May 29, 2019

Hi! Hello! Hey there!

It has been awhile since I’ve posted a recipe to the blog and I have missed ya’ll so much! The last few weeks have been pretty busy for us, but I’m happy to say we are back to our regularly scheduled programming!

First recipe up…Vegan Hamburger Helper!

I’ll be honest, I completely forgot about Hamburger Helper until I took a poll on Instagram asking you guys what you wanted me to make on my next cooking stories. If you haven’t already guessed, a ton of people asked for a veganized version of the classic boxed pasta with hamburger meat. Within the storie’s 24 hour timeframe, the recipe became so popular, I knew I had to add it to the blog! Since then, Mississippi Vegan and The Zesty Lime (among many others) have made versions inspired by my stories…which in turn had their followers making versions of it, which in turn has started a vegan Hamburger Helper Revolution!

Who knew Hamburger Helper could be such a hit?!

Grab a glass of wine and let’s get to cooking the best vegan hamburger helper!

If you’re not familiar with Hamburger Helper, think boxed macaroni and cheese with ground beef. The concept is simple. You cook your meat, stir in the seasoning packets, add milk, water, & pasta then cook until it’s done. Then voilà. You’ve got a meal that’s quick, filling, tasty, and ready in less than 30 minutes.

I took that same concept and jazzed it up a little (ok, maybe a lot). Not to toot my own horn, but my vegan Hamburger Helper is better than that old school version. And yes, it’s just as easy!

I used pipe rigate noodles because they’re cute and, in my opinion, are the perfect little vessels for holding all that cheeseburger saucy goodness.

Like the original version, we start by browning our vegan beef crumbles…but unlike the original version, we also add fire roasted tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, and tons of herbs which is what gives this dish that extra oomph, if ya know what I’m talking about?! That’s right – we’re taking you to Flavor Town without those weird flavor packets and powdered cheese (sorry, General Mills).

While the noodles are cooking separately, all you have to do is add your non-dairy milk and vegan cheesy shreds, and let the sauce simmer while all those flavors marry. Don’t worry if the sauce seems super thick at this point because we’re saving some of the starchy pasta water to thin it out at the end!

You drooling yet? Because I’m about to lick the frickin’ screen.

After your noodles are done, all you have to do is toss them with the sauce and a bit of the reserved pasta water…and BOOM! You’ve got a meal that’s quick, filling, tasty af, and ready in less than 30 minutes! Sound familiar? I told ya this dish was just as easy as its counterpart, but you’ll have to try it for yourself to see just how tasty it is!

I hope you guys love this version of my Vegan Hamburger Helper as much as we do! If you give it a try, make sure to snap a photo, share it to the gram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs! I absolutely love seeing all your recreations of our recipes! Additionally, if you give this recipe a try, I’d greatly appreciate if you could take two minutes to leave a review & comment! Until next time, friends!

XOXO

5.0 from 9 reviews

Vegan Hamburger Helper : Cheeseburger Macaroni

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A jazzed up version of the classic boxed hamburger macaroni that is just as easy and quick, but vegan-friendly and better than ever!

Author: Ashley

Recipe type: Vegan

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 LB pasta noodles of choice
• 2 TBS avocado oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
• 1 anaheim pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 LB vegan beefless crumbles
• 2 tsp each - smoked paprika and mustard powder
• 1 tsp each - garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, fresh ground black pepper, and dried parsley
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 3 cups diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 4 tsp vegetable beef bouillon base or vegetable bouillon
• 3 cups vegan cheddar shreds
• Fresh minced parsely, for garnish
• Fresh minced chive, for garnish
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse - making sure to reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Set pasta water aside.
2. In a skillet on medium high heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add onion and saute, stirring often, until onions are translucent and slightly caramelized and browned at the edges, about 10 minutes.
3. Add peppers and garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes,
4. Reduce heat to medium.
5. Add beefless crumbles, seasonings, tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, non-dairy milk, and bouillon paste. Stir to combine. Add the vegan cheese shreds and 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Simmer until the cheese melts into the sauce, stirring frequently, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Once all the cheese has melted, toss the cooked noodles into the sauce. If it still seems too thickm add a bit more of the reserved pasta water.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt at this point if you wish to do so,
8. Serve hot and garnish with minced parsely and chives.
9. ENJOY!

3.5.3251