Home-Made Hamburger Helpers // Tales from an Empty Nest

 Rice Oriental

Ingredients:

1 1⁄4 cups rice (I use long grain white rice)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2-1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 pkt onion soup mix

Instructions:

Whisk together the onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt and onion soup mix. Pour them

into a ziplock bag and seal. Add the rice to your jar and add the bag of seasonings on top of the

rice.

To Make:

Brown and drain 1 pound of ground beef. Add 4 cups of water and the bag of seasonings and

mix well. Rinse and drain your rice and then add it to your pot. Add in 1⁄4 cup of low sodium soy

sauce. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from

heat and let it sit covered for about 10 minutes.

I use a 16 oz jar for this recipe.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Cheesy Hashbrown

Ingredients:

2 cups dehydrated shredded hashbrowns

3 Tbsp cheddar cheese powder

1⁄2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Instructions:

Add the dehydrated hashbrowns and the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to your

jar. Add the cheese powder to a small ziplock bag and seal. Place the bag of cheese powder on

top of the hashbrowns and close the jar.

To Make:

Brown and drain 1 pound of ground beef. Add 2 cups of water, 2 Tbsp butter and the contents of

the jar except for the cheese powder. Bring to a boil and stir until your butter melts. Reduce the

heat to medium, press down the hashbrowns mixture in your pan into an even layer. Cover and

let it cook for about 10-12 minutes. Do not remove the lid or stir. Uncover and continue to cook

until all the liquid is absorbed and the bottom is crispy. While it’s cooking, add the cheese

powder to 2⁄3 cup of milk and stir well. Flip the potatoes over a little at a time and press them

down. Increase the heat to high and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is crispy.

Take it off the heat and pour over your cheese mixture. Cover it back up for about 5 minutes f

the potatoes to absorb the cheesy liquid. If you want it extra cheesy, you can sprinkle some

shredded cheese on top and cover until it melts. I use a 32 oz jar for this recipe.