Vegan Hamburger Helper

In this post - Everything you need to make Vegan Hamburger Helper:

One extra thing to love in this age of ridiculously priced groceries, is that when making hamburger helper without meat, you have the choice of using either a vegan ground "beef" substitute or lentils.

I'm not going to lie, it's best with vegan ground beef, but lentils make a more than adequate alternative and are much cheaper, and healthier to boot.

• Macaroni - I have only tested this recipe with elbow macaroni but any smaller short cut pasta shapes should work out ok. Possibly even broken up spaghetti? Use gluten-free pasta if necessary.
• Vegan ground beef - I used Beyond Meat but any ground vegan beef style substitute will work in this recipe. The quantity doesn't have to be exact if your pack size varies a little. Just keep it roughly the same. For a budget-friendly and healthier alternative use cooked green or brown lentils. You could even use half vegan ground beef and half lentils for an in between option, saving the rest for another meal.
• Chili powder - This should be American style chili powder. If you are in the UK/Europe be sure to check the recipe notes. Your chili powder is not the same!
• Vegan cheese - Any vegan cheese shreds that will melt nicely into the sauce. The recipe is still really good without the cheese so if you're looking to save a few dollars or want a healthier casserole feel free to omit it. You could even add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a savoury cheesy flavour instead.
• Plant milk - This is for added creaminess and any dairy-free variety such as cashew milk, soy milk or almond milk will do. It must however be unfavoured and unsweetened. Double check it hasn't got sugar or vanilla in it (the fastest way to ruin a savoury dish!), and I don't recommend using homemade oat milk because it doesn't heat well.
• Olive oil - You can easily omit the olive oil and saute in a little water if you eat oil-free.

Here's a quick summary of how it's done (for the full and detailed recipe see the recipe card):

1. Cook the onion, garlic and vegan ground beef/lentils together in a large pot or skillet until browned.
2. Add everything else except the cheese and stir.
3. Simmer until the macaroni is just tender.
4. Add the cheese, stir in and allow to melt before serving.

Vegan Hamburger Helper is perfect served alongside a crisp green salad, vegan broccoli salad, steamed veggies, air fried zucchini, garlic bread, or fresh crusty bread. My No Knead Focaccia or sourdough would be perfect!

Tip - Turn into cheeseburger hamburger helper by topping with diced fresh tomatoes, diced pickles, chopped iceberg lettuce, and a drizzle of burger sauce or hot sauce!