Not-Hamburger Helper: Your New Favorite Mac & Cheese!

Can you imagine a dinner that takes the classic idea of Hamburger Helper and transforms it into a healthy, plant-based delight? Welcome to Not-Hamburger Helper: Your New Favorite Mac & Cheese! This reimagined dish offers all the convenience of Hamburger Helper, but it’s also helpful for your health.

In just a few simple steps, you’ll whip up a creamy, comforting mac & cheese that’s not only satisfying but also packed with wholesome ingredients like hearty protein-packed lentils. Say goodbye to unhealthy boxed dinners and hello to a deliciously nutritious option that’s ready with the same ease. Perfect for busy nights or holiday gatherings, this dish proves that quick meals can be both simple and good for you!

Recipe Overview – Not-Hamburger Mac & Cheese

Short Recipe Video – Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese ++

The Menu for Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese

Are you looking for some non-alcoholic WFPB Beverages for holiday cheer?
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Or maybe mains and side dishes to celebrate the holidays? Try Stovetop Green Bean Casserole, Creamed Cabbage and Meatloaf, Candied Brussels & Balsamic Beets Salad, Not-Chicken Parmesan, Cranberry Dream Sandwich (including Cranberry Jam, Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, Stuffing, and Deli Turkey), Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Quick & Simple Cabbage Rolls, Grandma’s Hearty Borscht, Cheesy Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli, Bolognese in a Hurry, Plant Based Pierogies, Mushroom Cacciatore, or go all out and even make Classical Mac & Cheese, or the Southwest Mac & Chees as well!

or for more desserts try Cinnamon Apple-Raisin Rolls, Stovetop Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spiced Blondie, Caramel Apple Crumble, Stovetop Banana Cream Hand Pies, Ginger Bread Cookies, Raisin Butter Tart, Fast-Freeze-No-Churn-No-Machine Ice Cream, or maybe even just some Oil-Free Popcorn?

Directions at a Glance for the Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese

Note: If you’re not using a spice grinder then see either the blender help section or the no equipment at all section in the pro tips.

1. Grind all the dry ingredients for the cheese powder (oats, split peas, nutritional yeast, rice, and spices) and add the lentils to the water and bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the cheese powder and noodles. Simmer on low for 8 minutes covered.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook 1 to 2 more minutes or until the noodles are tender. Remove from the heat and serve garnished with cheesy not-parm powder, peppers, and lime wedges.

Why This Recipe for Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese?

Classical Mac & Cheese is great and so is Southwest Mac! But growing up there was still another favorite box of unhealthy comfort that would show up on the dinner table on busy or special occasions: the magical Hamburger Helper.

Recreating this was a must and a no-brainer after the Classical Mac & Cheese since I still needed something still as filling as the Southwest Mac but without all the kick!

This one is great as a side or the main dish for the evening as the lentils and the gooey cheesy tomatoey sauce really fills me up and hits the spot.

Have ideas for recipes or feedback? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on substack or Instagram!

Blending Without a Spice/Coffee Grinder

If you have oat flour and either are omitting or using fresh yellow peas then you don’t need a blender or a grinder.

Otherwise, you can use any type of blender, just blend the dry ingredients with 1 cup of the water from the recipe and otherwise follow the directions as written.

If you want you can try to use your stick blender to blend the dry ingredients like in the video below.

⭐The Full Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese Recipe⭐

Not-Hamburger, Helping Mac & Cheese

Chef Rob

A cheesy and meaty WFPB SOS-Free lentil based mac & cheese

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Boiling Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Comfort Food, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4 people

Calories 172.3 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Pot
• 1 Spice / Coffee Grinder (optional if you have oat flour and fresh yellow peas; or any type of blender works too)

Ingredients

  

Mac & Cheese Powder Part 1

• 3 tbsp oat flour
• 2 tbsp split peas yellow optional
• ½ tbsp rice flour optional, I like glutionous/sticky rice that I grind into flour
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (half from original recipe)
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic granulated
• ⅛ tsp ground turmeric
• ⅛ tsp chili powder (double from original recipe)
• 1 tsp paprika, regular (not in original recipe)
• ¹/16 tsp celery seeds
• 1/16 tsp ground mustard powder
• 3 cups water

Mac & Cheese Powder Part 2

• 1 tbsp seed butter or 2 tbsp ground seeds I like tahini or sunflower seed butter or seeds
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp white vinegar (double from original recipe)

Noodles

• 2 cups noodles (I use plain brown rice noodles, also see the pro tips for making homemade noodles with my Trofie or Fettucini recipe)
• ½ cup lentils whole lentils (dry, or cooked)

Instructions

 

• Grind or mix all of your Mac & Cheese Powder Part 1 then add your water to the pot with your lentils and bring it to a boil on high heat.

  Add the powder and the noodles to the pot, reduce to a simmer, and cover for 8 minutes (or the cooking time indicated on your noodles) on medium to medium-low heat.
  
• Remove the lid and add the Mac & Cheese Part 2 ingredients (acidic ingredients and seed butter: tomato paste, vinegars, seed butter) and stir well. Cook for 2 more minutes or longer if the noodles are still a bit firm (they will keep cooking even after the heat is off so don't go too far!)

  I suggest serving with cheesy-not-parm. Cornbread is great too, enjoy!
  

Video

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🧂If you absolutely must add salt or sugar then try to add them to taste, to the top of the food, so you use less, and add in small amounts and only after tasting before adding any more. The same goes for other “less healthy” additions, but the idea should be to try to limit and eventually remove adding them, over time, when you are ready. (Use a finer ground salt as it will taste saltier.)

After a few weeks of not eating a SAD diet your tastebuds reset and you’ll notice and be surprised by the natural sugars and sodium in foods, check out the great article, and subscribe to, Michael Corthell on Substack.

💡Protips💡

Make The Turmeric More Bioavailable

• Garnish or add black pepper to your Classical Mac & Cheese so the turmeric is more easily processed. If you have liver or kidney disease then consult a medical professional first.

This Is Still Too Much Work!

• If you must the you can buy canned lentils and throw everything in the pot and add the water on maximum heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover and it should turn out almost the same but there won’t be as much flavor and the texture may suffer.(Possibly, still not certain of this and if it’s just my bias).

It’s Stuck To The Bottom Of The Pot

• Turn the temperature to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes and this low setting should make the bottom “unstick,” and release. Try stiring every 2-3 minutes and it should come off with no problems.

Make It Smoother & Silkier

• In a hurry you can just dump the powder into the water, but this might clump up, especially if the water is already hot/boiling. Instead, make what is called a slurry. Take out about a cup of the liquid and cool it down, then add the powder and mix it well until it’s a smooth paste. Add the paste to the pot and stir until it’s fully incorporated into the sauce.

Split Peas & Oat Flour

• You don’t need to use split peas, but it adds to the texture and mouthfeel. If you can’t pre-blend/grind them or cook and pre-mash them them omit them.
• Dry grind or blend (with water) your oats. Other flours will work too.

Rice And Rice Flour

• I use glutonous rice (it’s actually gluten-free, that’s just the name), it’s also called sticky rice or sweet rice. It makes the sauce even more cheesy and gloopy (in the best possible way)! You can buy it as flour (look in the World/Asian isle in your grocery store) for usually very cheap and it’s just ground up rice.

Tahini & Sun Butter

Alternatives

• If you don’t want to use sun (sunflower seed) butter tahini other then pumpkin seed butter (although it will have some festive green) or hempseed butter, or any other seed or nut butter should work. Almond butter I find needs to be doubled.

No Seed or Nut Butter

• You can also use finely ground seeds or nuts, or you can omit the nuts and seeds entierly. It won’t be as creamy and I recommend doubling the oats to help with that..

Make It Fresh

• Use fresh celery, onions, garlic, and even fresh mashed split peas

Blenders, Food Processors, and Immersion Blenders

If you don’t have a spice or coffee grinder then check out the alternative blending section for how to create this recipe with almost any blending device.

No Equipment At All

• If you have oat flour (and rice flour, optionally) and fresh yellow peas you can mash the peas and otherwise use the recipe as written.

Nutrition Facts Table – Not-Hamburger Helper Mac & Cheese

The Science – Sources

Please tell me how it turned out! Did you: try it, like it, hate it, change it, or do something else unexpected???

If I’ve made any mistakes, or something doesn’t make sense, or if you want more/less details, please let me know in the comments.

Stay healthy and nourished! Happy cooking!

Chef Robert Leigh.

Not-Hamburger Helper: Your New Favorite Mac & Cheese!