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Hamburger Helper has never tasted so good! This homemade, vegan version is full-of-flavor, hearty, and down-right delicious. It’s simple to make and requires just one pot and about 30 minutes!
This post is sponsored by Kroger.
We teamed up with Kroger to bring this recipe to life using their Simple Truth Plant-Based Line, and wow, we are so impressed! We used their new Emerge Plant-Based grounds as the centerpiece for this Hamburger Helper, and it was PERFECT for this recipe!
Growing up, hamburger helper was a staple for so many of us, so being able to create a vegan version with wholesome ingredients was a lot of fun. If you are in the minority and have no idea what hamburger helper is, it’s essentially a cheeseburger pasta dish. Who wouldn’t love that, right?
If you have a Kroger store near you, this new Simple Truth Plant Based line is a total game changer. With products ranging from plant-based cream cheese, to meat alternatives and cookie dough to a full line of plant-based milk, there is no shortage of options. Did we mention that everything is super affordable too? Whoever said eating vegan is expensive, hasn’t been to a Kroger store recently.
Here are a few other one-pot pasta recipes that you may also like:
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegetable Noodle Soup
- Taco Pasta (7-Ingredients)
- 5-Ingredient Hummus Pasta
- Minestrone Soup
If you make this recipe, let us know what you think in the comments below! + If you post any photos on Instagram, make sure you tag us @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris so that we don’t miss it, we love seeing your photos!
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One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper (Cheeseburger Pasta)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
This Vegan Hamburger Helper is the ultimate comfort food staple. It’s hearty, packed with flavor, and the perfect copycat of the classic boxed pasta many of us grew up with. All you need is one-pot, 30-minutes, and 11 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 lb. vegan ground beef alternative
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups warm unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened milk of your choice)
- 1 cup warm vegan beef broth (see notes; we use this brand or you can use vegetable broth)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded vegan cheddar cheese (or vegan cheese of your choice)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions have softened and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the emerge grinds (vegan ground beef alternative) and break them up with your cooking utensil. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat in the pan if needed.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, oregano, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until uniform. Sprinkle the mixture over the mixture in the pan and stir well to distribute.
- Mix in the almond milk, broth, tomato sauce, and pasta, and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Remove from heat. Keep in mind that it will thicken as it cools.
- Sprinkle the shredded vegan cheese over the cooked pasta and stir until it has melted through.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to take this to the next level, replace 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Kroger but all opinions remain our own. The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Absolutely delicious! It tasted just as I remembered, instantly transporting me back to my childhood!
Excellent, wife loved it. So did I. I did have a bunch of chopped freash spinach, but otherwise changed nothing. Thanks!
Absolute nostalgic perfection!!
YUmmm…super delicious. Reminds me of my childhood for sure. I did use Ragú instead of tomato sauce because that is all I had on hand. It was slightly salty but that was most likely my fault for adding salt on top of the ragú sauce. This will be a go to for me when I need a quick meal.
We make this recipe at least every other week and it’s always perfect. Just a heads up that it comes out a wee wonky if you double it. Still slaps tho
This is a favourite recipe of my household. I make it often and it’s always SO good! A lot of non-vegans love it!
This is my go-to meal on any given night! I use beyond meat and a whole bag of shredded chao cheese and it comes out 10/10 without a doubt every time! Even my non-vegan boyfriend is obsessed with it. Seriously one of our favorite meals!
If using 1/2 cup tomato sauce, is it 1 cup of broth or a half cup of broth?
Still use 1 cup of broth!
This is a staple recipe for me. Super easy to make and very delicious. I use TVP as the meat alternative since it’s a lot cheaper, and it works just as well.
So good, hits the nostalgia spot of boxed hamburger helper but tastes even better than the original!