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    Home » Recipes » One Pot Dinners

    Published: Jan 10, 2023 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 3 Comments

    Vegan Hamburger Helper

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN
    5 from 10 votes
    Vegan Hamburger Helper

    Vegan Hamburger Helper is a one-pot, super easy, 25 minute recipe that the whole family will love. It's "meaty", cheesy, saucy and SO good!

    a skillet of vegan hamburger helper with some melty cheese

    Quick, easy, one-pot, family-friendly...Is there anything not to love about this Vegan Hamburger Helper recipe? My love for it is out of control.

    We're talking a great big pot of "meaty", saucy, cheesy macaroni . It's like the classic boxed hamburger helper without the ground beef, and taken up a very big notch. As in it tastes really, really good (and you know what's in it!)

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

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Vegan Hamburger Helper
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storing Leftovers & Reheating
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More "Meaty" Vegan Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    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.

    a bowl of vegan hamburger helper next to a blue napkin

    Ingredients

    Here is what you need to make One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper:

    the ingredients needed to make this recipe, as per the written ingredient list in the recipe card

    And a few important ingredient/substitution notes:

    • 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.

    Tip - It's perfect just as it is but feel free to add up to 2 cups of chopped easy cook vegetables such as bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, peas or corn for even more flavour and texture.

    How To Make Vegan Hamburger Helper

    You wont believe how quick and easy this one-pot meal is to make. You don't even need to boil the macaroni in water!

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

    how to make vegan hamburger helper step by step
    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.
    a pan of vegan hamburger helper

    Serving Suggestions

    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!

    Storing Leftovers & Reheating

    Store leftover hamburger helper in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I haven't tried freezing it but I would think it should be ok.

    Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. The macaroni has a habit of sucking up all of the moisture while it's in the fridge so I add a little water before reheating to moisten it up.

    Recipe FAQs

    How do I use lentils instead of vegan ground beef?

    Use 1½ to 2 cups of cooked green or brown lentils to replace the vegan ground beef in this recipe. 1 cup of dried lentils equals about 2 cups when cooked. Simply put the dried lentils in a pan with at least double the volume of water or stock and simmer until just tender. They should take approximately 35 to 40 minutes. (Note that I do not recommend using red lentils in this recipe).

    More "Meaty" Vegan Recipes

    • Beyond Meat Meatloaf
    • Vegan Ham
    • Vegan Chicken Breasts
    • Vegan Sausage Casserole

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe

    vegan hamburger helper

    Vegan Hamburger Helper

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 10 votes
    Vegan Hamburger Helper is a one-pot, super easy, 25 minute recipe that the whole family will love. It's "meaty", cheesy, saucy and SO good!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    COOK TIME: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil , or a little water for oil-free
    • 1 pack vegan ground beef , pack sizes of vegan ground beef vary. Anything between 12 - 16 oz is fine (Or use 1½ to 2 cups (300-400g) of cooked green or brown lentils)
    • 1 medium onion , diced
    • 4 cloves garlic , minced
    • 2½ cups (600 mls) vegetable stock
    • 1½ cups (360 mls) plant milk , unsweetened and unflavoured
    • 1½ cups (360 mls) canned crushed tomatoes , or passata
    • 2 teaspoons American style chili powder , see recipe notes if in Europe/UK
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
    • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1lb (453 grams) macaroni , uncooked (use gluten-free if necessary)
    • 1 to 1½ cups (120-180 grams) shredded vegan cheese , optional. It's still good without
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    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Warm the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat then add the vegan ground beef/lentils, onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the "beef" is browned and the onions are translucent.
    • To the pot add the stock, milk, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine, then drop in the macaroni.
    • Stir well to break up any clumps of macaroni, then bring to a simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the macaroni is just tender with a little bite and the sauce has thickened.
    • Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir it in then cover with a lid or upturned baking tray and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

    NOTES

    Feel free to add up to 2 cups of diced easy cook vegetables such as bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, peas or corn.
    If using lentils see the FAQs for how to cook them before adding them to the recipe. 
    Important note RE the chili powder - The chili powder used in this recipe is North American style. If you are in the UK or Europe DO NOT use 2 teaspoons. UK chili powder is 100% chili and is spicy and hot. The chili powder in the US and Canada is very different. It is mild and contains a mix of spices. In this recipe you can either use 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika instead of the chili powder, or use ½ teaspoon each of paprika (smoked or regular), cumin, coriander and a big pinch of cayenne.It won't be exactly the same but will be close enough. 
    Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I haven't tried freezing it but I would think it should be ok. Reheat in a microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. The macaroni has a habit of sucking up all of the moisture while it's in the fridge so I add a little water before reheating to moisten it up.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1serving (of 6)Calories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 24gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1435mgPotassium: 678mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 680IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 5mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Joyce says

      January 15, 2023 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      It was a very easy recipe to follow and it was delicious to eat! Yummy!!!!

      Reply
    2. Cathie says

      January 12, 2023 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious, reminds me of a meal my mum would make when I was young.
      I got your cookbook at Christmas and have already made several dishes.
      Thanks Melanie.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        January 12, 2023 at 3:53 pm

        Thank you for your review Cathie. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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