Today we are making pretentious hamburger helper. As I am sure you figured out from the title, it is just like hamburger helper, only it has a larger ego. It also tastes better. While this may not be quite a quick as actual hamburger helper, it does not take much effort at all, and there is not one step in this recipe that could be called difficult. I promise. Pinky swear, even. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. Although not really, because that sounds painful. Unlike this recipe, which sounds delicious. Cheesey and delicious.
Ingredients: Flour, Milk, Pasta, A Pepper, Cheddar Cheese, Hamburger Meat, Butter
Also: Parmesan Cheese, Bread Crumbs (Not Pictured: Mustard)
So, first things first, boil some water and add the pasta. See, not hard. Just like I promised.
While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking we can get going on the rest of this crazy stuff. Let's start it off by browning the hamburger. Adding salt and pepper sounds like a fun plan. You can do that as well.
Now grate some cheese (lots and lots of cheese)
And cut up a pepper. Or more than one. Depends on how much pepper you like. I think we ended up using between one and a half and two. Because we like peppers. Do you like peppers?
Now we can make our cheese sauce. Start off with a roux. Melt butter in a pot then add an equal amount of flour. Butter! Hoorah! Now whisk the butter and flour together.
Add some milk to that. Because then you can pretend it is healthy.
Now add that grated cheese. Yes, all of it. In fact, go grate some more. That is not nearly enough. In fact, you may even need to go buy some more. You can never have enough cheese.
I would suggest adding salt and pepper at this point. Especially pepper.
And mustard. Along with providing an awesome color, mustard adds a much needed depth to the taste of your Hamburger Helper.
So this is the exciting part. Butter a casserole dish and start dumping everything in there. We did the peppers first, then the hamburger.
We did it in that order because there is always too much pasta. That's okay though, you can fill up the dish and then...do something...with the rest. It's up to you what you do.
Now pour the sauce over it all and mix it together. Leave no noodle un-cheesed!
Now give us a nice coating of parmesan cheese
And some bread crumbs
Now dot that with butter. That's the best part, so make it good. Now that you have done that, stick it in the oven for a bit. So the butter can melt and the peppers can cook a bit.
This is what it looks like when it's cooked.
That's what the inside looks like after the short stint in the oven.
And that is what it look like on a plate with some salad. Eat this and appreciate how much better it is to be pretentious.Pretentious Hamburger Helper
Pasta
6 Tablespoons Butter
6 Tablespoons Flour
1 1/2 cup Milk
3 (or more) Cups grated Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard
1/2 Pound Hamburger Meat
1 (or more) Pepper
Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Boil pasta in water. Melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in flour. Whisk in milk and let thicken for about a minute. Stir in cheese and mustard. Brown hamburger meat. Cut up pepper. Stir pasta, cheese sauce, meat and pepper in a casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and dot with butter. Put the dish in a 300 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy.
