Hamburger Helper is a popular boxed meal product made by General Mills. It consists of pasta and a powdered seasoning packet that you mix with ground beef and milk to create a quick and easy skillet dinner. While Hamburger Helper is designed to be made with meat, it is possible to make meatless versions by replacing the ground beef with vegetarian proteins or simply making it without any meat substitute.
What is Hamburger Helper?
Hamburger Helper is a line of boxed skillet dinner kits that were introduced by General Mills in 1971. Each box contains dried pasta and a powdered seasoning packet. To make it, you brown ground beef in a skillet, then add the pasta, seasoning mix and milk. The meal kits are designed to help stretch a pound of ground beef into a family dinner served over pasta.
While “hamburger” is in the name, General Mills has expanded the Hamburger Helper line over the years to include flavors like Chicken Helper, Cheeseburger Macaroni, and Tuna Helper. However, the traditional Hamburger Helper flavors are primarily designed to complement ground beef.
Can You Make Hamburger Helper Without Meat?
While Hamburger Helper is intended to be made with ground beef, you can absolutely make it without meat or with meat substitutes like vegetarian crumbles.
Here are some tips for making meatless Hamburger Helper:
– Skip the ground beef entirely and make it vegan. The pasta and seasoning sauce will still have plenty of flavor without meat.
– Replace the ground beef with cooked lentils, mushrooms, or tempeh crumbles.
– Use veggie ground round, soy crumbles, or other meat substitutes instead of beef.
– Add extra vegetables like diced onions, carrots, celery or peppers to up the veggie content.
– Use vegetable or mushroom broth instead of milk when making the sauce.
– For a protein boost, stir in a can of beans, chopped nuts or cooked quinoa once the pasta is done.
– Get creative with spices and herbs like cumin, chili powder and parsley to give it more flavor.
As long as you use the seasoning packet and preparation instructions, the Hamburger Helper will come together just fine without the ground beef. The recipe may require a bit more seasoning or vegetables to make it filling without the meat, but it can be adapted very easily.
Reasons to Make Meatless Hamburger Helper
There are several good reasons to try making Hamburger Helper vegetarian:
– It’s perfect for Meatless Mondays or other times when you want to cut back on meat.
– Going meat-free lightens up the dish and makes it healthier.
– You can avoid potential food safety issues with ground beef.
– It helps reduce your environmental impact by curbing meat consumption.
– You can customize it to your own taste preferences or dietary needs.
– It works well for vegetarian, vegan, or flexitarian families.
– It’s budget-friendly and uses pantry staple ingredients.
For those who enjoy the convenience of boxed skillet meals but want to incorporate more plant-based proteins into their diet, meatless Hamburger Helper is an easy weeknight solution.
Nutrition Comparison of Meat vs. Meatless Hamburger Helper
To compare the nutrition profiles, here is a look at the basic nutrition facts for a classic Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper made with ground beef vs. vegetarian protein:
| Hamburger Helper Nutrition Facts | With 1lb Lean Ground Beef (4 servings) | With 1 cup cooked lentils (4 servings) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 360 | 330 |
| Total Fat | 9g | 2g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5g | 0.5g |
| Protein | 24g | 19g |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 57g |
| Sodium | 820mg | 780mg |
As you can see, the meatless version is a bit lower in calories, fat, and saturated fat, while providing comparable protein and more fiber from the lentils. The sodium content is similar between the two recipes. Going meat-free lightens it up nutritionally but still gives you a hearty and comforting dish.
Meatless Hamburger Helper Recipes
To give you some recipe inspiration, here are a few tasty ideas for vegetarian and vegan Hamburger Helper meals:
1. Cheesy Rice and Bean Skillet
Sauté an onion and green pepper in olive oil. Add canned diced tomatoes, kidney beans, shredded cheddar cheese, milk, and Spanish rice Hamburger Helper. Stir until heated through and serve.
2. Vegetarian Chili Mac
Cook Hamburger Helper Chili Mac as directed, but replace beef with soy crumbles. Add extra chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder for more flavor. Top with shredded cheese, green onion, and sour cream.
3. Cajun Lentil and Pasta Skillet
Cook lentils seasoned with Cajun spices. Prepare Cheddar Broccoli Hamburger Helper with milk and water. Add cooked pasta, lentils, chopped kale, and hot sauce for some kick.
4. Spinach Mushroom Helper
Make Creamy Italian Pasta Hamburger Helper. Stir in sliced mushrooms and spinach when pasta is almost tender. Sprinkle with feta or parmesan cheese.
5. Buffalo Mac and Cheeze
Prepare Elbow Macaroni Hamburger Helper and replace milk with plain unsweetened almond or soy milk. Stir in buffalo style hot sauce and shredded vegan cheddar cheese. Top with ranch dressing.
6. Veggie Taco Pasta
Make Cheesy Taco Hamburger Helper, omitting beef. Increase taco seasoning. Add black beans, corn, zucchini, and top with avocado and vegan cheese.
The possibilities are endless when you start with a Hamburger Helper base and add your own creative mix of vegetables, beans, meat substitutes and seasonings.
Tips for Adding Flavor
When adapting Hamburger Helper to be vegetarian or vegan, you’ll want to enhance the flavor, especially if skipping the savory ground beef.
Here are some tips:
– Sauté aromatics like garlic, onion and pepper at the beginning.
– Use mushroom or vegetable broth instead of milk.
– Stir in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste for depth.
– Spice it up with chili powder, curry powder, herbs and hot sauce.
– Grate in hard cheeses for creaminess and tang.
– Top with shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole or sour cream.
– Mix in different textures like roasted veggies, wilted greens, beans, nuts.
– Add umami flavor boosters like nutritional yeast and tomato paste.
With a few tweaks, you can give meatless Hamburger Helper even more flavor and complexity.
Common Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about making Hamburger Helper without the hamburger:
Is it okay to make Hamburger Helper without meat?
Yes, it’s absolutely fine to make Hamburger Helper as directed on the box but simply omit the ground beef. The pasta and seasoning sauce will still have plenty of flavor. You can also substitute other protein options like beans, lentils, or meat substitutes in place of the beef.
Do you need to adjust the cooking time if you don’t add meat?
The cooking time should remain the same. Just prepare the pasta and sauce mix according to the package directions. The only exception would be if you add a meat substitute like veggie crumbles, in which case you may need to cook them before adding to the skillet.
Can you use almond milk instead of regular milk?
Yes, unsweetened almond milk can be substituted for regular milk with no issues. The sauce may turn out slightly thinner, so you can use a spoonful less almond milk or thicken it up with a bit of flour if needed.
What are the best meat substitutes to use?
Some good options are vegetarian ground round, soy crumbles, lentils, chopped mushrooms, browned tempeh, or extra firm tofu crumbles. You can also use veggie burgers crumbled up. Cook any substitutes first before adding to the skillet.
Do you need to use the whole seasoning packet if not adding meat?
It’s best to use the entire seasoning packet to ensure the dish has enough flavor. You can also add more spices and herbs like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, chili powder, etc to amp up the flavor even more.
Can I use jarred pasta sauce instead of the seasoning packet?
While it’s not traditional, you can experiment with substituting the seasoning packet with an equal amount of pasta sauce or tomatoes with Italian herbs. You may want to add some extra spices to get closer to the Hamburger Helper flavor profile.
Making meatless Hamburger Helper opens up an easy weeknight dinner to new possibilities. With a few simple ingredient swaps and flavor boosters, you can feel good about serving up this nostalgic comfort food even without the meat.
Conclusion
While Hamburger Helper is traditionally made with ground beef as a key ingredient, it’s absolutely possible to make satisfying meatless versions. Simply prepare the boxed meal as instructed, omitting the ground meat. Or, replace the meat with veggies, beans, lentils, or meat substitutes like soy crumbles for a nutrient-packed meal.
With extra seasoning, cheese, herbs, spices and mix-ins, vegetarian Hamburger Helper can be just as delicious. Going meatless lightens up this family favorite and makes it more customizable to your tastes. Incorporating Meatless Mondays or cutting back on meat can be as easy as reinventing Hamburger Helper. Follow the basic preparation then get creative with vegetables, plant-based protein and flavor boosters. In no time, you’ll have a hearty, homestyle meal everyone will love, even without the hamburger.