Ummm...helper?

This is a spin on a one pot skillet recipe I found in Eat Shrink and Be Merry. The recipe is meant to be a healthier version of hamburger helper. Unfortunately, the ESBM version is still made with cream of something or other soup though, so it's 1) still using processed food 2) using cream soup, which K can't have. I have made an altered version of the recipe before and it was quite yummy.

Today I made the lazy version of the altered recipe. It only took 30 minutes from the time I first started pondering making it. I wasn't going to post it, but a nice comment made me realize I'm neglecting my blog and also that even if it seems super quick and obvious to me, that may be because I've made about 3 times now and can whip it out pretty easily. I also apologize once again for the lack of pictures. Pics are what makes a cooking blog, so I'm sorry! Ok, so here's the lazy man's allergy-friendly home-cooked hamburger helper. Keep in mind that it is VERY flexible, so you can take away or add pretty much anything!

 Lazy Mom's Allergy-Friendly Home-Cooked Hamburger Helper

1 tbsp olive oil (I may have used more - I like adding olive oil for fat in K's meals. I never feel he's getting enough fat.)
1 clove garlic (If your audience enjoys this!) 
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
about 1-1 1/2 cup frozen veggies (I used a mix tonight. Of course fresh veggies would work and would be yummier! Frozen is quicker.)
about 1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup hemp milk (Any non-dairy milk would work. This and the flour give this recipe the creaminess without the processed food or the allergens.)
4 chicken thighs, chopped (Since this recipe is "hamburger helper", you can obviously use any ground meat. I chose to just cut up the chicken I had on hand.)
4 oz pasta (I used rotini tonight. Any pasta of that type works - macaroni, rigatoni, penne, etc.)
chicken broth (I didn't measure - about 1/2 cup, I think. I used this to help cook the pasta.)


In a 12 inch skillet, I heated up the oil and then added the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Then I added the tomatoes and veggies. I cooked them for a few minutes - until the veggies were no longer frozen.

In a separate measuring cup, I mixed together the flour and milk. (Actually, I didn't, but this is what you "should" do ;) ) Then I added the mixture to the tomatoes and veggies. I let that simmer until the mixture thickened.

To the thickened tomato mixture, I added the pasta and chicken and chicken broth. I let that simmer on medium-low until the chicken and pasta were cooked and the mixture was a stew-like consistency. I stirred it every once in awhile, making sure the pasta didn't cook onto the bottom of the pan.

This recipe really was ready in about half an hour. It's great for the little ones because because you can over cook the pasta and it makes it much easier for them to either chew on, or for mom and dad to cut! Using ground meat makes it more friendly to the younger set too. :)

I'm sure this is mired with spelling errors and missing words - I will edit tomorrow! I hope you enjoy it! :D