The Conservative Cave

Interests => All Things Edible (and how to prepare them) => Topic started by: Mr Mannn on June 08, 2014, 01:12:58 PM

Title: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mr Mannn on June 08, 2014, 01:12:58 PM
It mostly worked this time. (last time I had 3 pounds of beef by mistake and used water instead of milk)

So I had the right amount of beef this go around. I used condensed milk.
The secret is nuking the noodles in water for 6 minutes to get them soft. The mistake I made this time was I added the liquid amounts suggested on the box, one cup water, two cups milk.
With the noodles already soft, I don't need near that much liquid. Next time will cut that in half

What I ended up with was a massive thickening sauce dish with a little bit of noodles and beef.
curses.
I had to nuke it like 18 minutes until the sauce evaporated enough where I could eat it.
Last time I had way too much beef, this time it was way too much sauce.
Still I ate the whole thing, tasted kinda sorta like Hamburger Helper.

Oh and I used a cup of freeze dried Ground Beef, 1 cup makes one pound.

One of these days I will come to a CC meet up, tell you all I'm Franksolich and give you one of my masterpiece dishes. Only afterwards will I tell you the beef was freeze dried and I'm really Mr Mannn. You will all be amazed to see how delicious the freeze dried beef is (and the gals will marvel at how clever Mannn really is).

Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Chris_ on June 08, 2014, 01:16:09 PM
Hamburger Helper is the easiest thing in the world to cook.

I forgot you don't have a range/oven.  That portable induction cooktop they advertise on TV looks interesting. 
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Dori on June 08, 2014, 01:21:52 PM
Hamburger Helper is the easiest thing in the world to cook.

I forgot you don't have a range/oven.  That portable induction cooktop they advertise on TV looks interesting.

When I was without my kitchen for six months, I used an electric skillet for a lot of one dish meals. 

Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Chris_ on June 08, 2014, 01:31:56 PM
Can't imagine not having a kitchen for six months. 

A roommate had an electric skillet (a large square one).  That thing was great for making fried chicken.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: franksolich on June 08, 2014, 01:33:55 PM
Why is our good colleague Mr Mannn without a stove?

<<<obviously missed a story here.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Dori on June 08, 2014, 01:58:29 PM
Can't imagine not having a kitchen for six months. 

A roommate had an electric skillet (a large square one).  That thing was great for making fried chicken.

You can fry anything in it. I even cooked a 7 bone roast with all the veggies in it. I comes out just like it does when you use an oven.


 
 


Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mr Mannn on June 08, 2014, 02:45:48 PM
Why is our good colleague Mr Mannn without a stove?

<<<obviously missed a story here.
Tiny apartment. I prefer to live below my means. That way I have more money to waste.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Chris_ on June 08, 2014, 02:48:23 PM
Those Disney vacations don't pay for themselves.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Ralph Wiggum on June 08, 2014, 03:11:58 PM
I recommend avoiding Hamburger Helper altogether.  I essentially ruined some excellent farm-fresh ground beef by mixing it with that.  Easier, nearly as cheap and much tastier to mix in pasta and spices on your own.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: marv on June 08, 2014, 03:24:51 PM
Tiny apartment. I prefer to live below my means. That way I have more money to waste.

After all these years (almost 70), microwaves are still only good for warming up left overs. It's the nature of the beast and can't be fixed.

For a small apartment sans kitchen: a microwave (for popcorn and warming up left overs), a large toaster oven (for baking/roasting), and an electric skillet (for frying and *gasp* hamburger helper).

Been there, done that.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Wineslob on June 10, 2014, 02:43:24 PM
(http://www.acitydiscount.com/pics/md/peachtrader/md_n41763.jpg)
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mr Mannn on June 11, 2014, 06:09:11 PM
(http://www.acitydiscount.com/pics/md/peachtrader/md_n41763.jpg)
Oh yeah, I have that. Built in. Never used. Realize if I use it, I will have to clean pots and pans! By hand...with elbow grease even.

No. Microwave Hamburger Helper is a challenge, and I almost got it right this time. I just need to tweak it a bit more.
I am the master of Microwave spaghetti (only messed up once-ate it anyway). I am the master of microwave casseroles. I have mastered the art of making rice in my rice cooker.
I am Mannn: The Microwave Chef!
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: BlondeMoment on June 12, 2014, 12:52:53 AM
I hate microwaves for everything except bacon. DH will use the one at home every great occasionally, but I avoid it (It was a gift, so I can't just get rid of it. And it's a nice one, so there's that)

Our motel room has a microwave, but judging by the looks of house rentals, this could take awhile. Mr Mann, Wineslob- talk to me about this "mini range".  And is it possible to (decently) cook chicken breasts in a microwave?
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: obumazombie on June 12, 2014, 02:37:02 AM
It mostly worked this time. (last time I had 3 pounds of beef by mistake and used water instead of milk)

So I had the right amount of beef this go around. I used condensed milk.
The secret is nuking the noodles in water for 6 minutes to get them soft. The mistake I made this time was I added the liquid amounts suggested on the box, one cup water, two cups milk.
With the noodles already soft, I don't need near that much liquid. Next time will cut that in half

What I ended up with was a massive thickening sauce dish with a little bit of noodles and beef.
curses.
I had to nuke it like 18 minutes until the sauce evaporated enough where I could eat it.
Last time I had way too much beef, this time it was way too much sauce.
Still I ate the whole thing, tasted kinda sorta like Hamburger Helper.

Oh and I used a cup of freeze dried Ground Beef, 1 cup makes one pound.

One of these days I will come to a CC meet up, tell you all I'm Franksolich and give you one of my masterpiece dishes. Only afterwards will I tell you the beef was freeze dried and I'm really Mr Mannn. You will all be amazed to see how delicious the freeze dried beef is (and the gals will marvel at how clever Mannn really is).

I for one (unlike all these others) appreciate your dedication to getting this microwave recipe perfected.

But why do you even have hamburger as an ingredient ?


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkExpbnjsX8[/youtube]


Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Karin on June 13, 2014, 10:28:48 AM
I appreciate Mr Mannn's experimentations as well.  And he eats what he kills.

I have a craving for Cheeseburger Macaroni HH now...
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: obumazombie on June 13, 2014, 10:39:27 AM
I appreciate Mr Mannn's experimentations as well.  And he eats what he kills.

I have a craving for Cheeseburger Macaroni HH now...
So you're the Cheeseburger Macaroni HH killer.
Until now your identity was largely legend.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mr Mannn on June 16, 2014, 08:40:27 PM
Mr Mann, Wineslob- talk to me about this "mini range".  And is it possible to (decently) cook chicken breasts in a microwave?
Mini-Range. I have it but never used it. Its for pots and pans: stove top cooking.

Chicken breats in a micro? Never tried it. I would assume it would never brown. Best bet is to hit the deli at your grocer and buy them fully cooked, freeze and nuke as needed.

Bachelor cooking 101
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mr Mannn on June 16, 2014, 08:42:39 PM
I appreciate Mr Mannn's experimentations as well.  And he eats what he kills.

I have a craving for Cheeseburger Macaroni HH now...
with all my experimentation, I've only thrown away two dishes.
I even ate the spaghetti mush I made by accident. slide down really easy.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Wineslob on June 20, 2014, 10:49:01 AM
Quote
Mr Mann, Wineslob- talk to me about this "mini range".  And is it possible to (decently) cook chicken breasts in a microwave?
 
Goes on the countertop. I have a single burner unit that my wife and I will take on trips. In a hotel, it was pretty nice to be able to do a "romantic" dinner for two, if we didn't want to go out.

I would think they'd come out like leather.  :o
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: BlondeMoment on June 20, 2014, 12:11:59 PM
 :rofl: All right, you guys. I'm not *that* blonde. I found them (hot plates, single & dual- & toaster ovens) at Walmart. What I really meant (poor communications skills- sorry) was how do you cook stuff in them. On second thought, it's not rocket science. It turns out the trickier situation is washing dishes. (No hotplate to boil water, no clean dishes...chickens, eggs- bleah) It'll work out.
We're going home tonight to, among other things, do laundry & wash said dishes, & going to WM after we get back. I'm ditchin' that microwave one way or the other. Meanwhile, we "moved into" a barbecue place not far away.  :-) Not starvin'.



Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Dori on June 20, 2014, 01:24:41 PM
I'm trying to think of things I cook in the microwave.

Besides heating stuff up, I think the micro is good for cooking vegetables and I like the way it cooks rice.  I would never cook meat in one, too tough.

There are a lot of microwave recipes on the internet.

When I was without my kitchen, I mostly cooked with an electric skillet, a hot plate and a crock pot.  Used as many paper plates as possible, but I did wash  dishes in the bathroom, using a plastic dishwashing tub.

We also did a lot of take out  :-)



Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Wineslob on June 20, 2014, 02:59:56 PM
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_16Qj_Sk8qNU/S7sXejZ2jUI/AAAAAAAABSo/5cwdPG7--bA/s1600/Microwaved.jpg)


Looks legit...........
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: BlondeMoment on June 21, 2014, 01:26:28 AM
Wineslob? What. the hail. is that? (though i'm not sure I want know)

@Dori- well rice is a new one. A lot of people seem to have trouble cooking rice in a saucepan. (I don't get this, but whatever) I just have an aversion to microwaves- ever since the 80s when apartment complexes gave them away for new leases. We wouldn't have one now, but it was a gift.
Dishpans...I had taken one (for hand washing clothes) but got another one. I'm taking a step stool back with me this trip. talk about backbreaking.

I'm kinda surprised but the food hasn't been much better than San Antonio (which is dismal). Apparently, there is no fried catfish (that gets decent reviews) in Houston, anywhere. Corpus is 4 hours away. That's going to be the most expensive "non exclusive" lunch in history. I can't believe this with their being so close to Louisiana.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mike B the Cajun on June 22, 2014, 05:39:42 PM
Blondie (may I call you that?), the secret to good catfish is that it be "wild caught", that is, NOT farm-raised. Catfish tastes like what they eat, and in a fish farm, they sometimes use dog food. Yuck!! Either that, or the cheapest thing they can find.

Believe me, I've eaten fried catfish everywhere from Alabama to the wilds of Kansas, including most of the state of Texas, and nothing beats wild-caught, PERIOD.
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: BlondeMoment on July 02, 2014, 12:41:14 PM
:-D You wouldn't be the first. Where you at, Mike? If you're in proximity to Corpus Christi (Tx), have you had Catfish Charlie's? I have *never* had catfish like this! And this is what I'm looking to duplicate. (We're just going to bite the 4 hour bullet the end of Sept. MAJOR withdrawal) I don't know if it is wild caught or farmed, but it is beautiful & delicious. If you haven't had it, then you really need to go there. You will just about swallow your tongue. (Fishing is touch & go now, if you're into that. Up to our behinds...the whole coast- sometimes literally, in seaweed & muddy water. Sposed to be getting better...
Well, maybe not South Padre, dunno.

Update on the cooking arrangement: Microwave is messed up (fine). We got the Farberware double burner last night & it worked great for heating up the pup's ground sirloin (cooked at home & frozen). I can live with this! We're waiting on the toaster oven cause it won't be in until the 7th or the 9th 0.o
Title: Re: OK, so I tried to Microwave Hamburger Helper again.
Post by: Mike B the Cajun on July 05, 2014, 05:07:06 PM
I'm from Cajun country, a little place named Houma, Louisiana, about 50 miles WSW of New Orleans. Some of the best seafood in the world. Crabs, crawfish, just bout any species of salt-water fish, shrimp, alligator...   A Cajun will eat just about anything if fixed right...    :-)   (If you doubt me, just ask Tots!)