This Vegan Hamburger Helper is easy and delicious! This easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Full of all the flavors you grew up loving, this casserole dish will bring you right back to your childhood!
I remember when I was a kid and my mom was out of town, dinners with dad were always so much fun. He would always make us delicious dinners like Hamburger Helper or Mac and Cheese with Ground Beef. I don't know if it was the overly processed, pre-packaged foods that made them so good or if it was the fake cheese but whatever it was it was delicious.
I think most Americans have grown up eating some form of Hamburger Helper and this will remind you exactly of what you grew up eating. Creamy vegan ground beef paired with a cheesy cashew sauce, this recipe will remind you exactly of your favorite dish from childhood.
For some other great recipes, check out these Vegan French Dip Sandwiches or this Thai Curry Meatball Sub
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Why This is The BEST Vegan Hamburger Helper
- On the table in 40 Minutes- This is the perfect easy weeknight dinner. It will be on the table in 40 minutes flat and it makes enough to serve the whole family!
- Plant-Based Cheese Sauce- There is no fake processed "vegan" cheese here! The cheese sauce is made with whole food ingredients including, cashews, potato and carrots!
- Hidden Vegetables- Most Hamburger Helper skillets out there are just a mixture of meat, cheese sauce and noodles. The hidden vegetables such as the bell pepper and mushrooms help round out the dish and will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Ground Beef- Part of what makes this Vegan Hamburger Helper Skillet so great is the inclusion of Vegan Ground Beef. I used Impossible Meat in this recipe, however, you can use Beyond Beef or your favorite beefy crumbles.
- Noodles- The Noodles help to round out the dish, turning it into a full meal. I used regular fusilli noodles, however, you can use whatever type of noodles that you prefer. If you are gluten-free, you can swap these for gluten-free noodles.
- Nutritional Yeast- The nutritional yeast is what gives the cheese sauce its cheesy flavor. This yeast is grown specifically to be used as a food product. The yeast cells are killed during manufacturing and not alive in the final product. It is used in cooking and has a cheesy, nutty, or savory flavor.
- Cashews- The cashews in this recipe help to give the cheese sauce the thick and creamy flavor that we want. To keep this recipe nut-free, you can swap it with some cooked cauliflower if you prefer.
See the recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions
- Dice the bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and garlic and add them to a cast iron skillet with the vegan ground beef. Cook until the onion is translucent and the vegan beef is no longer pink
- In a large pot boil the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
How to Make the "Cheese" Sauce
- Roughly dice the potato and carrot and add them to a small pot with the cashews. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
- Boil on high for 10 minutes.
- Drain and add the mixture to a high-speed blender. Add the almond milk, garlic powder, salt, and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth.
How to Assemble the Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Add the noodles to the pepper and beef mixture.
- Stir in the vegan cheese sauce
- Top with desired toppings
- Serve warm!
Hint: Use the same pot to boil the noodles and potatoes, carrots, and cashews. I do it in batches so I don't have to dirty up too many dishes. I start with the cheese sauce first, then drain and then boil the noodles.
Substitutions
- Nut-Free - Swap the cashews out for some roasted cauliflower. It will thicken the cheese sauce and keep it nut-free!
- Low-Sodium - Omit the salt to lower the amount of sodium in this recipe.
- Whole-Food Plant-Based - If you are sticking to a WFPB lifestyle, feel free to leave out the vegan ground beef. It is processed so it wouldn't necessarily fit into a WFPB lifestyle, however, this would still be delicious with just mushrooms, peppers, and onions!
Variations
- Spicy - Top with some crushed chili pepper flakes to take the heat up a notch!
- Keto - Make this Hamburger Helper keto-friendly by either leaving out the noodles or swapping them for zucchini noodles!
- Extra Creamy- Omit the cheese sauce and make this Hamburger Helper Casserole extra creamy with vegan cream cheese! Just stir it into the warm noodle and beef mixture.
Check out this Baked Walking Taco Casserole that uses a cream cheese sauce!
FAQ's
Traditional Hamburger Helper recipes require cooked meat such as ground beef which would make it unsuitable for vegans or vegetarians. Additionally, the sauce that comes in the box does contain dairy and is marketed as a cheese sauce. That is why this recipe is perfect, it has all the same flavors but none of the animal products!
Hamburger Helper is made by General Mills and Betty Crocker. It was marketed as a time saving dinner option to help families get dinner on the table quick.
Sure, if you don't want to make your own vegan cheese sauce then you can top it with vegan cheddar or your favorite vegan cheese.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this recipe.
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Chef Knife
- High-Speed Blender
- Stockpot
Storage
Store the Vegan Hamburger Helper in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. This recipe works great for meal prep, just portion out into individual portions and it is a grab-and-go lunch!
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tips
- Top this Hamburger Helper with pepperoncinis, red pepper flakes and parsley to give the skillet more flavor and tang.
- Load this Hamburger Helper up with vegetables by using bell peppers and onions. You can add extra veggies if you like, however, bell peppers and onions are perfect to sneak healthy plant powered foods into this dish.
- Serve this casserole alongside a hearty salad, or vegetable to make this a full meal! We love making a giant salad to pair alongside this dish!
- Cashew-based sauces tend to get thick quickly once they are in the skillet and when they cool down. If needed, add a splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
Other Recipes You'll Love!
- Vegan Philly Cheesesteak with Peppers and Onions
- Mediterranean Chickpea Gyros
- Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich with Cranberry Relish
- Vegan French Dip Sandwiches
- Vegan Thai Curry Meatball Subs
The BEST Vegan Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli noodles
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 8 ounces baby bella sliced mushrooms
- 16 ounces vegan beef crumbles
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 carrot
- 1 small to medium yellow potato
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Dice the bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and garlic and add them to a cast iron skillet with the vegan ground beef. Cook until the onion is translucent and the vegan beef is no longer pink, set aside.
- In a large pot boil the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Roughly dice the potato and carrot and add them to a small pot with the cashews. Fill with water and bring to a boil.
- Boil on high for 10 minutes.
- Drain and add the mixture to a high-speed blender. Add the almond milk, garlic powder, salt, and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth.
- Add the noodles to the pepper and beef mixture.
- Stir in the vegan cheese sauce
- Top with sliced pepperoncinis, parsley, or vegan Parmesan. Serve warm!
Notes
- Load this Hamburger Helper up with vegetables by using bell peppers and onions. You can add extra veggies if you like, however, bell peppers and onions are perfect to sneak healthy plant powered foods into this dish.
- Serve this casserole alongside a hearty salad, or vegetable to make this a full meal! We love making a giant salad to pair alongside this dish!
- Cashew-based sauces tend to get thick quickly once they are in the skillet and when they cool down. If needed, add a splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Jessica says
OMG, this was soooo good. It was pure comfort in a bowl. My whole family just loved it. I have a feeling we will be making this a lot in the future.
Zhen says
This sounds and looks so good! Can't wait to try it! Never had a Philly cheesesteak before, vegan or otherwise!
Gregory Halpen says
I love the veggie meat crumbles. This recipe is so up my alley. Less fat and less calories. Love it!
Elizabeth Swoish says
This was so delicious! And thank you for all the clarity and detail in the recipe for us that are new to vegan dishes. My favorite part was the cashew cream sauce. DELISH!
Sunrita says
What a fabulous recipe and better still are your tips on cooking this easily at home. Thanks
Luke Ratford says
Such a great recipe, full of superb flavours making an easy midweek meal delicious
The whole family loved this recipe and will be getting it made again next week 🙂
Natalie says
Oh yum, what a wonderful dinner idea. I just saved the recipe. I'm going to cook it tomorrow. Can't wait.
nancy says
love this idea of the two dishes into this simple pasta
Shilpa says
This will be a lovely addition to our dinner menu. Thanks for sharing.
Linda says
The cheese sauce here is amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Kaitlin Magno says
Its challenging to feed my meat loving family vegan things. They liked this recipe though 🙂 Thank you.
Jeannie says
oh perfect for meal prep dinner meals!
Andrea White says
sooo delicious! love this cheesesteak so much! thanks for making vegan food so appetizing and easy!
Megan Ellam says
This looks incredible. I am truly adding more plant-based foods to my diet and this looks right up my alley
Genevieve says
I love the idea of an easy skillet when I have no clue what to make for dinner. This sounds easy and yummy! My kind of meal! 🙂
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
OMG I am literally licking my screen looking at your photos and reading this post. Cashews and nutritional yeast make the yummiest vegan cheese sauce.
Bianca says
This dish was so easy to make and in less than an hour! The perfect comfort food on a weeknight! Thank you for the great recipe 🙂
dave says
the kids can't get enough of this!
amanda says
This turned out so good, a new favorite dinner!
Alexandra says
Comfort food doesn't get much more delicious than this. Simple to prepare and the flavours are so good!
Agnieszka says
Great way to use Impossible Meat. The flavors were amazing!
Addie says
So easy and delicious! Yum!