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Peanut

Peanut

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Anyone tried to spice up hamburger helper? I have some hamburger helper that's getting close to expiring (beef stroganoff). It’s sort of blah. Was thinking of trying to spice it up a little. Browning the meat correctly first would add lots of flavor. I have a few fresh ingredients, serrano and bell peppers, white sweet, yellow and green onions, garlic. I have a decent dry spice rack, 30+ spices. I also have cayenes, thai chilis and jalapeno’s that I grew and dried.

Anyway, I’ve never used hamburger helper and was looking for ideas. Thanx
 
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Peanut said:
Anyone tried to spice up hamburger helper? I have some hamburger helper that's getting close to expiring (beef stroganoff). It’s sort of blah. Was thinking of trying to spice it up a little. Browning the meat correctly first would add lots of flavor. I have a few fresh ingredients, serrano and bell peppers, white sweet, yellow and green onions, garlic. I have a decent dry spice rack, 30+ spices. I also have cayenes, thai chilis and jalapeno’s that I grew and dried.

Anyway, I’ve never used hamburger helper and was looking for ideas. Thanx
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I think I've used hamburger helper a couple times, many years ago. I like the ideas for variety, but I prefer making a recipe from scratch.

Beef stroganoff is traditionally made with steak. Round steak, flank steak or a few others are often used. Perhaps you already have your hamburger thawed and ready to go.

I remember a beef stroganoff meal that someone made once that was absolutely delicious. I guess I should wonder why I've never made it.

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-beef-stroganoff/c17a904f-a8f6-48ae-bedb-5b301a8ea317
 
Weber (yes, the grill people) makes a Gourmet Burger seasoning that is pretty good. You should be able to find it at the grocery store. Not sure how it would taste in stroganoff. It is a little on the salty side, but it is good on burgers.
 
First I would make it as directed.......then go from there. If the seasoning is too bland, maybe add some bullion. Since it's a stroganoff, I would try to stick with that idea in mind when adding any ingredients.

Adding any kind of peppers would change it to something else entirely. Although you may end up with a new Tex-Mex stroganoff version. That's all up to you

Hope it turns out well and you enjoy it
 
If you find something too bland, and you’ve already filled it full of veggies (I would def. add sauteed onions and mushrooms to any beef stroganoff prepackaged thingie), the first things to look at adjusting are salt, spice (as in spicy-heat), and acid.

Usually prepackaged food has a ton of salt, so that’s probably not necessary. I’d add a squeeze of lemon juice or the aforementioned sour cream, and a good solid grinding of black pepper, and see where that takes you.
 
I've noticed how salty prepacked kits are, I'm at the age where salt is becoming an issue. Actually, these days, all our foods seem to be over seasoned in general, at restaurants etc. And sugar, sugar seems to be a ingredient in everything from a store or eatery.

I'm still learning to cook. I over spiced everything for a few years. I guess I'm in a minimalist phase now. When I cook at home I try to use simple fresh ingredients, some fresh herbs, just a couple of spices. I keep a big spice rack because it allows me to cook many different types of food. And asian dishes seem to require more ingredients that standard american fare.

In this case I bought hamburger helper as a change of pace. Something extra in my pantry. Like most folks I've eaten hamburger helper and it's sort of bland (and over salted).

I keep a few fresh lemons and limes in the fridge, hadn't considered them, thanx.
 
Peanut said:
And Asian dishes seem to require more ingredients that standard American fare.
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You've got that right! Since rice is such a common thing in Asian food and a prepper thing, I have really tried to cook more Asian dishes. It seems that no matter what I want to cook that is Asian, I need to go to an Asian grocery store and buy somethings. I keep all of my Asian sauces and seasonings in a bin together, and that bin is getting ready to change up in size because it is full!
 
I always spice up my Hamburger Helper - except for the Stroganoff. I haven't found anything that I thought complemented the almost sweet, creamy flavor yet. I think that if you added a little bit of cooked carrots and maybe diced cooked celery to it, it might work out well.

I make the cheddar cheese melt kind fairly often and adding a little southwestern flair to that works out really well. A little Slap Yo Mama seasoning in the meat and a little crushed red pepper in the sauce is perfect. My daughter then puts Cholula hot sauce on it. It works well for the beef pasta flavor too.
 
Weedygarden said:
You've got that right! Since rice is such a common thing in Asian food and a prepper thing, I have really tried to cook more Asian dishes. It seems that no matter what I want to cook that is Asian, I need to go to an Asian grocery store and buy somethings. I keep all of my Asian sauces and seasonings in a bin together, and that bin is getting ready to change up in size because it is full!
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It really depends on what kind of Asian food you like making. I have a ton of seasonings too, but I tend to skip Thai. We have a great Thai place so I feel less need to make that myself.

For Japanese food, the unusual-for-the-US seasonings are soy sauce, rice vinegar, konbu, bonito flakes, sake, mirin, miso, and maybe sesame oil. That’s really all you need to make almost every kind of simple Japanese food. Add nori and wakame if you want to make rolled sushi and miso soup with seaweed, respectively. I keep almost all of that on hand because I love Japanese food. You can get by without mirin; substitute more sake and add some sugar to make up the sweetness.

Chinese can get pretty wild with ingredients (daylily buds anyone?) but you can do a lot with just soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fermented black bean sauce, and sesame oil. I usually substitute black rice vinegar with regular rice vinegar and a splash of balsamic and soy sauce, and use sake in place of whatever Chinese rice wine they call for. Edited to add: how I forgot Szechuan peppercorns I’ll never know, and you can live without them, but why? They are so distinctive and soooo good.

Korean I can’t help you with! XD I like kimchi but very rarely cook Korean-specific food aside from DIY not-really-but-we’ll-pretend-they-are banh mi sandwiches. Same deal with Vietnamese — I rarely cook that either.

Indian … Indian is a long hot delicious mess of spices. It’s so worth it but s o much pantry space. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, black mustard seeds, and garam masala will go a long way though, along with (I consider these normal pantry staples but maybe not everyone does?) cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne.

(Also, I have derailed the chat. I apologize. I was just so excited to talk spices. ^^; )
 
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I'm fine with it... I tend to grab cooking ideas from many cuisines and combine them.

Like Worcestershire sauce, its basically the british version of fish sauce. So any american food I might cook that calls for worcestershire is easy to make as an asian dish. I'm not afraid to experiment. These days my experiments turn out pretty good.

But in the past there have been foods I just had to put in the dog bowl. Only to have the dog look at me like "You're Serious?" 🤣
 
Peanut said:
I'm fine with it... I tend to grab cooking ideas from many cuisines and combine them.

Like Worcestershire sauce, its basically the british version of fish sauce. So any american food I might cook that calls for worcestershire is easy to make as an asian dish. I'm not afraid to experiment. These days my experiments turn out pretty good.

But in the past there have been foods I just had to put in the dog bowl. Only to have the dog look at me like "You're Serious?" 🤣
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I’m going to have to remember that the next time I dig into my ancient Roman cookbooks (… uh did I mention I’m a food nerd, oops?). I usually use fish sauce to substitute for garum, but worchestershire sauce would add a whole different dimension. I bet it would be excellent!
 
jishinsjourney said:
It really depends on what kind of Asian food you like making. I have a ton of seasonings too, but I tend to skip Thai. We have a great Thai place so I feel less need to make that myself.

For Japanese food, the unusual-for-the-US seasonings are soy sauce, rice vinegar, konbu, bonito flakes, sake, mirin, miso, and maybe sesame oil. That’s really all you need to make almost every kind of simple Japanese food. Add nori and wakame if you want to make rolled sushi and miso soup with seaweed, respectively. I keep almost all of that on hand because I love Japanese food. You can get by without mirin; substitute more sake and add some sugar to make up the sweetness.

Chinese can get pretty wild with ingredients (daylily buds anyone?) but you can do a lot with just soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fermented black bean sauce, and sesame oil. I usually substitute black rice vinegar with regular rice vinegar and a splash of balsamic and soy sauce, and use sake in place of whatever Chinese rice wine they call for. Edited to add: how I forgot Szechuan peppercorns I’ll never know, and you can live without them, but why? They are so distinctive and soooo good.

Korean I can’t help you with! XD I like kimchi but very rarely cook Korean-specific food aside from DIY not-really-but-we’ll-pretend-they-are banh mi sandwiches. Same deal with Vietnamese — I rarely cook that either.

Indian … Indian is a long hot delicious mess of spices. It’s so worth it but s o much pantry space. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, black mustard seeds, and garam masala will go a long way though, along with (I consider these normal pantry staples but maybe not everyone does?) cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne.

(Also, I have derailed the chat. I apologize. I was just so excited to talk spices. ^^; )
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I'm with you about loving Asian food. There are many Asian restaurants in the area that serve excellent food. The one thing that we are careful about, if we can get the scoop on it, is that some Asian restaurant owners believe that all the tips belong to the restaurant owner. I know of a few places that I will not do business with because of it. A former student's parents are Indian and own and run Indian restaurants. A young woman worked for them and told me they expected her to hand over all of her tips. She quit. The mother of the student once told me that they have a hard time keeping employees. I didn't say anything, but maybe people get away with that in other countries, but not for long here.

I was going to recommend my favorite Japanese restaurant in Denver, but it looks like it is temporarily closed and has been since January due to Omicron. The owner/chef, has been cooking for more than 40 years and is 72 years old.

" Domo Japanese in Denver, CO is a great place to grab some excellent Japanese fare. However, the eatery has more than just a great menu. Some of the other features include the Japanese country museum and the Japanese garden, which help to make this a truly unique experience. Domo Japanese has some great options on the menu including starters such as edamame, saba nuggets, gyoza and unagi tamago. Chicken teriyaki, pork teriyaki and Japanese curry are some of the other popular choices on the menu at Domo Japanese. Plenty of sushi options are available as well including salmon, unagi, squid and salmon roe. "

Vietnamese: South Federal Blvd. has many Vietnamese restaurants. Pho 95 is our favorite place to get pho, but there are several options out there.

There is a dumpling place on south Federal as well that I have never been to, but I have heard stories. I believe that it is Lao Wang, 945 S. Federal Blvd., Denver. It is run by an elderly Taiwanese couple and the place is busy, busy. When you go there, you are allowed to place your order, but then no more. They serve the food you ordered, but you are not allowed to order any more after the first order, and many people do try. I've seen people laugh so hard about it being run with a strict orderliness, it is part of the entertainment when people go there. I don't think it is open every day of the week either.
 
Weedygarden said:
I'm with you about loving Asian food. There are many Asian restaurants in the area that serve excellent food. The one thing that we are careful about, if we can get the scoop on it, is that some Asian restaurant owners believe that all the tips belong to the restaurant owner. I know of a few places that I will not do business with because of it. A former student's parents are Indian and own and run Indian restaurants. A young woman worked for them and told me they expected her to hand over all of her tips. She quit. The mother of the student once told me that they have a hard time keeping employees. I didn't say anything, but maybe people get away with that in other countries, but not for long here.

I was going to recommend my favorite Japanese restaurant in Denver, but it looks like it is temporarily closed and has been since January due to Omicron. The owner/chef, has been cooking for more than 40 years and is 72 years old.

" Domo Japanese in Denver, CO is a great place to grab some excellent Japanese fare. However, the eatery has more than just a great menu. Some of the other features include the Japanese country museum and the Japanese garden, which help to make this a truly unique experience. Domo Japanese has some great options on the menu including starters such as edamame, saba nuggets, gyoza and unagi tamago. Chicken teriyaki, pork teriyaki and Japanese curry are some of the other popular choices on the menu at Domo Japanese. Plenty of sushi options are available as well including salmon, unagi, squid and salmon roe. "

Vietnamese: South Federal Blvd. has many Vietnamese restaurants. Pho 95 is our favorite place to get pho, but there are several options out there.

There is a dumpling place on south Federal as well that I have never been to, but I have heard stories. I believe that it is Lao Wang, 945 S. Federal Blvd., Denver. It is run by an elderly Taiwanese couple and the place is busy, busy. When you go there, you are allowed to place your order, but then no more. They serve the food you ordered, but you are not allowed to order any more after the first order, and many people do try. I've seen people laugh so hard about it being run with a strict orderliness, it is part of the entertainment when people go there. I don't think it is open every day of the week either.
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Oh man. I am always down for Japanese gardens, and the museum sounds cool too. I hope Domo reopens soon. The sashimi donburi look out of this world! I’ll definitely put that on my to-do list. The others sound good too!

Our favorite local Chinese place is Hong Kong Station, which is in Centennial. It’s half Americanized Chinese and half super-authentic Hong Kong fare. The food is phenomenal, everything’s super fresh and the staff is really nice. One time we were there when a veteran who’d been stationed in the area was in, and he raved about the place being exactly the style of food he remembered.

I’d never heard of some places reserving the tips for the owner. That’s crazy! At least in California — I don’t know about Colorado — the wait staff gets taxed on an estimated tip average, so that would be a huge pay cut beyond not getting tips. Yikes! (For the record, California taxes 18% on tips, so we always tipped at least 20%.)
 
Chinese food? The last time I lived out west I worked for a company in south San francisco. I sometimes worked on a ct at UCSF. I could count on lunch in the city several times a month. Luv some chinese food, I had coworkers who were chinese and knew great places to eat.

Sort of funny the best things I ate... sometimes I had no idea what it was. If I asked a coworker they'd say "you don't want to know". 🥴 Part of my work was in europe so had that problem often. If I couldn't read a menu I'd look around at other diners and pick something that looked good. It was usually easy to get my server to understand what I wanted. But it was just a guess.

But I got spoiled, living so near chinatown, great chinese food everywhere. There was a great guatemalan place around the corner from my apt. Several good places to eat in San Mateo.

Then I moved to a little town in Tennessee for work, picked it off a road map. They had great southern food but sometimes you just want some good egg rolls or a burrito. I was working on ct's in atlanta, nashville and pittsburgh so got to eat some good ethic foods on a regular basis. Had my favorite places in each city.
 
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Peanut said:
Chinese food? The last time I lived out west I worked for a company in south San francisco. I sometimes worked on a ct at UCSF. I could count on lunch in the city several times a month. Luv some chinese food, I had coworkers who were chinese and knew great places to eat.

Sort of funny the best things I ate... sometimes I had no idea what it was. If I asked a coworker they'd say "you don't want to know". 🥴 Part of my work was in europe so had that problem often. If I couldn't read a menu I'd look around at other diners and pick something that looked good. It was usually easy to get my server to understand what I wanted. But it was just a guess.

But I got spoiled, living so near chinatown, great chinese food everywhere. There was a great guatemalan place around the corner from my apt. Several good places to eat in San Mateo.

Then I moved to a little town in Tennessee for work, picked it off a road map. They had great southern food but sometimes you just want some good egg rolls or a burrito. I was working on ct's in atlanta, nashville and pittsburgh so got to eat some good ethic foods on a regular basis. Had my favorite places in each city.
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I like trying all kinds of food from different cultures than the one I grew up in. I love well made meat and potatoes, but I cannot even think of something I really don't like to eat.

I went to Puerto Rico with a woman from church. The first meal there was at an American restaurant in our hotel. I told her that that was the last American food I wanted to eat until we went home. Isn't that part of why people travel, to experience life in other places? We did eat at one restaurant in San Juan a few times, but she had family there. One day we were at her cousins and we were eating a soup called Mondongo. I grew up having to eat whatever was served and not to complain about it. I asked what the soup was. It had tripe in it, and I cleaned up my bowl. Later, my friend told me she eats around things like tripe, and then throws what she doesn't like away before the hostess can see. There were several cousins from the states there. They complimented me for being willing to taste and to eat it, because some of them wouldn't.
 
My wife and I went over to our friends place last week and together they canned 17 pints of 93% ground beef, fried and drained the fat off and used Chicken Flavor, Better Than Bullion in the jars, we left some of the canned meat with our friends and she made a meal with rice, peas and a meat gravy and brought it over and we had a meal together, it turned out tasting great, so now they are going to can some more, especially considering hearing rumblings of hamburger possibly going up to $10 a pound, presently it's $4.68 a pound. The canned hamburger would be great for stroganoff, spaghetti or Mexican meals.
 
Hamburger magic or Tuna magic was the one Kroger had.
I do not use it, so I am not sure if they still make it.
So to answer your question, I do not spice it up, because I do not use it.
But I would, if I used it, it always had to much salt for me.
I would think Miss Dash spice blind would work well with it.
Horse radish or hot sauce would give it a kick.
 
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@Peanut, I was watching Steve Wallis and he made beef stroganoff. I learned about him from a young man at a dog park. Steve makes videos about camping in all kinds of places. This video is about a tree house that he started building a while ago when he bought some land, and his friend worked on it while he was gone. It is rough, like many tree houses are. At ten minutes in, he starts to make the beef stroganoff.

 
I quite eating hamburger helper years ago. I could no longer read the directions since they shrunk them in half to make room for Spanish. I sent them an email to illustrate my dissatisfaction. They replied with they (General Mills) are just trying to remain competitive. I said yeah it must be tough maintaining your position as the 5th largest food producer in the world. I even suggested printing the employee handbook in spanish and hiring illegals to help make ends meet. They are probably #3 now. They can kiss my butt.
 
Cascadian said:
I quite eating hamburger helper years ago. I could no longer read the directions since they shrunk them in half to make room for Spanish. I sent them an email to illustrate my dissatisfaction. They replied with they (General Mills) are just trying to remain competitive. I said yeah it must be tough maintaining your position as the 5th largest food producer in the world. I even suggested printing the employee handbook in spanish and hiring illegals to help make ends meet. They are probably #3 now. They can kiss my butt.
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The thing about something like hamburger helper is all of the ingredients that are in prepackaged foods that we have no idea what they really are, and what they are good for. This is one of the reasons I prefer to cook from scratch. I understand the convenience of a box of hamburger helper.
 
When first introduced ..Hamburger, Tuna Helper.. and like products were quite popular.. Then they seemed to go through a period of disdain as ..poor people foods.. This also for ..Rice A Ronnie.. and Kraft Dinner, mac and cheese.. I liked them all just as they were..

If, when needed a bit of extra butter, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper but never salt seemed to perk them up for my taste... When needed my choice was always ..soup base... as it is much less salt than bullion.. Enjoy..

For instance...
https://thecozycook.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/
 
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