Taking your favorite old school comfort food from bad to healthy. This vegan hamburger helper is made from all whole foods but you wouldn’t know it!
This post was sponsored by NOW Foods but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.
Old school comfort food gone healthy. It IS actually possible while keeping the amazing flavor. Taking what my tastebuds love and finding real foods to get there is one of my favorite things to do. It takes some trial and error but I love the sweet (or salty) taste of success! So here you go, vegan hamburger helper cheeseburger macaroni at your service.
Truth be told, my mom never bought the boxed stuff. So my experience with the Betty Crocker original hamburger helper is limited. That being said, I love creating plant-based whole food meat alternatives.
My favorite trick is using dried soaked chickpeas, then chopping them into a fine crumble and cooking them with broth and spices. The texture is awesome and the flavor is amazing. Couple that with my Ultimate Cheese Sauce and a bowl full of pasta and it doesn’t get much better. But here’s the thing, I am a pasta snob. There is nothing worse than digging into noodles that plain suck.
There’s No Weird Stuff Involved Just Plain Goodness
So what kind of pasta do I like? This. Living Now Organic Quinoa Macaroni. If you’re looking for a macaroni that looks like the real deal and tastes like the real deal, this is it.
No weird color. No weird texture. No weird flavor. Just the good stuff. When I found this stuff, I knew I’d hit the gluten free, whole food, full of nutrients jackpot.
So how do I transform this pasta into America’s favorite comfort food?
Easy, I take my signature whole food based meaty crumble and combine it with my favorite cheese sauce. Add some spices and bingo. Heaven in a bowl. Get those stretchy pants ready! Does it get any better than bad for you food that’s actually good for you? Nope.
Top reasons why this vegan hamburger helper is actually good for you:
- Protein packed with meaty chickpea crumble.
- A cheese sauce made primarily of veggies.
- A pasta made from naturally gluten free whole food ingredients.
- No processed trickery.
Vegan Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 16 ounces macaroni pasta , gluten free if needed (I use Living Now Organic Quinoa Macaroni)
- 2 cups Ultimate Cheese Sauce , adjust this amount to make it as cheesy you prefer it
Meaty crumble:
- ½ cup dried chickpeas , soaked overnight
- ¼ cup sweet or yellow onion , finely chopped
- veggie broth or drizzle of oil to sauté
- 1 cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- ½ cup diced roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Chop soaked chickpeas in a food processor until you get a nice crumble.
- Saute onion with broth or oil until it gets translucent. Add the rest of the meaty crumble ingredients and mix well.
- Cook over low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the beans are cooked, stirring often. Watch closely because the beans can stick, especially if not using oil. If they begin to stick, lower heat and continue to mix.
- Once done, add cheese sauce and mix well. You can add less or more cheese sauce to make it as cheesy as you prefer. I added 1 1/2 cups
- Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse, then add to the hamburger cheese mix. Stir to incorporate, plate and serve fresh!
Notes
- The cheese sauce recipe makes 4 cups. Save the leftovers for another use, such as nachos, plain macaroni and cheese, a dip for veggies, cheese fries, etc. It also freezes well.
- Make cheese sauce. Soak chickpeas.
- Best kid food ever. Overcook pasta for young baby and mash well.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
The Vegan 8 says
I love this much healthier homemade version of hamburger! Even though hamburger was terribly processed and unhealthy, I always loved it because it was so good and so bold in flavor, not bland. Plus, easy and quick! I’m drooling over your version…looks healthy, hearty and so filling!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Brandi! It’s amazing how you can make the same flavorful dishes with all whole foods.
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes says
OMG! Yum! This looks so incredibly good! Great idea on making a vegan version of this 😉 I think my boys would love it!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Vanessa!
Mandy says
I’ve never actually had hamburger helper, but I’m really impressed with how meaty this looks! What a genius way to do the crumbles. And anything involving your ultimate cheese sauce is a winner! This looks amazing, Sophia! I’ll definitely give this a try for my family! xo
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Mandy! Let me know if you try it! It’s one of those meals that makes you think you are eating totally bad. LOL!
Dianne says
This reminds me of my childhood. I want a big bowl of it right now!
veggiesdontbite says
I love doing healthy makeovers!
Becky Striepe says
Holy moly! I can’t believe how healthy this makeover is. I’d totally make this for my kid, and I bet he’s going to love it!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Becky! Let me know if you try it!
Hope says
This looks like perfect comfort food and I love that you have made it into a healthier version! Quinoa macaroni sounds pretty good!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks!! You don’t taste the quinoa at all!
Dreena says
I’ve never had hamburger helper! I think it’s bigger in the US. Whatever! Your dish looks FAR better anyhow. I do the same with chickpeas – it’s such a great texture, I use it in tacos too. I’ll have to keep an eye out for the quinoa pasta, it looks terrific.
Debra C. says
Big bowlful of delicious goodness! I don’t think anyone would miss the meat in this lovely dish. One bowl please! 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
This looks amazing. I need to look for that gluten free pasta since I following a gluten free diet. I’ve never saw a more Yummy looking healthy bowl of pasta…Yummm.
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! It’s great pasta!
Angela says
This looks lovely, I’ve never had chick peas with pasta before. I love how rich the sauce looks.
Linda @ Veganosity says
My oldest sister used to make Hamburger Helper for my brother and I, and I hated it! It was so salty and just yuck. Your copycat recipe looks and sounds so much better.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
Finally a really healthy pasta! This looks like a giant bowl of comfort food – and the chickpeas are genius!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Lisa!! I love the versatility of chickpeas!
Laurel says
I was so excited to find this recipe! Hamburger helper was a childhood favorite of mine, and I can’t wait to make this healthy version!
veggiesdontbite says
Oh yay!!! It was not an easy task but the family loved it! I haven’t had that stuff in forever but this healthy version hit the spot! Let me know what you think!
Chloe Beneke says
Can you use canned chickpeas?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Chloe! You can use canned chickpeas but you will not get the same meaty texture. Dried chickpeas, once soaked, have a much firmer and meatier type texture once chopped up and cooked than canned chickpeas, which tend to be soft and get more mushy. I have experimented a lot with achieving that perfect crumble and the dried chickpeas lend to a much better result. The flavor will be good either way, but the texture will be different.
Casey the College Celiac says
I love adding chickpeas to my pasta (or using chickpea pasta as a base), but I never thought of making a chickpea crumble. Delish!
veggiesdontbite says
They are so versatile!! They are by far my favorite whole food way to achieve a meaty crumble texture.