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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!
Wow I Am really glad I joined the group because I shop Fred Meyer and now I know about the vegan/meat they offer. Thanks again
Amazing! Just had to cut dairy due to an allergy and I was already a vegetarian. I was skeptical about how the vegan cheese would taste. But this recipe is delicious! My 8-year-old carnivore son loved it too. We used Beyond crumbles. One bag (10 oz.) was perfect. Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
My family approved! Very practical and I have made it with different pastas and work great too.
Wow. Tastes just like I remember Hamburger Helper tasting. Very easy to make too. I used a dehydrated beef substitute, Me’eat classic salt and pepper. Followed their cooking instructions first and then continued with yours.
I followed this down to the letter and it turned out SO good! I was concerned the pasta would turn into mush being cooked in the sauce, but after 16 minutes it was al dente and so flavorful! The portion of liquid was also ideal bc by the time the pasta was fully cooked, the sauce had reached the perfect thickness. Thank you for a great recipe!
I love this recipe. It comes together so quickly. I do ad a bit of ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire for a little extra flavor. It reminds me of the Rachael Ray Cheeseburger Chili Mac recipe, but vegan. As for cheese, I highly suggest Good Planet’s new olive oil based cheese, and the Mexican shreds in particular.
Your recipes are so delicious and great to make! My daughter is a total vegan and I make so many of your recipes! Do you have one for meatloaf?
Our family LOVES this recipe! It’s so nostalgic of meals growing up for me, and our kids love it too. We make it at least once a month.
Just made this tonight for babe and I & OMG it was soooo good! We both went for seconds!!! Definitely adding this to our weekly meals!
I absolutely adore this recipe! It has become a staple in my kitchen. It’s so easy and turns out perfectly every time! I used chick’n broth for my most recent batch and it tasted just as great. So excited to add tomato sauce like others have suggested!
Thank you for sharing this lovely, easy, and nostalgic creation!
This is one of our all-time favorite comfort meals in our home. We often substitute chicken broth for the vegan beef broth (because that’s what we tend to have on hand) and it’s great! Love it!
Just made this, no substitutes, followed exactly as described. Great flavor and definitely making again. Thank you!
We made it using about half the amount of vegan mince, and also used cavatappi pasta. Most awesome recipe – we will definitely be making this more often! Thank you for such a great, simple, yummy recipe! We totally love it.
The cheese is missing from the ingredients list in the recipe.
It’s the second to last ingredient listed!
Can you use water if you don’t have milk?
It won’t be the same but it would work!
So good! I used oat meal for more creaminess and added cayenne for a bit of kick! So good!
I never leave reviews. But this was amazing!! Have not had something like this years since I have been a vegan. With lentil pasta and Gardin crumbles this was packed with protein. This is going to be part of the routine rotation now. Thanks for the recipe.
Ultimate nostalgia comfort food!
Hey,
I made this recipe this past weekend and it was delicious. It’s definitely a keeper. I just found your site and this was the first recipe from your site that I made. I also made the quesitos and they were simple to make and delicious too; a winning combination. I look forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!
This was so good! I’m pregnant and have been craving really meaty, cheesy food, so this was perfect. I did cut down on the salt and added some Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning.
Question: how do you think this recipe would freeze? I’m looking for some easy and filling freezer meals for my maternity leave 🙂