Zesty Italian Hamburger Helper Soup

I created this soup back in 2009, using a box of Betty Crocker Zesty Italian Hamburger Helper. I've also made this soup using a box of Italian Lasagna Hamburger Helper as well. This soup is hearty and delicious!



Zesty Italian Hamburger Helper Soup

1 (7.2 oz.) box Zesty Italian Hamburger Helper,
or 1 (6.4 oz.) box Italian Lasagna Hamburger Helper
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1 LB. ground beef
3/4 cup diced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
several dashes ground black pepper
4-1/2 cups canned beef broth
1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (10-oz.) can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots (l used baby carrots)
1 cup whole kernel corn (frozen, or corn in a can, drained)
8 ounces frozen green beans
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1.)  Spray the inside of a Dutch oven or soup kettle, with a no-stick cooking spray.

2.)  In the Dutch oven or kettle, add the ground beef, and season beef with a bit of black pepper.  (Do not add salt to this recipe!)

3.)  Brown the ground beef three quarters of the way, over medium heat; stirring to break up the meat.

4.)  Add the onions, and sprinkle onions with a bit of the pepper, then add the garlic.

5.)  Finish browning the beef and cooking the onions and garlic, this will just take a minute or two.

6.)  In the meantime, cook the frozen green beans in a microwave, till they are about three quarters of the way done; drain beans and set them aside.  (Note: I sprinkled the green beans with a bit of black pepper, before microwaving them.)

7.)  Add the following ingredients to the kettle of cooked beef, the seasoning packet from the boxed hamburger helper, the beef broth, stewed tomatoes, the Rotel Tomatoes, zucchini, sliced baby carrots, whole kernel corn, the cooked green beans, and the Italian seasoning.

8.)  Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.

9.)  Uncover the kettle, stir the soup, and add the package of penne pasta, that's included in the box of hamburger helper.

10.)  Bring soup to a second boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

11.)  Remove soup from heat, stir the soup, and serve.

12.)  Yields: 7 to 8 servings

15.) Note: I noticed after making this soup and using the (6.4-oz.) box of Italian Lasagna Hamburger Helper (with the mini lasagna noodles in the box) verses the Zesty Italian (which adds mini penne pasta to the box), the next day when I reheated the soup, I had to add a bit more liquid, as the soup had thickened, and it had the consistency of a goulash.  Since the mini lasagna noodles seem to absorb the liquid, I added more broth (a 1/2 cup) plus I added some V-8 Spicy Hot Vegetable Juice.

Zesty Italian Hamburger Helper Soup | Just A Pinch Recipes

Uber-Braten Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Casserole

I happen to come across this recipe at food.com.  Heidi Renee had posted the recipe, but I did tweak the recipe just a bit.  I love this casserole, and could eat this at least once a month.  It's great comfort food!  If you love sauerkraut, then you certainly are going to enjoy this dish!!



Uber-Braten Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Casserole

8 ounces wide noodles
1 (14-oz.) pkg. Kielbasa or smoked sausage
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained
4 Tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons melted butter

1.)  Grease the inside of a 2-1/2 to 3-quart casserole baking dish; set baking dish aside.

2.)  Cook egg noodles as per directions on package; set aside.

3.)  Cut Kielbasa or smoked sausage into chunks, then cut each chunk in half; set aside.

4.)  Melt the 1/3 cup of butter in a large saucepan.  (I used a 3-quart saucepan.)

5.)  Stir in the flour, garlic power, onion powder, and mustard.

6.)  When mixture is well combined, gradually add the milk.  Bring mixture to a boil for 1 minute; stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened.  (Mine started to thicken in less than a minute.)

7.)  Add the cup of cheese to the pan, stir until melted.

8.)  Add the Kielbasa or smoked sausage, the drained sauerkraut to the pan, and stir.

9.)  Pour mixture into the greased baking dish, then stir in the precooked noodles.

10.)  Top the casserole with a mixture of 4 tablespoons of bread crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

11.)  Bake casserole (uncovered) for 25 minutes in a 375ºF oven.

12.)  Yields: 5 servings

13.) Note: When preparing this casserole, you can use Bavarian Sauerkraut in place of regular sauerkraut.  Plus, the original recipe states to use 2 cups of the kraut, but I just use 1-1/2 cups.  Also, you can use smoked sausage in place of the Kielbasa. I used smoked sausage, and the brand of sausage I used was, Eckrich.

Uber-Braten Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Casserole | Just A Pinch Recipes

Crock-Pot Ranch Mushrooms

I love mushrooms, and especially enjoy them cooked in the crock-pot along with butter and a packet of ranch dip mix.  I serve these delicious tasting mushrooms as a side dish.

Crock-Pot Ranch Mushrooms

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 lb. whole fresh mushrooms

1 (1-oz.) packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dips Mix (See *Note)

1.)  Place half of the mushrooms in the crock-pot.

2.)  Pour half of the melted butter over the mushrooms.

3.)  Sprinkle half of the (dry) ranch dip mix over the mushrooms.

4.)  Add remaining mushrooms to the crock-pot.

5.)  Pour the remaining melted butter over the mushrooms.

6.)  Sprinkle the remaining dip mix over the mushrooms.

7.)  Place lid on crock-pot, and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.  (I just cook mine for 3 hours, as after three hours of cooking time, my kitchen as well as the mushrooms smell so good, that we can't wait to dig into 'em.)

8.)  Yields: 2 to 4 servings.

9.) *Note: Hidden Valley has 2 kinds of seasoning mixes, a mix to make dips, and a seasoning mix to make salad dressing.  For this recipe, I much prefer to use the dip mix.

This is how the mushrooms look after they've been placed in the crock-pot, the melted butter is poured over them, and the remaining Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix, is sprinkled over them before cooking them in the crock-pot.

Crock-Pot Ranch Mushrooms | Just A Pinch Recipes

Bacon Corn Casserole

I happen to of found this delicious side dish recipe at FOOD.COM
I love the combination of the corn, bacon, and sour cream. 
This is one side dish I'm sure your family will enjoy!



Bacon Corn Casserole 

6 slices bacon (See *Note)

1/4 cup diced onion

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

18 ounces frozen corn (See *Note)

1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

1.)  Preheat oven to 350º.

2.)  In a skillet, cook bacon, crumble, and set aside.

3.)  Cook onion in butter till transparent, in a large 3-quart saucepan.

4.)  In the same pan, blend in the flour and salt.

5.)  Add the sour cream gradually; keeping texture smooth.

6.)  Bring mixture to a boil, then add the frozen corn and parsley.

7.)  Reduce the heat, and cook till corn is heated through, then fold in half of the bacon.

8.)  Pour bacon/corn mixture into a greased 1 quart baking dish.

9.)  Garnish casserole with the remaining bacon.

10.)  Bake in oven (uncovered) for 30 minutes, then serve immediately.

11.)  Yields: 4 to 5 servings.

12.) *Note: For this recipe, I used thick-sliced bacon, and the brand of frozen corn I used, was Birds Eye Freshlike Cut Golden Corn, as it's a sweet tasting corn.  (And yes, I used exactly 18 ounces of the frozen corn in this recipe!)

Bacon Corn Casserole | Just A Pinch Recipes

Chocolate Banana Bread

I happen to come across this recipe at FOOD.COM
This is "the best" tasting chocolate banana bread I have ever had!
It's also a nice moist bread.  I actually prefer this bread over the many banana bread recipes I'm use to making.



Chocolate Banana Bread 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 baking cocoa (See *Note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350º.

2.)  Grease one 9x5-inch loaf pan.

3.)  Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a bowl.  With an electric mixer, beat ingredients on medium speed until moistened.

4.)  Add the mashed bananas and milk, beat on low to blend.

5.)  Add the flour, baking cocoa, salt, and baking powder.  Beat on low until four mixture is moistened.

6.)  Use a spoon to fold in the pecans (or walnuts).

7.)  Pour batter into the loaf pan.

8.)  Bake on center rack 50-60 minutes.  (I baked mine for 55 minutes.)

9.)  Once the bread is done baking, remove from oven, and let the bread stand in baking pan on a wire rack for 55 minutes, to let it cool.

10.)  Run a butter knife around the inside of the pan, then flip the pan over to release the bread from the pan.

11.)  Cool bread completely before cutting into slices.  Serve bread.

12.) *Note: When it came to adding the baking cocoa, I used  Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, which gave the bread a nice chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Banana Bread | Just A Pinch Recipes