Hamburger Helper Lasagna Mix (Shelf Stable)

This Hamburger Helper Lasagna Mix may be Budget Friendly, but it's definitely big on flavor.

In my childhood, a simple skillet meal consisting of a pound of hamburger and a box of Hamburger Helper was a quick and satisfying dinner. This was especially true in our household, where I had my favorite varieties like beef noodle, oriental rice, beef ramanoff, cheeseburger macaroni, lasagna, and chili mac. 

My mom was a great cook who often cooked meals from scratch, but she worked full-time, so there were days when she just needed a quick solution to get a hot meal on the table. Now that I have my own family, I totally understand the dinner-time struggle. 

I too am guilty of going down the grocery isle and grabbing a few boxes for those busy days when, I just don't want to cook. When my kids were younger we ate a lot of ground beef  because other cuts of beef were too expensive, and I had two picky eaters. It's funny now, looking back at what seemed expensive feels like a bargain compared to todays skyrocketing beef prices. 

Even though Hamburger Helper mixes do offer convience, they also contain an array of questionable ingredients and the new packaging lacks flavor. In 2019 I made my first shelf stable cheeseburger macaroni  mix, and it has become a staple in our kitchen. Recently, I set out to find a delicious Lasagna Helper version, and ended up combining a couple recipes to make what I believe to be a pretty tasty shelf-stable mix.  

The biggest challenge with this recipe was tracking down the small lasagna noodles, which I eventually found at an Amish store about an hour away. From three bags of pasta, I can usually fill around 3-4 quart-sized jars. Each jar of Lasagna Helper Mix transforms into a delicious cheesy-tomato skillet meal that is entirely homemade. If you're interested in creating your own hamburger helper mix, just follow the instructions below.

SUPPLIES & INGREDIENTS NEEDED: 

• Supplies: Quart size mason jar, lid, ring, funnel and electric jar vacuum sealer.
• Noodles: Mini Lasagna Pasta Zegra, Radiatori, Bow tie, Cavatappi, or Skinner Mafalda pasta.
• Seasoning: Onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, italian seasoning, basil, garlic & parmesan seasoning, salt, black pepper, brown sugar, and cornstarch (used as a thickener).
• Dairy: Dry powdered milk and shelf stable processed parmesan cheese.
• Boullion: Tomato and beef bouillon powder.
• Other Ingredients: Tomato sauce, water, and fresh whole milk (low moisture) mozzarella cheese (when prepared).

STORING INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Add all of the ingredients into one clean quart size jar (one recipe is enough for 1 quart size jar).
• Cover the jar with a canning lid and vacuum seal with an electric jar vacuum sealer. 
• You can also add the mixture to vacuum seal bags and seal them that way.  
• Label and date the jars or bags and store in a cool dry pantry. 
• If you do not have any of the above vacuum sealers, store into jars with lids and rings, but omit the parmesan cheese. You can just add it later when you prepare the meal.    

When you're ready to prepare your Lasagna Helper Mix, brown one pound of  hamburger, drain off any grease. 

Add the entire dry mix from one jar. Add 1-cup of tomato sauce and 2-cups of water. Mix to combine. Taste the broth and add any additional seasoning to your liking.  

Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer the mixture until the noodles have softened and the sauce has thickened up some (about 15 minutes). 

Remove the lid and add about 1 - 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. I like ot use whole milk (low moisture) mozzarella cheese. It melts so creamy comparted to regular shredded cheese. 

Put the lid back on and cover for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Remove lid, serve and enjoy!

 

SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD! 

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