I am a cook, but don't get me wrong, I will sometimes grab a box of hamburger or tuna 'Helper' off the grocery shelf. It is so quick and easy when you are in a time crunch. But it is not the healthiest choice for a meal - we pay for that convenience. There is not much you can do to limit the salt content of the boxed mix, or remove the MSG, but you can leave out the butter or margarine to cut the fat and calories by a good bit. Anyway, I got to thinking, there has got to be a better way; something healthier, more wholesome, in a homemade skillet meal. I found some really great recipes that started out as casseroles, and we all know casseroles have been around for a long time. I hope you like these three recipes. The last one is even vegetarian.

The minced dry onion and garlic, dry celery flakes, dry green & red bell pepper flakes and all the seasoning blends mentioned are available from Penzeys in the Clearwater shopping area east of Keystone at the Crossing. Check it out. You will be glad you did.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and drain excess fat. Stir in the onion, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Mix in the diced tomatoes, soup and water. Add the dry uncooked egg noodles and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, till noodles are tender and sauce has thickened. You may need to add a little more water to cook long enough to get the noodles done just right. Garnish each serving with a strip of the sliced cheese and serve. This recipe makes about 4 to 6 servings. The original recipe called for some sliced olives, but since I don't like olives they have been omitted. If you would care to add them, stir in about ¼ cup.

Mix all ingredients together in large covered skillet. Add the dry uncooked egg noodles last and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, till noodles are tender and sauce has thickened: ten to twelve minutes. Garnish with crumbled Ritz crackers.

I call this one magic because it will take to whatever seasoning blend you may want to try. My suggestions would be: Southwest, Taco, Cajun, Old World, Northwoods and Chili powder. My favorite is the Southwest.

Drain and rinse the canned beans to remove the excess salt. Mix all ingredients together in large covered skillet. Add the dry, uncooked macaroni last and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the macaroni is tender and the sauce has thickened: ten to twelve minutes. (I have made this with a pound of browned ground beef added to the recipe and it made more than the skillet could handle. If you try it, be sure and use a larger pan.)