summer sports beginning, art projects, science projects…well, you get the idea. It can be difficult to find time to shop, let alone cook hot, nutritious meals that everyone will agree on. This is where my secret weapon, Hamburger Helper, comes into play!
They have so many delicious varieties that even my pickiest eater loves them. Some of our favorites are Crunchy Taco, Bacon Cheeseburger and Cheeseburger Macaroni. Even better, since boxes of Helper are available for under $2.50 at my local store, these meals are amazing for my budget. All I need to add is some fresh ground beef (chicken and tuna are also great choices) and voila! A hearty, mouth-watering meal.
Since they’re so inexpensive, I like to keep my pantry stocked up with all of our favorites. That way, when I’m rushing around I don’t even have to think. I can just open the cabinet and grab what I have on hand to make an easy family dinner.
One of the other great aspects of Hamburger Helper is how simple it is to prepare. The box contains clear, easy instructions, making this a great choice for kids to make on their own. I know my girls love the satisfaction of “I did it myself” meals and it gives them a headstart on the independence they need. And since the meals can be prepared in one pan, my hopes of one of them actually doing the dishes afterward might actually come true.
This week I tried out one of our favorite Hamburger Helper recipes, the Crunchy Taco. It was so easy to prepare. You just start out by browning your ground beef in a pan, then add the rice mixture. I decided to add chopped tomatoes to give it even more of a taco feel. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes for this. After everything cooks together, you just serve with cheese sauce and taco chips on top, or mix them in to your liking. I think a cute way to serve this would be on fresh whole lettuce leaves curved upward to make edible bowls.
Right now, Hamburger Helper wants to help you even more with your budget! After stocking up on at least three boxes of Helper plus ground beef, just hop over to this page where you can download a free protein rebate form which you can send in to receive back the purchase price of your package of hamburger. How awesome is that? It is super simple, just have your printer connected and ready to go.
This sounds like a great family recipe thanks for sharing this one I always need new ideas.
I bet I haven’t used Hamburger Helper in years. I don’t know why, I guess it just fell off the regular menu. But I have a fractured foot right now and large time consuming meals are just out of the question. So thanks for much for the suggestion and info on the rebate.