Hamburger Buddy

Yum! Easy, delicious AND healthy! And it's the kind of meal I can basically use anything I have on hand. I did not have mushrooms, but I put one green bell pepper in the mixer instead (chopped in smaller bits, of course), and I used some leftover tomato paste I had. I can see this becoming a frequent flyer in my kitchen! Thanks :o)

This was an amazing dish! My entire family loved it! It’s healthy and delicious and I am so glad I tried it!

Love this recipe. Very comfort food and So easy! The carrots give it a nice little bit of sweetness and onions and sour cream give it so much flavor! Love this meal as it's easy and yummy!!

This is a good starter recipe. I cut up and cooked the veggies in broth for 15 minutes, then used an immersion blender to create the "sauce". Also used creminis versus button mushrooms. I used some of my lemon thyme and then let that simmer while I browned the ground beef. The sauce was very thick, so I added 2 more cups of water (didn't add more broth) after mixing in the ground beef. I sprinkled canning salt and ground pepper over the top, then 'eyeballed' the worchestershire sauce (I think it was probably about 4T). The noodles cooked up great, and the sauce consistency was perfect. I used plain yogurt to finish it off. Really liked it!

Very bland. Needed less thyme and more salt. We won't be making this again, nor will anyone probably eat the leftovers tomorrow.

Too bland. Needs more salt.

I'll start by saying that my family did eat this meal and will have it for leftovers tomorrow, so it isn't horrible. However, we won't be cooking it again. In a world of a million online recipes (and just as many cookbooks), it was just too far from where it needed to be . First, it is very bland. I added some celery salt and dried mustard to perk up the flavor after tasting it. I think it could benefit from more pepper, maybe even a steak blend. It also needed quite a bit more Worcestershire. Everyone added a few shakes to their bowl and agreed it was better. Husband thought perhaps it needed the bite from chives or scallions. Second, mine had way too much liquid in the end. I would recommend cutting 1/2 cup of the water and giving that a try. And finally, this isn't something you take pictures of. Luckily my toddler doesn't care what food looks like, but the husband muttered something about the dog getting prettier food.

Great base recipe. I didn't add the carrots. I substituted homemade vegetable stock for beef, ground turkey for beef, and whole wheat flour for all purpose. I only used one cup of water. I added more salt, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs de province instead of thyme. Family loved it.

I was out of thyme, so I used 1 1/2 t. of dried basil instead. It was a decent meal and a good, healthy substitute for processed, boxed dinners. The first bite was a little bland, but the more I ate, the more I liked it.

Pretty Good! I reccomend taking out the carrots since they don't really go great with the garlic and onion. Great base recipe if you're looking to eat healthier.

Totally nasty in every way will definitely not make this again my family hated it so did I.

Very boring and bland if you follow the recipe to a T. I used it as a guideline and put in a lot more salt, worcestershire, and even some sugar. Served the dish with shredded cheese and hot sauce. It turned out fine, delicious enough for a tired Tuesday night.

My little girl is a very picky eater and she polished two plates full of this!!! I couldn't believe it!!! I did add a little extra salt because it was a bit bland to my taste but other than that it was fabulous!! My husband loved it too

The sauce didn't really thicken up and the thyme was overbearing. I used dried powder like thyme so I only used 1/4 of what the recipe called for but it was still too much. My daughter said it was ok but my husband wouldn't eat it at all.

This was so gross I had to throw it all out. Had I known that thyme was so nasty tasting I never would have added it. No one in the family liked it.

Both my husband and I really enjoyed this , BUT with the following changes as suggested by some of the comments - Had no carrots or mushrooms, so just didn't use them. Cut onion into small pieces, didn't use processor at all. Reduced thyme to just a couple shakes. Replaced water with broth. Added a small can of tomato paste. Used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Didn't really need flour, probably because I didn't use all the water. Added a few extra spices ...paprika, garlic salt. Now with these changes...would definitely make again.

Fiance is a picky eater so this healthy hamburger helper was perfect. We added red pepper flakes to give it some spice.

This looked so good but unfortunately it was bland. I am not big on salted foods but I actually added salt to this. Perhaps I should have just used regular broth instead of low sodium. What I did like about it, was that it looked very yummy and all the vegetables in it were nicely masked so children would never know. I was very filled after eating 1 and a half servings, which was still very low in calories. All good things in the dish, but the flavor needs bumped up.

Well....it would have been good without so much thyme. I would make it again but omit the thyme.

I love Hamburger Helper. I am practicing eating healthier and restricting calories. I was surprised at the size or the serving portion for ONLY 204 calories. I did let the sauce really thicken, so I cooked it longer. Nailed the flavor and texture of Hamburger Helper. I agree it was a little bland with the amount of Salt and Pepper called for but so long as I don't need to restrict Salt I used Salt and Pepper to taste and that was all the adjustment I made. It does look sort of beige but so does Hamburger Helper.

Meh. This dish was edible and i added some extra spices to make it taste better. I really just tasted like mush. I had high hope because I love mushrooms! I believe if other spices were used and you did not put the veggies in a food processor this could be a decent dish. Pros: Healthy, Easy, Fairly inexpensive. Cons: Bland, Texture is strange.

missed something This was kinda a bland recipe the carrot it in made it sweet and sort of awkward Pros: was a good recipe Cons: missed the sauce texture

Just Not Comforting I had high hopes for this dish. It looked and sounded scrumptious but the result was just sub-par. The taste was just not really held on together with the meat and the veggies. I can't describe it well but my husband said it was the result of trying to make a meal too healthy. It sure looked wonderful as I took it out of the oven... Pros: looks good, healthy Cons: not very tasty

Yummy - Hit the spot with goodnessThis was a great meal however I made a few additions... I added finely pureed fresh spinach and pureed fresh tomatoes - no mushrooms! I also substituted the noodles for quinoa noodles...this dish came out awesome however it was low on flavor - next time I may add crushed red pepper and extra fresh pepper, maybe even some jalapeno juice to give it a little kick but overall it was delicious and a big hit with the hubby! Get creative and enjoy... Pros: Veggies and more veggies! Cons: Flavor

Yummy - Hit the spot with goodness This was a great meal however I made a few additions... I added finely pureed fresh spinach and pureed fresh tomatoes - no mushrooms! I also substituted the noodles for quinoa noodles...this dish came out awesome however it was low on flavor - next time I may add crushed red pepper and extra fresh pepper, maybe even some jalapeno juice to give it a little kick but overall it was delicious and a big hit with the hubby! Get creative and enjoy... Pros: Veggies and more veggies! Cons: Flavor

Add additional spices,,, I put the veggies in a food processor per the recipe because I needed to hide them from my kids. For those that complained they became mushy and virtually unnoticeable, that was the whole point. It will be too bland if you don't add additional spices to the ground beef. In addition to the saeasons it called for, I added tumeric, season salt, dried parsley, some spanish spices. At the very end, I added lots of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 3 teens and 3 per-teens devoured it. None was the wiser that there were veggies included ;) Pros: Better than boxed Hamburger Helper Cons: Takes more time :)

Needs Work I reworked this quite a bit. First off, just chop your veggies; don't try using a food processor. Second, unless you really, really love thyme, only use ONE teaspoon. Otherwise it overpowers everything to the point of ruin. The first time I made this, I nearly threw the whole batch out for this reason. GLUTEN-FREE readers: use brown rice pasta and substitute cornstarch for the flour and you'll be good to go.

Gluten-Free VariationGreat recipe to sneak in extra vegetables and easy to make gluten free. I made ours with the following gluten free substitutions: brown rice elbow pasta (instead of whole-wheat pasta), gluten free flour from Bob's Red Mill (instead of all-purpose), and gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce). I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Brown rice pasta cooks a little differently from traditional pasta - I recommend cooking it less than the recipe/pasta manufacture suggests so that the pasta doesn't get mushy.

Gluten-Free Variation Great recipe to sneak in extra vegetables and easy to make gluten free. I made ours with the following gluten free substitutions: brown rice elbow pasta (instead of whole-wheat pasta), gluten free flour from Bob's Red Mill (instead of all-purpose), and gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce). I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Brown rice pasta cooks a little differently from traditional pasta - I recommend cooking it less than the recipe/pasta manufacture suggests so that the pasta doesn't get mushy.

Great Basic Recipe, but Tweaked Is AWESOME!!I've made this twice: the first time exactly as the recipe stated. It was alright, but a bit bland. I re-read the reviews and did the following: Added 1 finely diced green bell pepper, used all low-sodium beef broth and no water, cut the thyme to 1/2 tsp., added 1/2 tsp. marjoram and 1 1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 Tbs. worchestershire sauce, and used 6 oz whole-wheat Omega 3 maceroni and 1/4 cup fat free sour cream. Oh, and I added an extra clove of garlic and a bay leaf. These additions took the dish from just okay to AWESOME!!! My husband wants this in the regular rotation! It was SO great with the additions! Granted, we aren't feeding any children so I spent the time to finely chop everything (I don't mind) - if you don't have good knife skills or are short on time, then use a food processor. Oh, and I didn't even need to add the flour slurry - it was thick and rich, not soupy at all! Really great when you want "comfort food" that's healthy!! I will use ground extra-lean turkey next time! Wonderful!! Well worth the time to chop up everything! Tasty, filling, and very satisfying!Pros: Great taste, filling, satisfyingCons: Lots of chopping - if you don't like chopping, use a food processor

Great Basic Recipe, but Tweaked Is AWESOME!! I've made this twice: the first time exactly as the recipe stated. It was alright, but a bit bland. I re-read the reviews and did the following: Added 1 finely diced green bell pepper, used all low-sodium beef broth and no water, cut the thyme to 1/2 tsp., added 1/2 tsp. marjoram and 1 1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 Tbs. worchestershire sauce, and used 6 oz whole-wheat Omega 3 maceroni and 1/4 cup fat free sour cream. Oh, and I added an extra clove of garlic and a bay leaf. These additions took the dish from just okay to AWESOME!!! My husband wants this in the regular rotation! It was SO great with the additions! Granted, we aren't feeding any children so I spent the time to finely chop everything (I don't mind) - if you don't have good knife skills or are short on time, then use a food processor. Oh, and I didn't even need to add the flour slurry - it was thick and rich, not soupy at all! Really great when you want "comfort food" that's healthy!! I will use ground extra-lean turkey next time! Wonderful!! Well worth the time to chop up everything! Tasty, filling, and very satisfying! Pros: Great taste, filling, satisfying Cons: Lots of chopping - if you don't like chopping, use a food processor

Yummy I made this for the first time last night. My family absolutely loved it, even my picky eater. I had some of the leftovers for lunch today, and it tasted even better! I did add extra spices to give it a little more oomph. I will be making this again for dinner. Pros: Kid Friendly Cons: Takes a while to make

Easy but Bland My mother was too cheap to make anything from a box and I grew up to be a food snob, but my trashy partner insisted we try Hamburger Helper, so this dish was the compromise. Next time I'll read the reviews first. I was out of Thyme (seriously) so I used Italian Seasoning instead, added extra garlic, an extra tbsp of Worcestershire and shredded the veggies instead of pureeing. Loved the appearance and texture, but it was way too bland. Next time I'll do as others have suggested by adding tomato paste, salsa and wine or hot sauce... or even buy that stuff in the box. Pros: Easy Cons: Bland

Easy but BlandMy mother was too cheap to make anything from a box and I grew up to be a food snob, but my trashy partner insisted we try Hamburger Helper, so this dish was the compromise. Next time I'll read the reviews first. I was out of Thyme (seriously) so I used Italian Seasoning instead, added extra garlic, an extra tbsp of Worcestershire and shredded the veggies instead of pureeing. Loved the appearance and texture, but it was way too bland. Next time I'll do as others have suggested by adding tomato paste, salsa and wine or hot sauce... or even buy that stuff in the box.Pros: EasyCons: Bland

My picky 4 year old loved it and cleaned his plate My son hates vegetables, even ones he has never tasted but he loved this and never even detected the vegetables. Hubby loved it too and had seconds. The only modification I made was to add a small amount of Parmesan cheese and I did not have macaroni on hand at the time so I used brown rice spaghetti. Very tasty. I will make it again. Pros: Tasty and easy to make Cons: None

My picky 4 year old loved it and cleaned his plateMy son hates vegetables, even ones he has never tasted but he loved this and never even detected the vegetables. Hubby loved it too and had seconds. The only modification I made was to add a small amount of Parmesan cheese and I did not have macaroni on hand at the time so I used brown rice spaghetti. Very tasty. I will make it again.Pros: Tasty and easy to makeCons: None

Will Make this again, and again and again! (with modifications)Loved this recipe!! I made some modifications:-used extra lean ground Turkey-didn't use thyme or salt, used 1.5 tbsp of Montreal Steak spice (adjust for spicy/salt content - I might use 1 tbsp next time) and 1 tbsp of dried basil-used 5-6 cloves of garlic, didn't put vegies in food processor. Chopped instead.-used 1 cup of red wine, 2 cups of low sodium beef stock, 1 cup of water-used 1.5 tbsp of cornstarch instead of flour-added 1.5 tbsp of tomato paste-used greek yogurt instead of sour cream-added 1 tbsp grated low fat cheddar cheese to my bowlVery hearty and filling, with lots leftover!! May have to freeze some of it. ;-)

Will Make this again, and again and again! (with modifications) Loved this recipe!! I made some modifications: -used extra lean ground Turkey -didn't use thyme or salt, used 1.5 tbsp of Montreal Steak spice (adjust for spicy/salt content - I might use 1 tbsp next time) and 1 tbsp of dried basil -used 5-6 cloves of garlic, didn't put vegies in food processor. Chopped instead. -used 1 cup of red wine, 2 cups of low sodium beef stock, 1 cup of water -used 1.5 tbsp of cornstarch instead of flour -added 1.5 tbsp of tomato paste -used greek yogurt instead of sour cream -added 1 tbsp grated low fat cheddar cheese to my bowl Very hearty and filling, with lots leftover!! May have to freeze some of it. ;-)

Loved it! I thought this was a great alternative to Hamburger Helper. I didn't read the comments about the thyme and salt before I made this, but I didn't have a problem since I always just season and taste my food as I go. Was a great recipe to get the kids to eat their veggies. I don't think they even knew there were mushrooms in it. Pros: Hidden Veggies Cons: Lots of Chopping

Loved it!I thought this was a great alternative to Hamburger Helper. I didn't read the comments about the thyme and salt before I made this, but I didn't have a problem since I always just season and taste my food as I go. Was a great recipe to get the kids to eat their veggies. I don't think they even knew there were mushrooms in it.Pros: Hidden VeggiesCons: Lots of Chopping

Gruel I made this exactly as the recipe said and wish that I had read the comments first. The thyme was WAY too overpowering and the dish was bland. My boyfriend called it "prison gruel" and threatened to break up with me if I ever made it again. But...I think I might try it again using full sodium broth, tomato paste, and little to no thyme (I don't like thyme that much anyway). Cons: Bland, Too much thyme

GruelI made this exactly as the recipe said and wish that I had read the comments first. The thyme was WAY too overpowering and the dish was bland. My boyfriend called it "prison gruel" and threatened to break up with me if I ever made it again.But...I think I might try it again using full sodium broth, tomato paste, and little to no thyme (I don't like thyme that much anyway).Cons: Bland, Too much thyme

Edible Perhaps I am not a fan of this flavor pallet...nonetheless, my family ate it. On the other hand, my husband asked me to never make it again; everyone else agreed! Pros: Healthy alternative to Hambuger Helper Cons: Flavoring needs some work

Get rid of the Hamburger Helper!We like Hamburger Helper but don't like the additional sodium and other junk it has in it. So this was a good way to prepare a healthy dish...doubly easy if you have a food processor. We don't love to see mushrooms in our food so I processed them to a pulp. Same thing for the other veggies if you want it to be more like Hamburger Helper. Agree with other reviewers to lessen or omit the thyme since it comes across quite strong.Also make sure to drain the ground beef after browning before adding other ingredients; especially if it's less than 90% lean like I used. I made half the recipe only to make the other half the next night because it was really good. It's nice to know you're getting your veggies in a one-dish meal.

Get rid of the Hamburger Helper! We like Hamburger Helper but don't like the additional sodium and other junk it has in it. So this was a good way to prepare a healthy dish...doubly easy if you have a food processor. We don't love to see mushrooms in our food so I processed them to a pulp. Same thing for the other veggies if you want it to be more like Hamburger Helper. Agree with other reviewers to lessen or omit the thyme since it comes across quite strong. Also make sure to drain the ground beef after browning before adding other ingredients; especially if it's less than 90% lean like I used. I made half the recipe only to make the other half the next night because it was really good. It's nice to know you're getting your veggies in a one-dish meal.

Excellent! Thanks to the beef broth, mushrooms, and sour cream, this tastes very similar to beef stroganoff. Substituted ground turkey for ground beef--didn't miss the ground beef at all! Pros: Comfort food, Stores well in fridge Cons: Lots of vegetable chopping

Great comfort food for a blustery evening... This dish is great comfort food. I think it would make a wonderful substance food if you were down with a cold. It's tasty with a thick and creamy broth base. I didn't find it bland, but our diet is mainly about cutting out a lot of sodium so we're used to tasting just the meat and vegetables. We love thyme but I believe you could fashion the spices and flavors however you like. It's easy to prepare. I don't have a food processor so prep time took a bit longer. I use a hand crank mincer/chopper and it worked just fine. Overall, this is a tasty dish I will be making again and again! Pros: Easy and versatile, Cons: Takes a bit of prep time if you don't own a food processor.

Great comfort food for a blustery evening...This dish is great comfort food. I think it would make a wonderful substance food if you were down with a cold. It's tasty with a thick and creamy broth base. I didn't find it bland, but our diet is mainly about cutting out a lot of sodium so we're used to tasting just the meat and vegetables. We love thyme but I believe you could fashion the spices and flavors however you like. It's easy to prepare. I don't have a food processor so prep time took a bit longer. I use a hand crank mincer/chopper and it worked just fine. Overall, this is a tasty dish I will be making again and again!Pros: Easy and versatile,Cons: Takes a bit of prep time if you don't own a food processor.

Total comfort food! I've made this dish several times now. My partner actually requests it! My modifications were based upon many suggested by other reviewers: Chop and shred your veggies for the texture, splash of red wine added after veggies sauteed, no water, 1 cup Campbell's beef broth, 1 cup Campbell's beef consomme, and 2T of tomato paste.

I'm so glad I found this recipe, it's one pot comfort food! It was excellent and my by boyfriend didn't even realize it had whole grain pasta. I used half the mushrooms and added more carrots and was able to "sneak" the mushrooms in that way. I used oregano instead of thyme as well. I'm not one to repeat recipes but this was so good & easy I probably will. I've already thought of a few variations such as subbing cheese and tomato paste for sour cream for cheeseburger macaroni and following the concept using bow tie pasta, chicken and maybe pesto for a one pot chicken pasta.

This dish was quite tasty, though it does not look all that appetizing. Per recommendations from others, I added 2-3 tbsp of tomatoe paste and replaced one tsp of thyme with oregano. It makes heaps of food and is very filling. Good weeknight comfort food.

I have no idea how anyone can say this is slightly bland. I made this last night and did the following based on some of the feedback here: Instead of 2 tsp Thyme I put one tsp Thyme and one tsp Oregano. Used one cup of water, the other cup was beef broth. Used 3 tablespoons of Worchestire Sauce Used 2 tablespoons of tomatoe paste with italian seasoning. I didn't add any extra salt due to using the beef broth and just put in a bit more pepper. It was absolutely delicious! and yes it was enough to feed an army. Will definitely be making this again.

this is an awesome recipe easy and quick

this is an awesome recipe easy and quick

This recipe is a good starting point, but it does need to be kicked up a bit to enhance the flavor. I added two tablespoons tomato paste to the 2 cups water, upped the worchestershire a bit, and threw in a bay leaf during the simmer. Then I stirred in a tablespoon of creamy horseradish instead of sour cream to finish. Great flavor. Definitely make sure your beef is nice and brown and the veggies have started to sweat before adding liquids, or it will come out bland everytime.

This recipe is a good starting point, but it does need to be kicked up a bit to enhance the flavor. I added two tablespoons tomato paste to the 2 cups water, upped the worchestershire a bit, and threw in a bay leaf during the simmer. Then I stirred in a tablespoon of creamy horseradish instead of sour cream to finish. Great flavor. Definitely make sure your beef is nice and brown and the veggies have started to sweat before adding liquids, or it will come out bland everytime.

I made this recipe tonight for the family and my husband and I thought it was very good. I wouldn't say it was bland at all. It has a nice mild mushroom and thyme flavor. I did add a little extra salt and pepper at the table. Also, while cooking the dish covered, it looked a lot like soup and I got a little nervous. So I took the cover off the pot for the last two minutes and let some liquid evaporate which really helped. Definitely will make this again!

I made this recipe tonight for the family and my husband and I thought it was very good. I wouldn't say it was bland at all. It has a nice mild mushroom and thyme flavor. I did add a little extra salt and pepper at the table. Also, while cooking the dish covered, it looked a lot like soup and I got a little nervous. So I took the cover off the pot for the last two minutes and let some liquid evaporate which really helped. Definitely will make this again!

I made this last night using the spices and veggies my family likes. It turned out great and much healthier than the boxed mix....I will never use the boxed, prepackaged stuff again since using this recipe.

I made this last night using the spices and veggies my family likes. It turned out great and much healthier than the boxed mix....I will never use the boxed, prepackaged stuff again since using this recipe.

We all loved this! I have a 6yr old & 16mo old and it was a HUGE hit with them.I read all the comments before making and made a few subtle changes...I added 2 more tbsp of worchestershire sauce, used worchestershire pepper, and seasoned salt.We only used 1/2 the amount of the mushrooms and more onions too.The kids had grated parm on top, but I enjoyed it w/o cheese.I added this recipe up and my calories came up a bit higher, but still decent!We will have it again! Wonderful!

We all loved this! I have a 6yr old & 16mo old and it was a HUGE hit with them. I read all the comments before making and made a few subtle changes...I added 2 more tbsp of worchestershire sauce, used worchestershire pepper, and seasoned salt. We only used 1/2 the amount of the mushrooms and more onions too. The kids had grated parm on top, but I enjoyed it w/o cheese. I added this recipe up and my calories came up a bit higher, but still decent! We will have it again! Wonderful!

With all the reviews suggesting this was bland, I increased the amounts of the spices. While not to my taste, my 9 and 14 year old daughters loved it...they asked for seconds...they loved the idea that it looked like Hamburger Helper. ( I wouldn't know...never had it) Great recipe for families with kids!!

Made it with ground turkey and low sodium chicken broth, but it needed more salt.

Good...but not great... ....Like alot of other reviewers I found this dish bland. There are so many herbs and spices you can mix in to make it taste better. The problem with that , is if you dont know your way around the kitchen you'll be stuck. Also, this is a GREAT recipe for kids or others who dont like veggies. But since my passion is cooking and I love variety. I would make this again but I would mix it up to keep it interesting.

I've made this dish a few times, and have even printed the recipe for a neighbor to try. I like this dish a lot. My neighbor used veggie crumbles instead of hamburger and said it was not a big hit. I used ground turkey and chicken broth, instead of the beef, and I think it tasted great. Just be sure not to add extra carrot, it will make the dish sweet tasting. I made that mistake once, thinking that I would boost the veggie intake. I stick to the amount of veggies the recipe calls for now. It's tasty.