MY VEGETARIAN HAMBURGER HELPER

Comfort Food Using My Homemade Veggie Meat

By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer

The finished vegetarian Hamburger Helper-style dish with a golden layer of melted cheese.

The second meal I made from my homemade veggie-meat batch was my take on vegetarian Hamburger Helper. I wanted something warm, cheesy and familiar, but without using ground beef.

Because the veggie meat was already prepared, I could focus on turning it into a pasta dish. The mixture worked its way through the pasta, and I finished everything with cheese on top before baking it until melted and golden.

Using the Same Veggie-Meat Base

The veggie meat in this dish started with portobello mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, cauliflower and walnuts. It had already been cooked with tomato paste, liquid aminos and my savory seasoning blend, so it brought plenty of flavor and texture to the pasta.

Bringing It Together

A closer look at the pasta and veggie-meat mixture underneath the melted cheese.

I started the cheese sauce the same way I would make a traditional macaroni-and-cheese sauce. In a small saucepan, I slowly stirred one egg into the milk or half-and-half, then added about 4 tablespoons of butter. I let the mixture heat slowly, then added freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and continued stirring until the cheese melted into a smooth sauce. I added a little salt to taste and kept stirring until the sauce reached a thick, creamy consistency similar to Cheez Whiz.

Once the cheese sauce was ready, I poured it over the noodles, added the prepared vegetarian veggie meat and mixed everything together. I transferred the mixture to a casserole dish and baked it for about 30 minutes. The result was a warm, cheesy pasta dish with the savory veggie meat mixed throughout.

The baked dish ready to serve - cheesy on top with the pasta and veggie-meat mixture underneath.

I didn’t record exact measurements for the pasta, milk or half-and-half, or shredded cheese in this first version, so I’m keeping those amounts flexible rather than adding measurements I can’t verify. I do remember using one egg and about 4 tablespoons of butter in the cheese-sauce mixture. The method is the part I remember clearly: slowly heat the egg, milk or half-and-half, and butter mixture, stir in the sharp cheddar until creamy, combine the sauce with the noodles and veggie meat, then bake the casserole for about 30 minutes.

Why I’d Make It Again

This is another example of why the large batch of veggie meat worked so well for me. The same base that became Sloppy Joes could also go in a completely different direction with pasta and cheese. It gave me the convenience of meal prep without feeling like I was eating the same meal over and over.

Teresa’s Take

This one hit the comfort-food spot. I liked the combination of the seasoned veggie meat, pasta and melted cheese, and I especially liked knowing that most of the prep had already been done when I made the original batch. It’s the kind of meal I can see myself adjusting and making again.

From This Same Batch

This dish started with my Homemade Veggie Meat - One Batch, So Many Possibilities. I also used another portion of that same batch to make Vegetarian Sloppy Joes - A New Way to Use My Homemade Veggie Meat, giving me multiple meals from one round of prep. Click either article title to see how I used the same homemade veggie-meat base in a different way.

About Teresa

Hi, I’m Teresa Davis, a Florida travel and lifestyle writer sharing memorable destinations, food experiences and discoveries from my travels.

Every destination has a story. Thanks for exploring this one with me.