Healthy Hamburger Helper – Cheeseburger Spaghetti Squash

One of the biggest challenges many people face when transitioning to a healthy – Real Food lifestyle is missing their favorite boxed convince foods. I’ve created an amazing Healthy version of Hamburger Helper, that will fool even your pickiest of eaters using all real food ingredients! While I didn’t grow up eating hamburger helper, I ate TONS of it while I was in college and after I was first married. Yes I liked it – I was quick, cheap & tasty. However it’s been YEARS since I’ve had it and thought it would be a great dish to reincorporate into our dinner rotation – only made from scratch with healthy real food ingredients. And one stop further made with spaghetti squash instead of pasta! But it would also be awesome with a gluten free elbow pasta if that’s what your family would prefer. You’ll notice there’s just one unusual ingredient in the recipe, Nutritional Yeast (buy HERE). It is what gives this dish the overly-cheesy flavor that replicates the cheeseburger macaroni helper we all remember. Although you can make it without, I promise it’s totally better with it.  THIS brand of Nutritional Yeast is the only one that I use since it’s GMO & Gluten Free.

Healthy Hamburger Helper

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Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 1 clove Garlic pressed or finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Butter (or ghee) ghee or coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons Arrowroot Starch
• 2 cups Whole Milk or coconut milk
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• Sea Salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Cut spaghetti squash in 1/2 lengthwise and remove seeds
• Place spaghetti squash 1/2s in a casserole dish, cut side down and bake for 45 min (until fork tender)
• While your spaghetti squash is cooking - in large skillet with sides over medium heat cook ground beef, onion & garlic
• When beef is fully cooked add butter and stir well to combine/melt butter
• Sprinkle arrowroot over meat and cook for about 1 minute
• Add in milk and bring to a simmer
• In small batches, whisk in shredded cheese until all incorporated
• Reduce heat to low and add dry mustard, nutritional yeast and season to taste.
• All to cook over low until thickened. (use additional milk or water to thin if it gets too thick)
• Serve over hot spaghetti squash.
• Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?Mention @hayley_inthekitchen or tag #hayley_inthekitchen!