When the nights are long and there’s nothing else left to cook and there happens to be a little bit of hamburger frozen in the freezer and a whole cabinet full of pasta, that’s when you know you need to stock up but also when you know it’s the perfect night for hamburger helper.

Hamburger helper is a pretty simple, yet delicious dish that feeds our whole family when everyone comes to dinner. Home-style hamburger helper is also one of the quickest things to cook and goes with just about any vegetable or side that you’d prefer. This meal can be used at many occasions. Whether you need a quick dish for a family gathering or a fundraiser dinner hamburger helper will always be a good choice and it’s not very expensive to get the ingredients to make it.

• 1lb 92% lean ground beef (or your preferred type)
• 1cup hot water
• 2cups milk
• 1 1⁄2cups elbow macaroni
• 1cup cheddar cheese(shredded, plus more for topping, if desired)
• SAUCE PACKET
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain.
2. Add hot water, milk, pasta and “sauce packet” ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
4. In the last few minutes of cook time, add cheese, stir and re-cover.
5. When pasta is tender and cheese is melted, remove heat and uncover.
6. Let stand about 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it stands.
7. Top with additional cheese if you like.