SteemKitchen Mains Contest - Healthy Cheeseburger Macaroni Entree

Hello my fellow Steemians!

Today, I want to share a recipe that I have not had for years, but because of circumstances in my household, I had to use it for our dinner meal this week. 

Back in my college days, I used to love buying the "Hamburger Helper" brand of dinners. My favorite flavor was the Beef Stroganoff, but I would eat any of the flavors that were available. The Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor did not appeal to me much, but I added the Velveeta cheese (which is smooth and easy melting) to the dish to make it taste better. I stopped cooking "Hamburger Helper" after college because I cooked it so much that I just didn't have a taste for it anymore (food burnout, I guess).

We are having a bit of financial difficulty, and so saving money is of great importance. I found a recipe online for Cheeseburger Macaroni, and I decided to work with the items I had in my refrigerator to create my own healthy version of this dish.  

Healthy Cheeseburger Macaroni 

Serving Size: 1.5 cups

Number of Servings: 8 - 9

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes  

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey meat
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1.5 Tablespoons dried tarragon
• 1.5 Tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried chili powder
• 1 package (12 ounces) three color rotini pasta
• 1 package (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 4 cups low fat (2%) milk
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever shredded cheese you have available)    

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, tarragon, oregano, and chili powder together and set aside. 

2) Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 2 minutes. 

3) Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease. 

4) Add pasta, elbow macaroni, vegetable broth, and milk to meat mixture in skillet. Pour in the contents of the small bowl from step 1 and stir well. 

5) Bring skillet to high heat until mixture begins boiling, then cover and reduce heat to low for 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. 

6) Remove from heat and carefully stir in shredded cheese and cream cheese until combined. Serve with small salad.   

Creamy, cheesy, and filling - this dish is so delicious. If you have a big family, there is enough for everyone. Or if it is just for two, you can eat for almost the whole week. I can definitely say that using real ingredients is SO much healthier than the powdery ingredients and the extra additives in the "Hamburger Helper" box. 

Thanks for stopping by!