Hamburger Buddy

Chris describes this dish as "Hamburger Helper if you made it from scratch."  And I have to say, he's actually right.  BUT, don't let that stop you, this is like no Hamburger Helper I've ever made...this is purely delectable!  This is one of my all time favorite dishes.  I came across this recipe about two years ago and I make it at least once a month.  It's simple to put together, it's tasty, and it's not that bad for you either!  Probably not something you'd want to eat weekly, but it's definitely worth putting on your menu once in a while.  The recipe actually calls for whole wheat pasta, but as I have said before, I have not become a fan of whole wheat pasta yet, so I always make it with regular elbow macaroni.

Hamburger Buddy
Adapted from EatingWell.com 
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
1/2 onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
2 teaspoons dried thyme (if you don't have thyme, try oregano or even basil)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
1 14oz can reduced sodium beef broth, divided
8 oz (2 cups) whole wheat elbow pasta (I didn't have so I used regular elbow pasta)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or chives (I didn't have this time so I used 1/2 Tbls dried parsley)

Directions:
In a food processor, process the carrot until roughly chopped.  Add the garlic and onion and process until onion is roughly chopped.  Add the jalapeno and finish processing until everything is finally chopped.

Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 to 4 minutes. 

Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Whisk flour with the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the hamburger mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired. Enjoy! (and oh how you will enjoy it!!!)

(Nutritional Info per serving (1 1/2 cups):  326 calories; 10 g fat; 54 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 23 g protein; 431 mg sodium)