Hamburger Helper Pantry Kits

Want to make your own "Hamburger Helper" pantry kits?  Making them homemade tastes so much better.  This is another way to help you out with last minute meal preps when you just don't have the time or desire to think about what is for dinner.   You can make a couple of these pantry kits ahead of time and store them for when you need a quick dinner idea. We've included 7 recipes here that we got from tipgarden.blogspot.com

Cheeseburger Helper Pantry Kit
1 Premade cheeseburger helper pantry kit, see below
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
3 cups hot water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Brown ground meat in a large skillet. Drain. Add hot water and pasta and sauce packet from pantry kit. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer on low about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. In the last few minutes of cook time, stir in the cheese; cover the pan again. When the pasta is tender and the cheese is melted, turn off the heat and uncover. Let mixture stand uncovered, about 5 minutes. (This will help thicken the skillet dinner.)

To Premake Pantry Kit: In a gallon sized Ziploc bag measure 1 ½ cups dry elbow macaroni. Set aside. In sandwich sized Ziploc bag create your sauce packet: 2/3 cup dry milk, 1 Tbsp. corn starch, 1tsp each: onion  powder, garlic powder, sugar, paprika. Seal and place sauce packet inside the gallon sized bag along with the noodles. Seal quart bag, label and attach this recipe card.

Taco Beef Helper Pantry Kit
1 Premade Taco Beef Helper pantry kit: See below
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
2 ½ cups got water
1 cup brown rice
1 ½ cups shredded cheese
Tortilla chips (optional)
Directions:
Brown Ground meat. Drain. Add hot water and contents from the pantry kit. (Canned tomatoes, drained, rice and sauce packet). Stir together and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked. In the last few minutes of cook time, stir in cheese. Cover the pan for the final few minutes of cook time. When rice is done and cheese is melted, let mixture stand uncovered for about 5 minutes before serving, it helps thicken the sauce.

To Premake Pantry Kit: In gallon sized Ziploc bag place one can of diced tomatoes and 1 cup of uncooked instant brown rice. Set aside. In sandwich sized Ziploc bag create your sauce packet: 3 Tbsp. dry milk, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp of taco seasoning, 1 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder and sugar.  Label sauce packet and place inside gallon bag with the can of tomatoes and rice. Label gallon sized bag and attach this recipe.

Salisbury Beef Helper Pantry Kit
1 Premade Salisbury Beef Helper pantry kit: See below:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
3 cups hot water
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Brown Ground beef in a large skillet. Drain. Add hot water, Worcestershire sauce, and contents of pantry kit (noodles and sauce packet). Cover and simmer on low about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Turn off the heat and uncover. Let mixture stand for about 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken as it stands.

To Premake Pantry Kit: In gallon sized Ziploc bag, place 1 ½ cups egg noodles. Set aside. In sandwich sized Ziploc bag create your sauce packet ingredients: 2/3 cup dry milk, 1 Tbsp. corn starch, 1 tsp. each: onion powder, garlic powder, and sugar, ½ tsp. pepper. Seal and label. Place the sauce packet inside the gallon size bag with the noodles. Seal and label gallon sized bag and attach a copy of this recipe.

Chili Mac Helper

1 Premade Chili Mac pantry kit, see below

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot hater

½ -1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese.

Directions:

Brown ground meat and drain grease. Add hot water, macaroni, drained tomatoes, tomato paste and sauce packet. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. In the last few minutes of cook time add the cheese, turn off heat and let mixture stand uncovered about 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it stands.

To Premake Pantry Kit: (staple a copy of this recipe to outside of gallon bag)

In gallon sized bag place:

1 ½ cups elbow macaroni

1 can diced tomatoes

Optional: 1 6 oz. can tomato paste (if you like your chili mac a bit more tomato saucy)

Sauce Packet: (mix the below list in a sandwich sized bag. Seal & store in the gallon bag w/other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tbsp Corn starch

1 Tbsp Chili Powder (adjust to your preference of hotness)

1 tsp each: Onion Powder, garlic, salt and sugar

Lasagna Helper

1 Premade Lasagna pantry kit, see below

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot water

½-1 cup shredded cheese: jack or mozzarella

Directions:

Brown ground meat and drain grease. Add hot water, noodles, tomatoes, tomato paste and sauce packet. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender. In the last few minutes of cook time, add the cheese, turn off the heat and let mixture stand uncovered about 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it stands.

To Premake Pantry Kit: (Store the following in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and attach this recipe to the outside of bag)

1 ½ cups egg noodles

1 can stewed or diced tomatoes

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Sauce Packet: (mix the following in a sandwich baggie, seal and store in the gallon bag w/other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tbsp each: Corn Starch, Italian Seasoning

1 tsp each: onion powder, garlic, salt sugar

Potato Stroganoff

1 Premade Potato Stroganoff pantry kit, see below

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

3 cups hot water

½ cup sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Brown meat and drain grease. Add in potatoes, hot water, mushrooms and sauce packet. Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat about 12 minutes stirring occasionally until potatoes or tender. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream (optional). Let stroganoff sit uncovered 5 minutes. sauce will thicken as it sits.

To Premake Pantry Kit: (Store the following items in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and attach this recipe to the outside)

1 can diced or sliced potatoes, Optional: one small can sliced mushrooms,

Sauce Packet: (mix the following in a sandwich sized bag. Seal and place in gallon bag along w/ other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tbsp: Corn starch

2 tsp: Garlic powder

1 tsp: onion powder, parsley, salt, sugar

½ tsp pepper

Cheese Jambalaya:

1 Premade Cheese Jambalaya pantry kit, see below

1 lb. meat: Choose from sliced kielbasa/sausage, or ground beef or sausage or even cubed chicken

3 cups hot water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown meat, (or if using kielbasa slice kielbasa and place in the skillet) drain grease, add in the rice, tomatoes, tomato paste water, and sauce packet. Bring to a boil. cover and simmer on low approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until rice is tender. Uncover and turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese. Let Jambalaya sit for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it sits.

To Premake Pantry Kit: (Store the following items in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and attach this recipe to the outside)

1 cup instant rice

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (I used Rotel tomatoes for a bit for “kick”)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Sauce Packet: (mix and store in a sandwich sized bag. Seal & place in the gallon bag with other ingredients)

⅔ cup powdered milk

1 Tbsp: cornstarch

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp: basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and sugar