Hamburger Helper Healthy Modified Version

It's no secret I love love cheese and processed too.   What I don't like is the cost of Cheese and its calories. So as a frugal tip, anytime I can get cheap box Mac and Cheese or Hamburger helper for less than $.50, I'll pick it up so I can have satisfy my occasional cheese cravings.  As in the case with the pack of Hamburger Helper I got for super cheap at Target last Thanksgiving.  I modified the recipe by using less meat, slipping in black beans, unions and using reduce fat milk.

Ingredients:

1/2 LB Ground Beef

1/4 Medium Size Onion

2 TSP Soy Sauce

2 TSP Cooking Wine

1/4 Cup Black Beans

1 Package Hamburger Helper

2 Cups Milk (lowfat)

3/4 Cups Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Using fork lightly mix your Soy Sauce, Salt, Pepper and Cooking wine into the ground beef.    Finely chop your onion or use food processor.  Then Mix in you onions to the beef.  Let sit and marinate for at least an hour in lower fridge.  In oiled pan on high heat, cook the meat/ onion mixture till beef has browned about 5 minutes.  On the side mix your liquids with the Cheese Packet of the hamburger helper, then add to the cooking meat in pan.  Add in pasta and bring everything to boil.  Stir occasionally, so nothing sticks to bottom of pan.  Add in black beans.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes till pasta is cooked.  Taste and add additional seasoning if needed.

The reason this recipe is a great freezer style meal is for proportion control, I could seriously eat a huge bowl all at once but then I'd seriously be a glutton with all those calories.  Also the box suggests you could add in veggies like green beans, which I would consider for next time.