Homemade Hamburger Helper, Salty Tips + reading & watching
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #128 [vol6, 2.1]
In this letter: Cooking tips, Hamburger Helper recipe, new to me flavor pairing, what I’m reading , watching and listening.
I was probably in high school before I’d ever tasted Hamburger Helper. We hardly ate any pasta or rice, Mom cooked mostly red meat and garden veggies.
“Where has this goodness been all my life!?”
Reflecting over thirty years later and knowing now what I do about cooking + teaching other home chefs, probably what I loved was the salty, creamy perfection in a bite. Mom went through a phase where salt was demonized. The boxed Hamburger Helper was salty and delicious.
Most home cooks do not use salt properly.
Why has salt has been demonized instead of being praised as the incredible food enhancer and crucial mineral addition that it is?! Packaged “food” tastes so good because food scientists have dialed in the proper amount of salt.
YOU CAN BE THAT FOOD SCIENTIST!
Tips for Proper Salt Usage
Add salt in layers, after each addition of something in the pan or pot. If a recipe calls for onions, carrots and celery - sprinkle salt over the onions and let them cook, add the carrots then add salt/stir, add celery and add salt/stir.
Meat: general rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt per pound, whether in the pan or seasoning beforehand. If I’m making tacos with 2 pounds of ground beef, I add 2 teaspoons of salt after the beef hits the pan (then I add other spices, not a spice packet because spice packets are mostly salt.) If making roast, I use the same ratio on the exterior of the roast — read here for more of my tips for making incredible roast.
There is a difference in salt. I wrote here about some differences.
Don’t wait to the very end to add salt all at once. Some recipe writers, let’s say for example for soup, will write in the instructions to use 1t salt. The assumption is to use that all at once. However my exhortation is to use it a bit at a time, after the addition of each ingredient.
Taste food as you stir on the stove. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. God gave us all taste buds that will give you instant feedback. So many of my students proclaim, “I don’t know what I’m tasting for…”
If you never taste, you will never know. Practice. Start tasting early. Pay attention to how the flavor changes as the food cooks. Pretend you’re on a cooking show. Pretend you’re a fancy food critic. Add more salt and see if you can tell a difference. Add more salt and make it too salty — and learn from experience where the threshold is.
When cooking pasta or boiling potatoes, salt the water as salty as you remember the ocean tasting (it is salty!) Using salty water has two purposes: the food tastes better in the end AND you preserve some nutrients in the food that you’re cooking.
Make mistakes and grow. Don’t be afraid of failure! Your health is too important to keep eating food from cans, bags and boxes. Learn to cook something new.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Serves 4 hungry or 6 people if adding a side
1 pound ground beef (+ 1t salt)
1 onion, chopped (+ salt)
2-4 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
optional: 1/2t paprika (or more), pinch of Italian seasoning
OPTIONAL: mushrooms
3 cups broth, preferably homemade (please taste for salt!)
1/2-1 c dried pasta of choice
dairy: 8oz block of cream cheese or a cup of sour cream
OPTIONAL thickener: corn starch or arrowroot slurry
garnish for color: chopped parsley or green onions, cracked pepper
Instructions
Brown meat with 1 teaspoon of salt. While it browns, chop an onion then add to the pan. Add more salt. Chop garlic, add and a bit of salt. TASTE. Does it need more salt? Add optional paprika, Italian seasoning, or anything else that sounds good.
If you like mushrooms, add those. Dried, pulverized mushrooms from Costco are an excellent option here for the haters. They add micronutrients, incredible flavor and a sensory boost of umami.
Add broth. If using homemade, please taste once it is warmed with other ingredients. Likely you will need more salt.
Once everything is simmering, add dried pasta. Simmer for 10-15 minutes*.
Dairy: If using cream cheese, cube in 4-6 blocks then add. Stir until completely melted. If using sour cream can be a bit more fragile so don’t leave the pot to boil.
Taste. Does it need more salt?
If at this point you want it to be thicker, you could make a corn starch or arrowroot slurry. In a small bowl add 1 Tablespoon of either corn starch or arrowroot powder then add the same amount of COLD water. Stir to combine then pour into warm beef/pasta mixture. [IF you added corn starch or arrowroot powder directly to the pan without combining first with cold water, it will be clumpy.] It’s been my experience with arrowroot powder that the longer it cooks the weirder the texture, maybe akin to slime? Stick with corn starch unless you have a food allergy.
Garnish: We eat with our eyes and this meal is monochromatic without the addition of a sprinkle of something. Herbs? Onions? Bell Peppers? What needs using in the fridge? Hot sauce?
*Once when making this I turned off the heat after pasta had boiled 10 minutes. Covered the pot with a lid and ran to pick up kids. Finished with dairy and garnish hours later.
See also this comforting goulash, which is similar but different with the addition of tomatoes and celery.
Flavor Pairing that Slaps
Next time you make beans from dried, try something we’ve been using on Wednesday night at church: add a splash of balsamic vinegar. After tasting the black beans and thinking they were a bit flat but didn’t need any salt, I searched my mind for what could be added…then remembered I had a bit of balsamic vinegar. It adds a nice touch of acid to elevate the flavor. Try it!
What I’ve Been Reading, Watching & Listening To
Read: How to Raise Readers in 35 Steps
Julie says: Super achievable ideas. Encouraging. Helpful.
Read: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Julie says: was the perfect “few pages before bed kinda book…interesting but not enough to make me stay awake until midnight.”
Read: Crazy Rich Asians
Julie says: I don’t read much fiction because I stay up too late. Not sure why I grabbed this one at the library but it held my attention without making me stay up too late until the last night. ha ha!
Watched: Mr. Popper’s Penguins with Jim Carey on Amazon (after youngest son read the book for school). I love Jim Carey’s full body humor.
I might be the last person on the planet to finish Downton Abbey. My family says it’s too much like a soap opera. I’ve loved learning British history and watch a show by myself here and there.
After reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, my husband and I started the mini-series while away together in November. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed the mini-series if I hadn’t read the book first. Not sure I recommend the mini-series, yet thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned a few new vocab words from it.
Listen: From Picky Kid to Healthy Eater
Julie says: I’ve been pondering this idea of picky eating… this episode is encouraging to take baby steps.
Show notes: Jennifer Scribner, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and author of “From Mac & Cheese to Veggies, Please”, helps us understand what makes a picky eater “picky” in the first place. She gives strategies for changing eating patterns. She tells us what to expect and how to plan ahead to make the transition smooth (or at least smoother) as we navigate from picky to healthy.
Listen: Gary Brecka on the Shawn Ryan Show (former Navy Seal, some language)
Julie says: My husband listened first and said, “You probably have told me these things…” and rattled off various snippets. What grabbed my attention was how the guest’s experience as a life insurance adjuster enabled him to predict the death to the month of policy carriers. Interesting enough, diet isn’t a predictor of death as much as real food in the diet is. And movement — I need more.
From show notes: Gary’s journey began in the insurance industry as a mortality-modeling expert, predicting lifespans with astonishing precision. In this role he used medical records and demographic data to predict how long someone would live, down to the month. This precise, data-driven approach to human life deepened Gary’s fascination with blood chemistry and the biomarkers of longevity.
Determined to shift from forecasting life spans to extending them, Gary set off on a quest to optimize these biomarkers and uncover the secrets to a longer, healthier life.
Listen: Kilian Jornet’s Mind Blowing Traverse of the Alps
Julie says: My oldest most adventurous son sent the link. After reading the show notes I immediately texted back and said, “You’re not considering this are you?!?” He wasn’t. We were both inspired by the immensity of the task. Highly recommended for inspiring outdoor play…would be great car listening with a trapped audience to inspire children of all ages.
From show notes: Born and raised in the heart of the Pyrenees, Kilian Jornet is the GOAT of mountain running and an accomplished climber too. This past summer, tackled the Alps: a traverse of all 82 of the range’s 4,000-meter peaks, solely by foot and bike. The fastest previous time for this link-up was 60 days. Jornet did it in 19.
Listen: Embracing Femininity is the Ultimate Hormone Hack with Mary Ruddick on Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark
Julie says: I kept seeing this episode recommended by people I respect, so I listened. Indeed it was interesting!
From show notes: Sleeping with jaguars, overcoming chronic illness like dysautonomia, and hacks for optimal hormone health are a few of the many topics covered in this episode with Human Ecologist and world traveler, Mary Ruddick. Celebrated for her pioneering exploration of the microbiome’s untapped potential and innovative work with Indigenous communities, bridging ancient wisdom with modern scientific insights. Mary offers personalized care for clients with nervous system disorders, post-viral syndromes, and infertility, blending ancestral knowledge with cutting-edge research to deliver transformative results.
Valentine’s Idea
Grab a stack of post-it notes and brainstorm all the things you like about a person (character qualities). Stick those notes where they’re sure to be found.
Make this chocolate custard by Nourished Kitchen, a real foodie fav follow.
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - Do something without perfection today. Yesterday I made 120+ drop biscuits from scratch for church supper — never have I ever made more than 12 biscuits before. Today as I put sourdough loaves into the oven I thought, “No way are these coming out ok…I’m not sure they’ve risen at all.” BOTH WORKED OUT. Were they perfect? Nope. Are they good enough? Yup.
PPS - If this post was an encouragement to you, send to a friend who wants to become a better home cook. Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.