Hamburger,Macaroni and Cheese
My kids like Hamburger Helper. I’ve rarely cooked it for dinner, but when they were younger I would use it on the rare babysitter nights and then later on the rare “on your own” nights once they were old enough to cook safely.
I did play around with some hamburger helper-like mixes for a while and the taste was good but we just didn’t use them often enough to justify mixing this all up. Then I just stopped making them and would just buy the danged box for a “treat” now and then.
Reading through some food blogs this morning I ran across Ezra Pound Cake’s version of No-Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni. I tried it tonight, pretty much true to her version with perhaps a bit more cheese…because the last bit wasn’t worth saving.
We liked it. It was a bit “sweet” for our taste but good. I think next time I might try a little less ketchup..and maybe more mustard or add some vinegar. I did use prepared mustard. The recipe didn’t specify but I guessed.
Edited to add: I did later play around and came up with this version of hamburger goulash.
Since we were sort of on a retro night and had a big green salad last night I just cut some carrots and celery up and mixed a buttermilk-honey dressing up I found in Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition – 2006
Buttermilk Honey Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 Tbs honey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 scallion minced
- pinch of ground red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk everything together except the olive oil, then add the oil while whisking.
I’m still looking for a good homemade “Ranch-like” dressing if anyone has a recipe to share. We don’t actually like the bottled stuff but do like the Ranch dressings we get in restaurants.
Ellen – so glad the Ranch Dressing worked for you. I have been cooking for my family and friends for a long time. The American Test Kitchen Family Cookbook has become my ‘go to’ cook book. Suze
Suze, I made this tonight and it TOTALLY satisfied. The sour cream was the key I think. That wasn’t in the other versions I’ve tried. Thank you so much for sharing. — Ellen
Thanks Suze! And I’ve got all that in the house so will try this as soon as we use up the other dressing.
Homemade Ranch Dressing: This is our family favorite from The American Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
1/2 cup each buttermilk and mayo
6 T sour cream
1 T each minced red onion, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro or dill
1 clove garlic minced
1 t lemon juice
pinch sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
Mix well to combine. Will keep up to 4 days in the frig if it last that long.
Hope you enjoy – Suze