Hamburger Helper Fix-up

So the past few nights, we've been eating Hamburger Helper. Hamburger Helper is fine on its own, but taking cues from one of the company's commercials, I have been getting a little creative with the boxed meal.

I don't have any pictures of some of the ways that I've fixed up Hamburger Helper. Maybe when I make it again, I'll remember to get pictures and post them in an edit.

Crunchy Taco Fix-Up:

• 1 box of Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper - follow the ingredient list on it
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 can of tomatoes with garlic and onions, drained
• 1 can of pinto beans drained and rinsed

Brown the hamburger meat and drain it, just like the package states. Place back in pan. When you add all the liquids and seasoning and rice packets from the box to the meat, add in the taco seasoning, tomatoes, and pinto beans and finish cooking according to the package directions.

Top with the cheese sauce and the corn chips that come with the kit. If you want, serve with shredded cheese, Fritos, and sour cream.

My husband added some black pepper to his dish and said it was spicy. :)

Another way to serve this kit:

Crunchy Taco Burritos - Betty Crocker

Asian Helper Fried Rice Fix-Up. I did this fix up because I was very disappointed with the amount of rice in the original kit:

• 1 box of Asian Helper - I used the Beef Fried Rice kit one night and the Chicken Fried Rice kit another
• All of the necessary ingredients for the kit
• 1 extra cup of cooked rice
• Mixed vegetables
• Peppers and onions

Again, brown the meat, drain and place back in the pan. Add the liquid and the seasoning kit that comes with the kit. Follow the directions of this kit carefully. If not, the rice that it comes with doesn't cook completely. When you stir the meal the one and ONLY time that you can after covering it and letting it simmer, add in the mixed vegetables and the peppers and onions.

What I like to do is get the 1 cup of rice that I'm adding to it cooking while the rest of the Helper kit is cooking. (I cook my rice on the stove in a small pot.)

Once the rice that came with the kit is cooked completely, add in the extra rice. I like to add some soy sauce to it at this point while I'm mixing the extra rice in. I cook the eggs in a separate pan then mix them in.

I like my homemade fried rice better, but it's still very good.