So what’s a girl to do when she is trying to serve healthier meals to a “helper”-loving man? Make it herself, of course. And it is easy and even more affordable. Win, win!!!!
You can mix up your own Magic Dinner mix and store it in the pantry until needed. While the ingredients are out, mix up several. They can be stored for a long time….just use the “best by” date on your ingredients as a guide.
Now on to the recipe….

Italian-Style Hamburger Magic Dinner
Prepare your pantry meals:
(each recipe make 1 meal of 4 servings)
- 2 cups uncooked penne or macaroni
- 2 tbsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder or granules
- 1/2 tsp. salt
To Cook:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 recipe of Italian-style Magic Dinner (above)
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
* I start checking the pasta after simmering for the pasta's recommended cooking time. Since it is simmering, instead of boiling, it usually takes several additional minutes to cook; but it never hurts to check. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid from the pan during the last few minutes of cooking. If the sauce to too thick, add more water a little at a time to the desired consistency.
Until next time,
Sammi