Vegan Cajun Hamburger Helper
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This Vegan Cajun Hamburger Helper is the perfect one-pot weeknight dinner! Simple ingredients, ready in less than an hour & delish!
It is fall and it is time to break out the stock pot! Today we are making a one-pot dinner that is perfect for a busy weeknight! This Vegan Cajun Hamburger Helper only requires 11 ingredients, one pot and 30 minutes to make. Plus it is high in protein! Great if you are cooking for a family or want some tasty leftovers for lunch the next day.
Step One: Prep the Ingredients
There are MANY things I love about this recipe, but one of the top reasons is that it only requires 11 ingredients (and a couple optional ones)!
Here is what you need:
- oil – I used avocado oil
- yellow onion
- bell peppers
- jalapeño
- garlic
- vegan beef crumbles
- cajun seasoning
- broth
- non-dairy milk – I used unsweetened oat milk
- ketchup
- pasta shells
- non-dairy cream – optional
- green onions – optional, for serving
Step Two: Add it to the Pot
Start by grabbing a stock pot that can hold everything.
Heat your oil and then it’s time to start adding in the ingredients. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, beef crumbles and cajun seasoning. Cook down for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the veggies to be tender.
Pour in the broth, non-dairy milk, ketchup & pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to stir, stir, stir. This will make sure the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom!
Step Three: Bring it Together
You will know it is getting close when the pasta has absorbed about 1/2 of the liquid. Give it a taste to make sure the pasta is cooked through and the seasonings are on point.
If you want your pasta to be extra creamy, pour in some non-dairy cream.
Grab some bowls and scoop the pasta, veggies and sauce into each one. I like to top mine with green onion – I mean we need SOME greens in this recipe. Plus, they just add a pop of great flavor.
Tips & Tricks
You can omit the jalapeño if you don’t want too much spice. You can also remove the ribs and seeds for less spice.
I used the vegan beef crumbles from Trader Joe’s. You can use another brand or sub cooked lentils. If you use cooked lentils add them at the same time you add the pasta.
I used vegan beef broth (linked below). You can sub a different broth, but you may need to adjust the seasonings – some veggie broths lack flavor/seasoning.
I added about 1/3 cup of non-dairy cream at the end for a creamier texture. My favorite brands are Trader Joe’s and Ripple.
FOR LEFTOVERS: The pasta will continue to absorb the broth as it sits, so this is best served right away. If you have leftovers you can loosen up the sauce by adding broth or milk when reheating.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Vegan Cajun Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil I used avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 jalapeño diced, optional
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces vegan beef crumbles see notes
- 1.5 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 2 cups broth see notes
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 cup non-dairy milk I used unsweetened oat milk
- 8 ounces pasta shells
- non-dairy cream optional, see notes
- green onions optional, for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, beef crumbles and cajun seasoning. Cook down for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the veggies to be tender.
- Pour in the broth, non-dairy milk, ketchup & pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Once the pasta is cooked through and about 1/2 of the liquid is absorbed, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. For a creamier consistency you can add some non-dairy cream.
- To serve, add the pasta into bowls and top with green onion.
Video
Notes
- You can omit the jalapeño if you don’t want too much spice. You can also remove the ribs and seeds for less spice.
- I used the vegan beef crumbles from Trader Joe’s. You can use another brand or sub cooked lentils. If you use cooked lentils add them at the same time you add the pasta.
- I used vegan beef broth (linked above). You can sub a different broth, but you may need to adjust the seasonings – some veggie broths lack flavor/seasoning.
- I added about 1/3 cup of non-dairy cream at the end for a creamier texture. My favorite brands are Trader Joe’s and Ripple.
- FOR LEFTOVERS: The pasta will continue to absorb the broth as it sits, so this is best served right away. If you have leftovers you can loosen up the sauce by adding broth or milk when reheating.
Ok, let me start by saying that I was super skeptical about this recipe because I love love love hamburger helper (it was a staple in our household growing up), and I’m always a bit suspicious of vegan and vegetarian recipes that claim to taste like the real thing, but this recipe was AWESOME, and I will be making it on repeat. It was so good that I ate half the recipe all to myself. My husband is a big meat eater, and even he enjoyed it so bonus points for sure. For the beef crumbles, I used a pack of impossible lite ground with a little vegan Worcestershire sauce. For pasta, I used whole wheat spirals. I didn’t have non dairy cream, so I stirred in about 1/4 cup vegan cheese shreds at the end (but I tasted it before that, and it still tasted awesome). Super flavorful and delicious.
That’s amazing! I’m so glad it holds up to your memories of the real deal.
Delicious! Perfect for when you need some cozy comfort food. Followed the recipe as is and also added some nutritional yeast. Will be adding this in to our regular rotation!
Amazing – thanks so much Danielle!
Made this a few weeks ago with my grandies. We used soy milk. Also, we tossed in the whole 16 oz pkg of vegan crumbles because I didn’t feel like putting 4 oz back in the freezer.
We all liked it very much, but we agreed that it had too much vegan crumbles. So next time we’ll stick to the 12 oz as called for in the recipe.
It was really good, though!
Fabulous!! Way better than boxed stuff (blah) and way healthier. Easy and delicious!