This mega-cheesy Vegan Hamburger Helper is the perfect meal to make on busy weeknights when you don't feel like cooking diddly squat! The kids will love it, and you'll be the hero of the night. Requires only 8 main ingredients and 10 minutes prep time!
2cupsvegan cheddar cheese shreds, such as Daiya (see recipe notes below for cheese recommendations)
chopped green onions, optional
Instructions
In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add paprika and nutritional yeast; cook 1 more minute. Stir in hot water, almond milk, and macaroni pasta. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to medium low and cover pan with a lid; cook until pasta is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
When pasta is finished, turn the heat down to low and season with pink salt and black pepper. Stir in the vegan cheddar cheese, and allow to cook for 1 minute while the cheese melts.
Remove from heat; garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
To "crumble" your mushrooms, wash and then pat dry with a paper towel. Using your hands, break mushrooms into tiny bits (including the stems). I prefer this method, because it gives you more of that "ground beef feeling" you find in traditional Hamburger Helper. Of course, if you don't feel like doing this, simply dice your mushrooms very small.
My favorite vegan cheese to use for this recipe is Daiya's cheddar cheese shreds, "cutting board collection", however, you can use whatever vegan cheese you like. Feel free to cut back on the amount if you don't want an overload OR you're not a huge fan of vegan cheese!