Hamburger Buddy

Everyone loves Hamburger Helper, right? This EatingWell.com recipe tastes a lot like the family classic but is full of veggies and has fewer additives. It's a great meal for kids who don't quite love vegetables (yet), and it makes for amazing leftovers too. I also really like it because (aside from the food processor), it's a one-pot dish!

Hamburger Buddy
Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 medium carrots, cut into 2" pieces (I used 4 carrots)
10 ounce white mushrooms, large ones cut in half
1 pound lean ground organic beef (try grass-fed!)
2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. Redmond's salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
1 14-ounce can reduced sodium organic chicken broth, divided
8 ounces whole wheat elbow noodles (I used brown rice penne)
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. all-purpose flour (I used rice flour)
1/2 C. reduced fat sour cream (I used organic regular sour cream)
2 T. tomato paste - I added this based on feedback on the EatingWell site
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and processed until minced, then add carrots and mushrooms and processed until finely chopped.



Turn it off, add onions, and pulsed until roughly chopped.



Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes.



Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes.



Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauce (if using); bring to a boil.




Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8-10 minutes. If using brown rice pasta, make sure to not overcook.

Whisk flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of broth in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the hamburger mixture.


Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired.



Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product because I made this on a Sunday for a Monday dinner and didn't whip out the camera when I actually ate it. You can imagine the deliciousness, however :) It's actually really good sprinkled with Cholula, and I served it another way later in the week by topping it with shredded cheese and heating it in the toaster oven. Yum!

Enjoy!

*M*