Ditch the Box - Cheeseburger Helper

Another installment in the "Ditch the Box" series...This allows you to know EXACTLY what your family is eating and they are so much healthier & tastier than the store bought mixes.

Cheeseburger Helper Mix:

1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 sauce packet:  

     2/3 cup powdered milk

     1 Tbp. corn starch

     1 tsp. Onion Powder

     1 tsp. Garlic Powder

     1 tsp. sugar

     1 tsp. paprika

Mix "sauce packet" in a bowl with a whisk, place in small Ziploc bag. Put pasta in gallon bag, place sauce packet inside. You can put the directions directly on the bag or on an index card to reuse next time. I actually printed up 4 cards since I try to keep 4 of these prepared.
 

To cook for dinner:

Fresh Ingredients for cooking day:

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)

3 cups hot water

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in large skillet, drain grease, add hot water, pasta and contents of sauce packet. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low about 12 minutes stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. During last few minutes of cooking, stir in the cheese; cover and cook final few minutes till cheese is melted.  Turn off heat and uncover. Let skillet dinner sit for about 5 minutes. This will allow sauce to thicken a bit.