My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version.
We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up liquid from the turkey while cooking, and then we supplemented with another 1/8 tsp Kashmiri pepper. Second, to add some beefy flavor, we added 2 tsp beef Better Than Bouillon to 2 cups no-salt chicken broth (see Note below). Third, we found that after adding the milk, we needed only 5-6 minutes for the pasta (cavatappi) to be al dente. Finally, we added about 1/8 tsp black pepper and reduced the amount of shredded cheese to 3/4 cup.
This was a very tasty, satisfying meal. We served it with sliced tomatoes lightly drizzled with Marukan salad seasoning rice vinegar and olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and black pepper. (July 2025)
Note: The Better Than Bouillon is concentrated and quite salty, so the next time we may reduce to 1 tsp or 1.5 tsp (instead of 2 tsp).
Cooking Adventures 