Hamburger Helper… a distant memory from my youth with that adorable little cartoon character of a weird white glove holding a wooden spoon, just ready to get to cooking! Why was this little glove the face of the brand that was all about selling boxed pasta that you put crumbled hamburger meat into? I have no idea.
To be honest, I had completely forgotten about this classic American dish. It wasn’t until Eat Figs, Not Pigs was making their own version on Instagram Stories that it planted a little bug in my ear. So,needless to say, I made it immediately.
The concept and execution of hamburger helper is very simple. In the box you have loads of seasonings and spices mixed with dried pasta. All you have to do is grab a pack of hamburger meat and then sauté it in a pan. Then add the pasta and some water and ta da! You have a filling, quick, and delicious meal. Well, at least I thought so when I was a kid.
Now that I have slightly more sophisticated taste buds and a substantially different relationship with my food choices, I’ve realized that I could make a much better and more respectable interpretation of hamburger helper. No shade to you little glove man, but my One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper is better.
NOODLE OPTIONS FOR ONE-POT VEGAN HAMBURGER HELPER
I used Cavatappi noodles because they remind me of the traditional boxed version of this recipe. But I also used large rotini noodles when I was testing this dish out (albeit drunk) and that worked great as well. I think macaroni shaped noodles would also look cute. I do not think long, thin noodles would be good for this. Just my opinion… don’t have a nervous breakdown.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR ONE-POT VEGAN HAMBURGER HELPER
The key ingredients that make this recipe sing are: fire roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder. If you don’t have these ingredients, go buy them. They are easy to find and they are amazing. If you want to sub them out for something else, then don’t tell me about it, because I won’t approve!
LET’S TALK ABOUT TOPPINGS
Did I mention there are crispy onions on top? You know, the kind from the green bean casserole? Why they are only used for that one itty bitty dish beats me! I think they’re fantastic and they work so perfectly with a baked, cheesy pasta casserole situation like this. Trust.
As for the parmesan cheese on top, I like to use Follow Your Heart brand. I also really like the container the cheese comes in as you can reuse it for all kinds of storage. You could use your own homemade version of vegan parm or the Violife brand. Also, when serving, make sure that everyone gets some of the crispy cheesy onion top. It would be very mean to hog it all!
The best part about this vegan hamburger helper is that it’s done in ONE-POT. That’s right. Brown the onions, cook the meat, add the garlic and loads of spices and then add in everything else. While the dish cooks for 30 minutes in the oven, you can clean the kitchen, set the table, and have a glass of wine! Man, I’m good.
If you do make the One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper, please leave a comment below and if you share it on social media please tag me. I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this recipe. Happy cooking!
–Timothy
P.S. WANT TO TRY OTHER COMFORTING DISHES?
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pack Beyond Meat Sausage (preferably Hot Italian), roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Pinch of cayenne
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried oregano
28 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes (one large can)
7 ounces vegan cheddar or American cheese (shreds or if using a block, diced)
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
One pound box of desired pasta noodles
2 cups water
4 ounces crispy onions
¼ cup shredded vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add oil and onions to a large dutch oven and bring to medium-high heat. Season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Sauté for a good 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown and slightly dark on the edges.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the sausage and garlic. Break up the sausage into a crumbly texture. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, to caramelize the garlic and brown the meat. Add the paprika, chipotle chili powder, pinch cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, thyme, sage, and oregano. Cook for a few more minutes to toast the herbs, stirring often.
3. At this point the mixture should smell outrageously good. Pour in the canned tomatoes, cheese, tamari, and sea salt. Mix well and continue to cook for about 7-8 minutes to bring the mixture to light simmer. Make sure to stir often so the bottom doesn’t burn. Once to a simmer, add the pasta noodles and 2 cups of water (this will just barley cover the pasta). Mix well and place the lid on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Carefully remove from oven and take off the lid. Mix well. By now, all of the cheese should be melted and the pasta should be very close to being done! At this point you can taste a little bit and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Sprinkle on the crispy onions and some shredded vegan parmesan. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until the top is crunchy and bubbly and the pasta noodles are thoroughly cooked. Remove from oven and let stand for a bit as it will be hot! Serve.
notes
Because we are not cooking and draining the pasta first, we only need a few cups of water. This way, all of the flavor from the other ingredients soaks into the noodles when cooking! When adding the water, please just make sure to barely cover the noodles (2 cups). If you put too much liquid they will overcook and become squooshy like me.
You can totally use Beyond Burger patties or the ground meat but I prefer the flavor of the ‘Hot Italian Sausage’. I think it works really well with this recipe.
If you have fresh herbs, then by all means use them! I just didn’t want to call for them and you have to buy a whole pack of fresh thyme and oregano to only use a small amount and then tell me this recipe is expensive when it’s not really but you like to give me a hard time. I do recommend throwing in some chopped fresh basil, oregano, thyme or sage if you have them. They should go in when you add the dried herbs.
You can make the whole batch of this and divide some up into ramekins and bake off for a dinner party at another time! It freezes beautifully.
looks and sounds soooo good. my wf finally started stocking beyond italian sausage just in time for this recipe, making this weekend!!!
Perfect! I hope you love it!
The Beyond Meat crumbles in the freezer section at Whole Foods are pretty great. I might give them a go in the recipe this weekend.
They’re not bad! But I find the sausage to have much more flavor and better texture.
Just came out of the oven. This dish is amazing!! Savory, spicy, yummy goodness. Thank you Timothy for a wonderful recipe. Next up is your quick and dirty pasta. Xoxo
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for leaving a comment. Happy cooking!
is there a brand of cheese you recommend for this – the vegan cheddar?
I like Violife shreds the best.
Wow this looks so amazing!! I haven’t had hamburger helper since I went vegan. I know already this will be really good because so far everything in your cookbook that I have made has been sooo good, and I feel that you can’t go wrong with beyond meat sausages! Question though, I haven’t had any luck on using gluten free pasta in one pot meals. Is there something or a vegan gluten free pasta you would recommend using?
Tried the Barilla chickpea or red lentil pasta. Not only are they gluten-free but they are complex carbohydrates with protein. They do not get mushy. In fact, you may want to cook them a little bit longer than other pasta.
What brand of cheddar did you use? I can’t wait to make this!!
Originally I used Violife cheddar shreds but I couldn’t find them the second go round so I used the daiya cheddar block, which worked great! You could also use Follow Your Heart American slices as well.
Ok Kiddo, this I’m going to love. Thanks so much for sharing Timothy. Can’t wait to see how your vegan farming goes!
Thank you! I am getting it all set up, slowly but surely!
Just made this and it’s sooo yummy!!
Hey Jo!! I forgot to add the step where you cover the pasta just barely with water before baking. I hope it still came out to your liking! Thank you for the sweet comment. 🙂
Best vegan soul food ever. OMG. I’m dead. This will be in heavy rotation in my house. Especially when I have non-vegans over! I made a few small changes but it didn’t mess up the recipe at all. I took the sausage out of the casing to make it crumbly like ground beef and I added 14 oz. of water before putting the pasta in bc it looked a little light on liquid. I was worried this would dilute the flavor but it turned out perfectly thick. Thank you sooo much for this tipsy creation. You’re the best.
Brittany! I am such a ding dong, I forgot to put ‘cover with water’ before baking!! This is why I shouldn’t scribble down recipes late at night! I have updated the recipe and it’s all good now. Thank you!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good! We ate every bit of it and could have eaten more. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Oh I love to hear that!!!
How many sausages are in a “pack”? I get them in bulk where I live. Thanks!!!
4 links – 14 ounces!
If dividing to freeze, would you cook it all first and then freeze or do everything but the oven and then freeze? Thanks Timmy, this looks truly amazing!
Yes, cook it all first and then divide and freeze! Thank you!
This has got to be my new go-to comfort food recipe! I have never tasted anything SO delish and full of flavour. My omni hubby and even my kids couldn’t get enough. Can’t wait to whip up more this weekend, and for many more weekends to come. Thank you! ??
Wow! I love hearing that! If the kids approve, I have succeeded! Thank you for the lovely review. 🙂
First, I need to say that I have never once left a review …. for anything. Restaurants. Makeup products. Clothing. Online recipes. It’s not because I don’t care to help people or because I’m too busy, it’s quite honestly because I just feel like opinions are like (you know what) and everyone has their own. Especially when it comes to food, everyone has their own taste for things. BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. I am someone who (if I want to eat something bad enough) I will follow any recipe, no matter how labor intensive. Convenience, ease, and quickness is not something that I “need” in a recipe. I just want great tasting food. I’ve noticed that your blog focuses around relatively easy recipes and I was CRAVING this just a few days before you posted the story on your IG of you making it. I was counting down the days until you posted the recipe here and just like ALL the recipes in your book, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. This was so incredibly divine and so EASY to make. I followed your recipe exactly as written with the addition of a couple Calabrian chili peppers since I like things spicy. It was so comforting and truly satisfying. I LOVE that once it was in my Le Creuset and in the oven … I was able to clean up, shower, and settle into my PJ’s. I LOVED the addition of the crunchy onion topping. It was such a pleasant contrast. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!
P.S- If you ever decide to post the recipe for those mushroom phyllo rosettes, let this booger know.
Hey booger!! Wow, what a lovely review. I hear you on never leaving them. I don’t either. I am so thrilled that you love the recipe. I find that some of my best work comes from me just playing in the kitchen, on the fly! I will def let you know about the phyllo roses if they ever come out. They were so good I just need to streamline the recipe. See you on the gram. Thank you!
This looks friggin’ amazing! When we get back from Bali, I’m so making this!! THANK YOU!!
Yes! Please do and let me know what you think! 🙂
Made this!! It was SOOOO good!!! I loved how easy it was to make!
I try! Thank you!!
Big fan of yours! Currently tucked into a Mississippi Macro Bowl as I type this review but already got the ingredients for this recipe and will be making it tomorrow. You have utterly transformed my boring vegan life.
Wow!! That is so amazing to hear. Truly!
I have never found a commercial vegan hard or meltable cheese that is satisfactory. The soy based cheeses don’t melt and most of them don’t taste all that good. Daiya is mostly a tapioca product with no nutritional value to speak of. Complicating the issue is the fact that we keep kosher. Do you recommend any brand of vegan cheese, kosher or not? I’m experimenting with making some myself, but the processes are not simple.
I like Follow Your Heart slices and most Violife products. If your are trying to use a more nutrient dense cheese I would say raw nut cheeses are the way to go, like Miyokos. I will say that traditional cheese has very little to no nutritional value: it’s basically salt and fat. Therefore, I don’t mind eat the occasional processed vegan cheese in a recipe like this for a nostalgic throwback. 😉
Wow. This is the first recipe of yours I have tried. Not only is it super easy but it’s also one of the most delicious things I’ve made in a long time. My husband and even my picky son were huge fans too. These leftovers will not last long! Thank you!!
Absolutely fantastic and flavorful. I halved the recipe because I’m cooking for one but I can’t wait for leftovers!!!
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried and WOW…winner winner hamburger helper dinner! SO delicious – even enjoyed by the non-vegan members of my family. This recipe will be added to my recipe file which is ONLY for tried and true tested recipes that the entire family agrees to ‘make again’ ! Thanks so much for this..can’t wait to try more of your recipes. This one was super comforting.
I LOVE that recipe file. Such an honor to make the cut!!! I have a new recipe coming out tonight that I think you’ll love too- Lace Cookies!
I just made this and finished my first bowl. We’ve been working our way through your cookbook this spring/summer (potato bacon and peanut stew are our current faves), but this is a showstopper. I want to make this for everyone who doubts a filling and hearty vegan meal…and just for everyone. Thank you for continuing to warm our hearts and kitchen!!
Wow- what a lovely review. Thank you so much. It makes my heart full to hear that you are using the cookbook. It makes me so happy to have some heavy hitters on the blog for you to enjoy as well. Big hugs!
My boyfriend made this recipe for us tonight and it was DELICIOUS. It had a wonderfully creamy texture and great flavor. I’m starting to realize Timothy’s recipes are never a ‘miss’.
OK first off- you have an amazing boyfriend. I wish I had a BF to make me vegan hamburger helper!! UH! Give him an extra kiss for me! Secondly, thank you- I am so glad you liked it.
Okay okay okay. I’ve made this two times but really I’ve eaten it 4 times cause I freeze half for another dinner!!! THIS.IS. AMAZING! This is the first recipe I have made of yours but have followed you for a long time 🙂 This recipe made me buy your cookbook!!! So glad I did too!!! Thank you❤️
Aww that’s amazing to hear! Nothing like a good ‘ole hamburger helper to entice you. 🙂 Thanks for the love.
Literally so good especially with beyond meat!!!
Thank you for letting me know it freezes well!
This is a wonderful recipe! I love that it comes together in one pot and makes SO much! The flavors and textures literally took me back to the days when Hamburger Helper was a weekly regular! Can’t wait to make this again! Thanks, Timmy!
I was surprised at how it took me back, too. I am so glad you liked it! Thank ya!
Tha fuqqqqq, how is this so good??? I’ve only just discovered your blog and will be buying your cookbook ASAP. Thank you!
Ayyy! I am so glad you liked it. Thank you. 🙂
Holy hell I just made this and it’s so amazing. You just don’t disappoint, eh? Keep ‘em coming!
My husband made this for us for dinner a week ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Like, this is seriously amazing. I was thinking about your food and all the recipes we’ve made (mac, gumbo, new year’s stew, potato tacos) and they are just never bad, ever! Sometimes I’ll shy away from a recipe with a large ingredient list, or if it takes more time than I’d like, because I can get lazy. But I can tell you every recipe of yours is just so enjoyable. It’s like the true southern cooking I was raised on (GA peach here) and every bite makes the hour or so of cooking so very worth it because it’s the quality of ingredients, the love of the process, all of it – it’s all right there when you eat it. Thanks for all that you do!
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! This is the best thing I have had in ages! My husband LOVED it! Timmy you are the best!
When you say crispy onions, do you mean the type bought in supermarket for salad topper?
Thats what I used and it was amazing!
Hi! How many ounces for the "box of pasta"? 16 ounces?
The recipe calls for a ‘one pound box’ which is 16 ounces, yes! 🙂
Such a fantastic dish! I was a little worried when I noticed I didn’t have enough Violife shreds. Ended up filling it out with the 365 brand and it worked great. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow. My husband thinks it’s the crunchy onions that really make it. I think it’s a strong contender for future guests. What are some of your favorite guest worthy dishes from your website and/or book? I have a couple in mind but I am curious if you have some favorites. Thanks.
I would try my Chickpea Avocado Salad from the blog, as well as the tofu bacon. In my book? The classic gumbo!
Made this last night and my partner and I LOVED it! Talk about comfort in a bowl. I ended up using Beyond Meat patties which tasted great and the smoked paprika was enough spice for my palette. 10/10 would def make again 🙂
I’m going to try this tomorrow, and can’t wait! Do you have the calories per serving though? Asking for my husband— really
I made this recipe again this week! It’s perfect for the cold weather & everyone in my family enjoys it!
Full disclosure. I am not vegan—-I consume it all! That being said, I recognize the importance of a plant based diet not only for health but also the environment. Because of this, I try to eat plant based as much as possible; however, I am busy AF juggling home life, professional life, and a strong willed 3 yr old so I need something that tastes incredible but doesn’t take a culinary degree to make. This brings me to my point….Timothy’s recipes are AMAZING. I’ve made several of them and my family DEVOURS them all. He definitely gives the big middle finger to the stereotype that vegan food is tasteless and nothing but freeze dried kale chips! The one pot hamburger helper is literally a staple at our house. I guarantee if you’ve never tried to cook or eat vegan food, start with this recipe and I know you’ll be coming back for more!
That’s what I love to hear! Thank you for the thoughtful comment. That hamburger helper is a staple for me as well. Thanks again!
Making this for the second time tonight – my husband said this is the best dish he has ever eaten! I’m a big fan too. It’s so comforting and easy to put together. It’s entering the regular meal rotation for sure!
Wow! I love hearing that so much. It truly makes me happy. I make it often as well. Thank you!
So comforting for a cold night!
Totally! Give it a go and enjoy!
This was seriously the best recipe! I used beyond burgers instead of sausage so it would be more like a traditional hamburger helper and it was exactly what I needed in my life. Also I never knew about those types of noodles?! But now they’re my new favorite! The only thing is this makes a ton and I was the only one eating it, I tried to freeze it but it got to soggy when I reheated it.
Oh yeah, it does make a lot. I actually just made a half batch last night for myself and it was just the right amount of leftovers (in the fridge). Try that next time if you are only cooking for yourself and thank you for the comment!
Holy cow was this good! Have to say it tastes nothing like the hamburger helper that I remember, which is a good thing….I went back for seconds. I made it exactly as written only I used half of the cheddar cheese and no onions on top or Parmesan (wait, I guess I didn’t make it as written). But, even without the toppings, so dang good !! Already froze some for later.
I didn’t have a dutch oven so I sautéed everything in a skillet before putting it in a 9×13 pan with the noodles. Came out great.
Love that! You should def try the crunchy topping tho- it’s so good!
Greetings from the UK… this looks like a fabulous recipe. However, I cannot source fire roasted canned tomatoes here. I know you say in the recipe to use them.. how can I liven up the tomatoes? Should I use canned, plum, chopped or San Marzena. Any advice would be appreciated. We have only just been able to purchase Beyond Meat Sausage plain flavour only (in one supermarket only, Tesco if anyone from the UK is reading this) very recently. I will have to use that, perhaps add chilli flakes to spice it up? Thanks.
Yes, I love San Marzena tomatoes. To replicate the fire-roasted flavor, add a splash of liquid smoke or a sprinkling of smoked sea salt. If you have neither of these, don’t worry about it! Also, it’s already quite spicy without chili flakes so be cautious. 🙂
Hi there! I’m making this dish this weekend however I am dutch oven-less 🙁 Can i leave this covered on the stove in my stock pot for same results? Assume a similar amount of cook time? Can’t wait to try after reading the reviews. Thanks!!
Hi there! I’m so sorry it took me so long to respond. I would say just cover the pot tightly with foil and bake it in the oven! It should be just fine that way!
HI! I was able to cook it on the stove following the same liquid amount and cook time and it was PHENOMENAL!! My non-vegan family and friends all wanted the recipe!
Look at you! I love this variation! Thanks for the sweet comment. 🙂
Just watched your YouTube video!!!! Loved it. One question, what brand of nutritional yeast do you use? I’ve tried Braggs and loved the flavor, and I’ve tried WF bulk bin version, which I didn’t like as much. Thanks for being you and making vegan cooking fun!!! 🙂
Hey there! My favorite is the bulk variety (flakes) from Whole Foods. But I also like the Braggs- so either really! I just go through a lot of it so bulk makes more sense for me.
This recipe sounds amazing… and loving all the positive comments on the taste. I have a quick question about the garlic… do you use a whole head for this recipe or just a clove? Just double checking so i don’t ruin it.
Yes, it does call for one head! But you could certainly cut back if you’d like to. I personally love garlic so I always use a lot. 🙂
I just watched your YouTube video and was going to make this tonight… bc it’s below zero inn chicago…. but Amazon Prime does not have crispy onions 🙁 and alternative??
Breadcrumbs would be a nice addition as an alternative. Or even crumbled corn tortilla chips or potato chips. Just looking for a crunch really. But you could just add cheese without either of these otpions if you are in a pinch.
How many servings does this recipe make?
This makes a lot! I would say it could feed 8 people easily with a veggie side and salad or 6 hungry people with nothing else.
OMG I just made this and it was yummy! My Omni family loved it. Definitely going to make this at least once a week! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I love it.
Well, that’s lovely to hear. How lucky is your family that you cook delicious food for them!? I’m coming over!
I’ve made this recipe at least 20 times now. Next to lasagna, it’s the best baked pasta dish I’ve ever had in my life. My only recommendation is to check how spicy your chipotle chili powder is before committing to an entire teaspoon. My chili powder is great, but also VERY spicy, so I try to cut back to ½ teaspoon… if I remember to. Anyway 20/10, would definitely make again.
Wow! I love hearing this! Big smiles over here.
This was delicious, really fabulous~ !
Yay! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it will be amazing! I love that your talking about having some wine and cooking that is literally my favorite pass time. And I definitely loved that you put the dried herb measurements in there bc I hate saving a recipe until I can get to the store,and buying a bunch of herbs to use a sprig. I’ll be making this very soon. I just have one question, our closest grocery store carries a morning star product that is an Italian crumble, do you think that would work in this or should I stick with the beyond products? Beyond is kinda hard to find in my area.
Beyond is really the best to use for this, so I highly recommend it. But if you can’t find it, you can certainly substitute another vegan meat and it will still be delicious!
Made this tonight. Ridiculously good. And the photos are gorgeous. I’ve never had hamburger helper before but I’ll bet my last dollar this is WAY better.
Now I need to check out your other recipes.
So glad you liked it! I need to make it again myself! Happy cooking and thanks for the comment. 🙂
I’ve made this twice now. I used the tofurkey Italian sausage simply because it’s cheaper (it doesn’t crumble) but it’s still amazing. The second time I subbed leftover spaghetti sauce for the tomatoes *chefs kiss*
This is my new favorite.
Also it is nearly impossible for me to find chipotle chili powder so I used a chipotle grill mix. Still amazing!
Awesome! I am so glad that you like the recipe. 🙂
Great recipe! The smoke flavor is very intense, between what’s used in the sausages, the paprika and the chili powder. If you aren’t a fan, like me, I suggest using sweet paprika. The Beyond Sausage definitely has the best texture of the vegan meats though! Will definitely make again when I’m craving some down-home comfort food.
Glad you liked the recipe! Happy cooking!
Ok so my daughter made this for dinner tonight. It’s one of our all time favorite recipes. It’s also the best quarantine comfort food – hands down! ??????❤️
Sounds like you have a great daughter cooking you some delicious food! Haha! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. And that you are spending time with your baby.
This dish converted my non vegan fiancé into a vegan overnight! He told me if I can make him tasty meals like this all the time he has no objections to living a vegan lifestyle! It made me so happy. Thank you for this delish recipe 🙂
Woohoo! That’s what I like to hear. Really lovely. Thank you and happy cooking!
This was fantastic! I am making it for the second time. Thank you!
That’s how I know it’s a bomb recipe- when you have to make it 2x! Thank you sweetheart. 🙂
What size Dutch Oven and do you have a suggestion on what brand to buy. Thanks!
I would say a large dutch oven (one that can fit around 10 cups of water) is best! But if you have a smaller one, you could halve the recipe. I personally like Le Creuset but you can find similar versions that aren’t so expensive at Home Goods or Marshalls. 🙂
I prepare this recipe for our community café at church every time we offer a popular noodle and ground beef casserole, so that we also have a vegan/vegetarian option. Last time, at least 20% of the people asked for this instead of the casserole loaded with sour cream and cheeses…and asked for the recipe! Thanks for helping me in my effort to convince folks that eating vegan can be just as (more!) delicious as eating meals loaded with animal products.
Well, that is just fabulous! So awesome to hear this. Thank you so much!
Hello! I made this tonight for dinner and I don’t have a dutch oven. I used a stainless steel pot to do the stovetop part and then I threw it in my clowcooker on high for 1.5 hours. I also used tofu instead of Beyond. Just pressed 16 oz block of firm tofu and used a plastic grater to grate it small. Soooooo good!
Oh, awesome! I love tofu so I shall try this as well! Thanks for leaving a review. 🙂
Holy Cow this was soooo good!! I added some Mexican spice mix and some canned Chipotles in Adobo sauce, ‘cuz I like spicy food. I made this at 9am because a friend across the country recommended it. She was 100% right! Delicious! Now that’s an eye-opener of a Breakfast!!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for leaving a review!
Hi greetings from lockdown UK. This looks fabulous… but don’t know if to make it…. I keep reading about fire roasted tomatoes which sound amazing. Unfortunately, they are unavailable here in the UK. Any ideas tips or tricks how I could turn up the volume with plain canned tomatoes. I can get hold of San Marzena, crushed organic, whole plum organic, cherry tomatoes (but not the Fire roasted ?) do they have a smoky flavour? I was wondering if a splash of Colgin or smoked sweet or smoked hot paprika to normal canned tomatoes would enhance? However, as I have never tasted them I am treading unknown waters here… beyond meat burgers only hit our shelves last year. I avoid coconut (allergy) so don’t eat them. I do sometimes purchase them for my husband. They are now much higher in saturated fat than when they first launched here which is hard to believe. ..You would think they would be working towards less saturated fat not more…. they were originally 3.8 sat fat per burger and are now 6.1g per burger so I only purchase them occasionally. I could use a different non coconut oil burger in your recipe but how do I get over the non fire roasted tomatoes?!?!
One last question I have been looking at your cookbook does it contain a lot of coconut products ie oil, milk cream? And are there alternative suggestions? Key Question as I avoid coconut. Many thanks, stay well and keep safe…
So you can use plain canned tomatoes and just add a splash of liquid smoke like you suggested or a sprinkling of smoked sea salt. For the sausage, you can use whatever vegan sausage you like and have access to or you could use chopped mushrooms! In my cookbook, you can usually swap out coconut oil for avocado oil unless the recipe is dependant on the coconut oil hardening (like in the strawberry shortcake bars). As for coconut milk/cream, I’d have to know what recipe you are referring to. I am sure oat milk would work as a swap for some. Please email specific recipes you are referring to with coconut products and I can help you further!
My family loved this dish. I have expanded my menu just by discovering you wonderful blog.
Oh, that is lovely to hear! Thank you!
The recipe is phenomenal. Smells delicious from start to finish and tastes even better. The best part is that since it’s all in one pot, cleanup is minimal! Any of the prep tools can all be cleaned and set to dry while it’s in the oven. Couldn’t recommend it more.
Yesss! Thank you for this.
Greatest. Recipe. EVER. I made this for the first time a couple months ago and it’s now a weekly staple in my house. I use the Original Brat Beyond Sausage and it’s DELICIOUS! And I’ll add that both vegans and omnivores in my house enjoy this recipe.
I’m so glad! Thank you and happy cooking!
This is one of my favorite things to make. It’s freaking delicious!!!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was pretty darn good. I can’t quite remember what the real stuff tastes like, because that was a loooong time ago and there were some nostalgic flavors there. I paired this with a side salad and some garlic bread. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for the great recipe.
I am going to try
This recipe deserves more than 18 reviews!!!!! It really is magical; a perfect comfort food recipe for a rainy evening or election season. Or a rainy evening during election season. I don’t change a thing besides sprinkling extra parm & crispy onions on top.
I’ve used several different cheddars, including Violife, Whole Foods brand, and Daiya. They all work beautifully! I’ve also used horn Violife parm and Follow Your Heart parm. FYH is nice since you don’t have to shred it. One less step.
For the sausage, there’s really no substitute. Hot Italian all the way.
SO SO easy, can do clean-up between steps and while it’s in the oven, and so incredibly good for how easy it is. Thanks, Timothy!
I am so happy that you like the recipe!! It’s definitely a popular one. Thanks for the love!
This thing blessed my family, they were practically licking their plates, tastes like the real thing from when I was a kid. Thank you so much!
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you!
Someone I follow on Instagram posted this recipe and I KNEW I had to try it- I’m SO glad I did! I don’t have a Dutch oven so I did everything in a large cast iron skillet right up until I needed to add the pasta, when I switched everything over to a large glass baking dish. Covered with foil and baked accordingly. I can’t wait to make this for friends someday when group gatherings are safe again!!! <3 from Texas
Amazing! I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Holy freaking macaroni, dude. This recipe is FLAMES. I made it last night, and I was soo stoked on the flavor, the amount it produced, and the fact that I only had to dirty one pot (seriously, my kitchen is usually a nightmare to clean after cooking). This dish is so flavorful and so comforting.
Bonus story: I had to go to bed early so my husband was in charge of putting leftovers away (there were a lot and I was so excited to eat them for days to come). I woke up in the morning to find that he left the pot sitting out overnight. I swear, I nearly cried. I immediately sent him to the grocery store to pick up all the necessary ingredients for me to make it again tonight. Hahaha.
Haha! I love reading comments like this. I am so happy that you liked it! Thanks for the sweetness.
This was a huge hit with my meat loving grown sons. So good ! Mine was not brown though like in your photos. It was red like a regular pasta sauce. Any idea why? I read all reviews and no one else mentioned it.
So the Beyond Sausage will make things turn reddish/orange. But with all of the spices and cheese and crispy onions, I’m not sure why yours looks more red than others. As long as it tastes delicious, it should be fine though!
My God this was good. It’s exactly like hamburger helper, but sooooo much better. Perfection on a cold night! I used Beyond Beef and followed the instructions exactly. I left the top on and cooked for 45 min. b/c I chose not to add the toppings. The boyfriend said the meat wasn’t necessary— that’s how good the pasta, sauce and cheese (I used VioLife) taste!
Yay! I am so happy that you liked it! Thanks for the sweet comment.
Delicious and so easy!! I wound up letting the pot simmer on the stove top for 14 minutes to cook the pasta
and then just putting it in the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and it still came out awesome and actually took about 10 minutes off the cooking time. Will definitely make this again!
Awesome!
Oh. My. Goodness. This is amazing and such a comfort food! I can’t control myself. Timothy you’re amazing.
Yayy! Thank you!
I promise I’ll stop commenting on this recipe one day, but I love this pasta dish SO much! It’s a regular at our place & I’m cooking it right now for friends who are going through a rough time right now because comfort food warms our bellies and hearts. I made it for my partner’s sister & brother-in-law once and drunken brother-in-law finished the leftover in one night somehow because it was “too good”. I can’t say I blame him ?. It’s perfect comfort food!
You can comment all you want! I am so happy that you like it! Happy cooking.
Absolutely delicious! Made this for the first time tonight. Used beyond meat ground beef because that’s what I had, and it was perfect! My husband and I have so many leftovers. Wonder if it freezes well…will read through other people’s comments to see if they’ve tried and if not, report back at a later date with my findings. Thanks for sharing and creating this Timmy!
It freezes beautifully. So happy you enjoyed it!
Y’all!!! When he says do NOT use too much water to cover the noodles, listen to him. LOL!!! Lord help, I just made a mushy mess. But the taste. Whew, the taste was out of this world but the texture was awful. LOL! I am remaking this again tomorrow night. Wish me luck!
Oh no! Sorry bout that.
This looks and sounds delicious!! What size dutch oven do I need? I have a 5 quart and a larger one (I think a 7 quart?) but the big one won’t fit it my oven unless I lower the middle rack. Heeeelp! I really want to make this happen.
The larger one for sure!
Just discovered you! Yay! Made this last night for my husband and three kids. We all LOVED it! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Oh that is so lovely to hear! Thank you and welcome.
Thank you for this exceptional and delicious recipe. I finally made it over Christmas and it was unbelievably good. After reading all the reviews (twice) I thought “how good can this be”? Answer: insanely good. Hot damn… it lived up to the hype.
My only modifications were: I used regular paprika and a few shakes of liquid smoke, and I couldn’t get beyond meat but I did have some spicy field roast sausages which I used instead. Thanks again!
I am so happy that you liked it! It’s one of my favorites.
LOVE this recipe — I’ve made it three times in the past couple months. For anyone wondering how the conversion to gluten free pasta is, I’ve used three different GF pastas and each has turned out great. The Ancient Harvest and Jovial fusilli both had similar timing to the original recipe, and were in the oven for a total of 40 mins each for al dente noodles. I also used the TJ’s brown rice fusilli once, which cooked super fast — it was only in the oven for a total of 30 mins (20 mins covered, 10 mins uncovered).
Awesome! And I agree, I have used GF pasta and it worked great. I think it was brown rice noodles. Thanks for the love. Happy cooking!
This is AMAZING!!! Super tasty and really easy to put together. Your instructions are always so detailed and easy to follow.
Thank you! That means so much to me. Happy cooking!
Just made this for the third time! Can’t get over how good it is. I think I’ve sent the recipe to everyone in my life now! ☺️Thank you so much for being you!
You are very welcome! Thanks for the love and happy cooking!
First of all, thank you so much for ALL of your wonderful recipes! I learned to make greens over quarantine based on your recipe, and they were approved for Thanksgiving dinner. Major! You red beans are fantastic, jambalaya is excellent, and your gumbo…MAN!! I was terrified of the roux, but after watching countless YouTube videos, I made it happen and it was perfection.
Made this recipe last night and we really loved the flavors. But, it was a little dry. 🙁 Curious to see what I should do to fix that.
I was really paranoid about adding the water – both how and how much. Like do you pour the noodles in, cover with water and then mix? Or do you pour the noodles in, mix, and then cover with water? I did more like the latter after watching your video. I ended up adding maybe 2/3-3/4 of a regular can of tomato’s worth of water to it (I used two small cans instead of one large one). I was definitely worried about adding too much water, so just rolled with that.
In the end, the noodles were cooked well (yay!), but there wasn’t much “sauce”. What should I do differently to get more sauce/make it creamier?
If you have a more precise estimate for the water, that would really be helpful to this type A chef. ha, ha!
Thanks in advance and keep the great recipes coming!
Hi Maya! So with a one-pot pasta dish like this- if it seems dry you can always add some more water, mix, and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes or until saucier- to your liking! I’m sorry it was dry for you. To answer your question- once the pot has all of the ingredients you then fill it with water just to cover the noodles barely. This method has worked for most but I understand you need exact measurements so next time I make it, I will measure the exact amount and update this recipe.
I make this weekly for my family of one picky toddler and one “meat and potatoes” husband. It’s easy, fast and tastes amazing. Plus there is always leftovers for my lunch the next day. Win win win
That’s what I like to hear! Thank you so much!
Can this be made in a crock pot and set on warm? I want to make this for a work lunch that we have in our office every Friday. I’m thinking if I do the prep at home and then throw everything in the crock pot, bring it to work… it could be ready by lunchtime?? Just wondering about amount of water?? Has anyone ever commented on using a crockpot?
I haven’t tried that so I am not sure how long it would take to cook.. I’m sorry! But I bet you could bake it at home and then transfer it to a crockpot on low warm and bring it to work that way. Hope this helps!
Made this again last night and it turned out excellent as always! I didn’t have time to bake it, so this was a two pot dish for me. I also used fresh Sage and Oregano from the garden, and had Beyond Sweet Italian Sausage instead of the Hot.. But it still turned out amazing!! It was my first time using the Sweet (purchased on sale 😉 , so I definitely added a little extra Cayenne and pepper flakes. I have made it in one pot per instructed multiple times before, and that too is an easy delicious dish. You can’t go wrong here 🙂 It’s very forgiving and can be done with what’s on hand.
Mmmm, is it lunch time yet?! Or is it okay if I eat the leftovers for breakfast??
This is my go to comfort food! I use this in my meal prep and it is even better left over. Thank you for your recipes. Trying the alfredo next weekend.
I love that! I hope you enjoy the alfredo, too. It’s a fun one. Happy cooking!
This looks amazing! I have everything out and ready to make this but the beyond sausages were mushy and kind of gross so i threw them out….not a fan of beyond but i got them so i could follow the recipe exactly. I took a pack of field roast apple sage sausages out of the freezer as a substitute….Hopefully they will work?? That’s all i had. I’m also planning to make your cheddar beer bread to go along with this which looks amazing as well:)
Yes, you can use whatever vegan sausage you like in this! I hope it turned out well for you!
This is the BEST vegan recipe for anything I have ever tried. I used Daiya cheddar shreds because it’s all we had at our grocery store and it turned out so good! I don’t have a dutch oven (sadly) but I cooked it in a casserole dish with a cover and it still was super quick and easy!! Thank you sooo so much for sharing this glorious recipe. I’m currently eating myself into a pasta induced coma ??
Aww, this was so nice to read. Thank you for letting me know. I am so happy you liked it!!
My wife and I loved this dinner. I’m a bit of a pepper head so I goosed up the pimenton, chipotle and cayenne. I made it yesterday, and it was so good, it’s gone today. Thanks so much for this excellent vegan comfort food recipe. It’s going on our rotation!
Love reading this! I love that you goosed up the pepper- I feel the same. Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it!
I grew up near Pascagoula, MS and ever since I started eating a mostly plant based diet people have recommended you to me so much! I tried this recipe because hamburger helper was a staple in our home. I made this for my sister and I and we absolutely LOVE it. I had to substitute the chipotle chili powder the first time, but the second time I made sure to have it and WOW what an awesome flavor!! This is now one of our favorite vegan dishes to make. I’m so grateful to have found you! I’m going to be trying a few of your other recipes as well.
Aww, welcome to the blog my fellow Mississippian! I am so happy that you are here. Thrilled that you liked the recipe, that makes me very happy. Happy cooking!
Wow! I’ve eyed this recipe for a while and we never got around to actually making it until last night… absolutely delicious!! My husband said it is one of his favorite dinners we have ever made. I am sure we will make this many more times in the future.
That is so awesome to hear! I have now heard this *multiple* times about the husbands loving this recipe in particular. This makes me smile!
Finally tried this recipe after years of reading about the hype. It’s a winner. 10/10.
Love hearing that!!! Thank you!
HOLY COW, BATMAN!!!!!!!
I found this recipe a month or two back and I’ve been dying to make it since… and ridiculously craving it this week. I actually put such ridiculous expectations on this dish that by time I finally made it, I figured it couldn’t possibly be as good as my hopes and dreams. You proved me WRONG. This blew our minds. Like… our minds are splattered all over the wall.
My spouse won’t eat spicy foods so I omitted the cayenne and opted for the mild Italian beyond sausage. Believe it or not, this still had a kick to it! But it was just right for both of us to absolutely love this dish. If you’re thinking twice about this recipe because of the spice, just make those small adjustments and it’ll work out.
I don’t own a Dutch oven (who am I?) so I popped this into a baking dish and covered to bake. Came out perfect! Oh, and mozzarella does work great on top if you live in a fly-over state like me and can’t find parmesan.
Will be bringing this to game night in two weeks to share with our fellow nerds.
Oh, and it’s so fun and refreshing to read recipes written by dudes. Love your sense of humor. Thanks and more thanks.
Haha! Thank you for this colorful and amazing review. It made me smile and laugh! I am so happy you liked it. Thanks for the love. Happy cooking!
This is my new fav recipe for dinner. I freeze it in small portions. To cook the next time I put the hunk of frozen HH in a stove top pan, pour over a jar of red pasta sauce, put the lid on and cook on low for about 30 mins until thawed and cooked thru.
NO ONE who eats this can tell it’s vegan.
Oh I LOVE that. Great idea to portion this out into little servings. I might have to do that as well! Thanks for sharing. Happy cooking!
I made this last night with really high expectations. You really sold it on your YouTube channel. Im cooking for carnivores and they like to make fun of vegan food. So when I say this exceeded all expectations I really mean it. This meal was so delicious. Excellent flavor, warming heat. I feel it’s a dish you could feed vegan shaming carnivores and they would never know. It would be the best thing they ate all month.
Heather! Thank you for this awesome comment. It made me smile. Happy cooking!
just made this. innnsaaane. will be making this again and again!
Yay, love that! Thank you!
how many calories does it have?
Hi there! I honestly couldn’t tell you.. I’m sorry!
I was skeptical about the Italian sausage, but it works so well for this. Also, I picked up the bottle of chipotle chili powder and realized it was empty mid-cooking! Figured I’d add a little spoonful of chipotle in adobo as a sub, but then completely forgot. It was STILL very delicious and quite a crowd-pleaser, so I can’t wait to try it with ALL of the important ingredients pleasant!
Yayyy so happy you liked it!
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t have a dutch oven so had to transfer to a baking dish. I made my own “Italian meat” with a TVP recipe and worked out great! This is a definite keeper, thank you!
Love to hear it! Thanks for letting me know!
This is my boyfriend’s favourite meal. He’s not even vegan, but I still use the beyond meat and the vegan cheese. I skip the crispy onions but I’m sure they’d be good. Otherwise I follow the recipe exactly! It is pretty expensive as beyond meat and fire roasted tomatoes aren’t cheap in my country but it’s great for special meals. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Wow! That is so fantastic to hear. Thank you!
Offensively delicious and easy. I grew up in an Asian household and we rarely ate hamburger helper. This recipe, however, is everything I’ve ever wanted. I don’t have an ovenproof pot so I simmered, covered, for 30 ish minutes and it turned out perfect (though I had to leave out the onions rip—one day!). I added some diced mushrooms after the sausages were mostly browned and it helped bulk up the dish but definitely not necessary. Savory bomb.
Hi Erin! Oh fantastic, so happy to hear this. Love that you pushed and pulled it to your liking as well. Bravo!
Made this yesterday. Very yummy! The ultimate comfort food. Hearty and satisfying. Meaty and cheesy, savoury, filling goodness. The fire-roasted tomatoes provided a nice juicy burst. I made it on an early Sunday afternoon, paired it with some steamed greens and my partner and I ate it all day, and still had leftovers. I used an Impossible meat brick, a 50/50 mix of Daiya cheddar and mozz shreds (not my first choice but all I had on hand), whole wheat rotini, and I added mushrooms when I fried the meat. I was worried my 3.5 quart Le Creuset wouldn’t be big enough but it was the absolutely perfect size and after 30 mins cooking I was left with the perfect amount of sauce. I will be making this again when I need more comfort food. I’ll get a nicer cheese next time – I think maybe a block of the Violife mature cheddar would be nice. I also might try adding some veg beef broth instead of water next time, or a bit of balsamic vinegar before baking to add a sweet note. But I really loved it without modifying anything. An adult version of a hamburger helper. YUM!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! So very happy you enjoyed it. All of your ideas sound like awesome additions, as well. Happy cooking!
Love this recipe. Makes my non-vegan friends believers. Recently served this on a wine weekend getaway for game night. Drank with a jammy syrah. Perfect pairing.
Oh gosh, that sounds divine. Love a jammy wine!! Thanks for the comment. Happy cooking!
phenomenal. thank you
So happy to hear! Thank you! xo
This dish is absolutely delicious, I make it all the time now!!!! Thank you so much for sharing it! My bf (who isn’t vegan) says you’d never know this is vegan. It’s a must try!
Thank you, Kayla! That makes me so happy to hear!
This is amazing (again….my second comment about this recipe)!!!
Thank you, Terri! So happy to hear!
I am so sorry to everyone for not writing a review 3 years earlier. Please do yourself a favor and make this meal. It is sooo delicious and I’ve been making this meal for 2 or parties. Whenever I make this meal my husband and I almost eat the whole casserole in one sitting. Guests (vegan and not) have always felt the same and ask us to make it again! Seriously, that good.
This is so awesome to hear!! Thank you for the lovely comment. So happy you like it.
HOLY SHMOLY this is delicious!! I just took my second bite and OMG!! It’s so good!
I followed the recipe exactly, with regular beyond sausages and a diced pack of Violife sliced American cheddar.
I grew up on hamburger helper. This is the best “hamburger helper” I’ve ever tasted.
I’m bringing a less spicy version of this to a potluck
Yayy!! This made me so happy to read!! Thanks for the love. Happy holidays!
This recipe has become a family favorite! Delicious!
Hi there! That is so awesome to hear! Thank you for letting me know.
This is so wonderful! I made a lentil/walnut meat crumbles thing instead of Beyond Meat which just reminds me entirely too much of real meat. The dish was delicious and enormously enjoyed by my dinner guests. Thank you! Your recipes and stunning photography are deeply appreciated.
Oh that sounds delicious!! I need to try it that way. Thanks for the comment, happy cooking!
This is fabulous. I did not substitute. Vegan or not this is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had!! I was never a big fan of the original ‘hamburger helper’ or my mom’s goulash (sorry mom!) but this is what those things could have been. Will be adding it to my rotation. Thank you!! <3
Sorry mom LOL! This is so lovely to read!! Thank you for letting me know. So happy you like it!
Made this tonight! My non vegan husband loved it!!
That’s what I like to hear!! Thank you!!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I never leave reviews on really anything but it just tastes too good not to. Made this twice, and the second time I baked for 30min covered and then 7min uncovered because the noodles were a bit over cooked the first time – probably too much water. I recommend making the spice blend beforehand to cut down on steps while cooking.
Love to hear this!! Thank you for letting me know!