Too good to be true: A low calorie version of hamburger helper!

  I'm going to be honest with you guys. When I first got married, we both were working 12 hour shifts, opposite of each other, so unfortunately Hamburger Helper became a staple in our lives. As tasty as it can be, it's incredibly bad for you and packs a whopping 320 calories for a one cup serving with most varieties. Low and behold, Hungry Girl came up with an excellent alternative that shaves 141 calories off! Bonus? You can make it in your crockpot. If you don't have a crockpot yet, I suggest you invest in one. This is one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets you can get, and is super for when you are busy.. or like me have the flu and feel awful.

Lean & Tasty Cheeseburger Helper
Slightly adapted from HG's Cheeseburger Mac Attack
Makes eight servings
Each 1 cup serving is only 179 calories!


1 1/4 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat with added fiber for extra nutrients)
10 ounces of raw lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons ketchup
24 ounces frozen Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese sauce
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss spreadable cheese
Optional: Salt and pepper.

  Start by bringing a small pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, add your elbows. You will only want to cook these for 3 minutes. If you cook them for too long, they will get mushy during the slow cooking process.

  Roll up your sleeves! It's time to get your hands dirty again! In a small bowl, add your onion powder, ketchup and ground turkey. Mix until well combined. Add this directly into your crock pot. When your elbows are done cooking, drain, and add them into the crock pot.

  The last step is adding the 24oz of broccoli with cheese sauce into the crock pot. Break up any large clumps. Stir everything together in the crock pot so it is evenly distributed. You have the option of setting this on high or low. If you cook on high, this will only take 3 hours. Low will take 7 hours. Make sure you can check on this at least once during cooking, to stir and make sure it doesn't burn and stick to the sides. Cook until the turkey is cooked all the way through. When it is nearly done cooking, add the wedges of laughing cow into the crockpot. Recover the crock pot and allow them to melt a little.

  Add a few dashes of pepper to taste, and this dish is done! This is super easy, and a great way to get a few servings of veggies and fiber in. Enjoy!