Cheeseburger Macaroni was one of those easy meals I made when I first started learning how to cook. It was easy, it was cheezy, and it tasted pretty darn good. So this weekend I wondered, "Could I make this plant-based? How hard could it be to make a Vegan Hamburger Helper? "
Let's find out.
This recipe actually started with my Vegan Mac and Cheese. I always add a bag of frozen vegetables to it and it is a regular part of our weekly rotation.
The other day I asked my wife, "I wonder what this would taste like if I added some of my Cauliflower Taco Meat to it?"
Bam, Hamburger Helper, that's what.
It reminded me instantly of those little boxes of HH I used to make when I was younger.
For those of you who have never heard of Hamburger Helper, it's an American thing for sure. It's a little box of pasta, dried cheese mix, salt, and tons of other chemicals and preservatives that you just add water and hamburger to in order to make a one-skillet meal.
And, as most American ultra-processed foods, it is NOT the healthiest thing to eat. But back in the 70's, it was VERY popular. In fact, in 2005, Food Network rated it #3 on its list of "Top Five Fad Foods of 1970.
What a lovely list of ingredients, wouldn't you say?
White refined pasta, GMO corn starch, MSG, a little trans fat, some dyes, and other weird chemicals, plus all the nasty dairy products. And don't forget, we still have to add hamburger to it for some extra-goodness and nutrition.
And Silicon Dioxide? Because we have to have a little sand in our food?
Yeah, not the healthiest choice for sure.
But back then none of us knew any better, right? And we made this stuff all the time. It was cheap, it was tasty, and it filled bellies. That was the main purpose.
And ..... more importantly ..... people loved it. It was comfort food to them. And since I am all about healthy comfort foods, I decided to try and put a vegan spin on it to hopefully make it a tad bit better.
And THIS is the result. Hope you enjoy.
Vegan Hamburger Helper
So we approach this recipe by looking at the name - cheeseburger macaroni.
So first we make the cheese, then we make the 'burger', then we make the macaroni. And then we just mix the 3 together.
The Cheese
So you're going to need a batch of my Amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce. With my Instant Pot and Vitamix, I have reduced that process down to about 15 min.
I place my potatoes and carrot into my IP, set it for 7 minutes, and then add all the remaining ingredients to my blender while it's cooking. Then all I have to do is toss in the cooked veggies and a little water and blend. Super quick and super easy.
This will make about 3 cups of cheese sauce. Set this aside for now.
The Burger
Next, you'll need a batch of my Taco Meat which is just a combination of riced cauliflower, mushrooms, and a few walnuts for texture. Add some taco-like spices and you have my Taco Crumbles that everybody raves about.
Not a fan of Cauliflower? Me either but you cannot taste it - promise. But if you want - I have also subbed in Tempeh with the same results.
Don't like Mushrooms or can't have Walnuts? Leave them out. I have made Tempeh Tacos and they were just as good. Tweak it as you need to but you'll want about 2 ½ cups of the 'mixture' when you're done - equivalent to about 1 lb of hamburger.
I cook mine in my Convection Oven and it takes about 10 minutes to brown up nicely. Of course, you can use your regular oven too.
Set this aside once it's done and let's move on.
The Macaroni
This one is completely up to you. I like elbow macaroni for this, but feel free to use what you have. I also exclusively use Brown Rice Pasta now to keep it Gluten-Free, but again, use what you have on hand or whatever you personally like. You'll need about a 12 oz package of whatever you choose.
Here's my trick though with making my pasta. I will microwave a bag of frozen veggies (usually broccoli and cauliflower) for a few minutes, then toss that into my boiling pasta during the last minute or two of boiling to make it easier. I'll only have one pot to clean up, and I can just drain the pasta and veggies together.
Finishing Up
To finish this recipe, add your drained pasta and veggies back into the pasta pan, stir in one 14oz can of Diced Tomatoes, the finished taco meat, and finally the cheese sauce.
Stir and gently heat until warm and bubbly.
Super easy right? If you have finicky eaters in your house (maybe a husband or teenagers who are not quite on-board the Vegan Bandwagon yet), I bet they will still love this.
Give it a try and be sure and let me know how it turns out in the comments below.
Happy New Year's everyone and I'll see you next week.
Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 qts 1x
- Category: One Pot Dishes, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop, IP, Blender
- Cuisine: American, Vegan, GF, Oil-Free
Ingredients
- 1 batch Vegan Cheese Sauce (about 3 cups)
- 1 batch Cauliflower Taco crumbles (about 2 ½ cups)
- 12 oz bag of your favorite pasta
- 10 oz bag of frozen Broccoli/Cauliflower mix
- 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- Salt, Pepper to taste
- Green Onions or Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Sauce according to directions and set aside
- Prepare Taco Meat according to directions and set aside
- Prepare Pasta according to package instructions.
- Add frozen veggies to pasta water to cook with pasta once it's boiling.
- Drain pasta and veggies and return to pan
- Stir in tomatoes, taco meat, and finally the cheese sauce
- Adjust any seasoning and heat until warm and bubbly
Notes
Tips Are ALWAYS Appreciated!
Janine
Normally I don't like cheese sauce made from potatoes, carrots, and nutritional yeast. I decided to give this a try because of the tomatoes I thought it would help and it did. I wouldn't use this cheese sauce without the tomatoes, I am just not a fan. I added more vegetables. I sauteed onion and mushrooms first and I used a red pepper as well. It made a lot which I like and it was easy. I didn't have time to make the taco meat so I just added beans
Kathy
Just made this. It is really delicious!
Lisa
Excellent recipe!
Grisha Phillips
Can I adapt this for stove top? I don’t have an instpot. Can sauce be frozen?thank you
Shannon
This looks really good! You mention i could use tempeh instead of he cauliflower mixture. How would i make it with the tempeh instead? I would like to make this soon! I love all of your recipes i have tried!!
Swann
Really enjoyed this recipe tonight! I made some modifications in order to make the prep time quicker (used Gardein + taco seasoning and a quicker vegan cheese powder/sauce.. My picky, omnivore children liked it so this will be a staple in our meal rotation. I noticed that another person had suggested adding a little marinara sauce, which I may try next time. I love tomatoes and would love a bit stronger tomato taste. None-the-less, this is a superb recipe!!!!! Thank you...
Judy Gulliver
I know this recipe has been out for quite awhile, but I just made it for the first time today. We really enjoyed it. I never bought/used Hamburger Helper, primarily because of the high sodium content. I'm impressed with this recipe; thanks, Chuck.
Sheila H
First of all, I always read the reviews of any recipe before making it and secondly, I’ve never posted anything before. Until today.
Just made this now. Talk about a “knock your socks off” comfort food with a healthy twist!! This recipe is spot on for flavour , texture and creaminess. The only alteration I made was I added a sautéed yellow onion along with red/green pepper and sliced mushrooms before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pot.
After reading the reviews I was a bit worried about the potato and carrot sauce not turning out “cheesy”. I did use my instant pot and followed chucks instructions.
Well!! I want to say that this recipe will definitely be my cheese sauce from here on. First taste of it I wondered “ how on earth can this get any better!!!” Absolutely rich and delicious with the lemon and apple cider coming through perfectly.
Kudos to you dear sir for yet another recipe that will adorn my dinner table!!
Tracy Henry
This recipe was fantastic!! Chuck thank you so much! This is up there with the top ten.
Leigh
We made this over the weekend-start to finish-in about an hour. It was DELICIOUS! I'm trying to limit my flour/pasta but have decided this will be my occasional exception because it's THAT good! I have made several BNV recipes and they never disappoint.
Dawn Masino
Leigh, I was thinking of using Banza or another bean based pasta...do you suppose that would hold up? I want to make this and I already know I'll love it but I'm hoping to get a few omni family members on board!
Brenda
I just made this and it is soooo good. Better than I remember hamburger helper..
Susan M Simpson
Made this tonight with just a few tweaks...I sauteed a yellow onion and added it and just about a cup of marinara tomato sauce along with the tomatoes. I used a bag of frozen peas, too. It was definitely a winner and will be a regular in our house!
Michelle
This turned out beautifully. My carnivore husband had 2 bug bowls and already laid claims to the leftovers. You have never steered me wrong Chuck. Thank you for another great recipe.
Winona Davies
Perfect! You just solved my "what's for dinner?" quandry...I have leftover cheese sauce and taco meat in the frig, and now I have quick and tasty way to finish them off!
Elli
Love all your recipes!!! Especially the taco “meat” Keep it up!
Karen
Delicious recipe. Very robust and flavorful! Thank you!
Michele
Love this I used spinach because that is the only frozen vegetable I had. Thank you for the recipe. What is the serving size
Kay Birum
?Your post made me recall all the HHelper or Tuna Helper I raised my kids on yrs ago!! Sure didn't know it had "sand" in it??!! Dau & I are 3yrs into wfpb nutrition now & healthier! Thanks for all you do?