Hamburger Helper out of the box was not something mom made when I was growing up. But I did try it when I first moved out on my own. I wasn’t a big fan of the powdered cheese, but it still tasted good (especially to a girl who didn’t really know how to cook). But eventually, it lost its allure and I all but forgot about it.

Then one day, I stumbled upon a recipe from Bohemian Vegan Kitchen for a stove-top vegan version. Intrigued, I set to work to tweak it to our tastes and make it in the Instant Pot. LOVE IT!!! Now this Vegan Hamburger Helper is a regular on the boat.

This Vegan Hamburger Helper was made on a 37 foot Tollycraft using an Instant Pot 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker – 6 Qt. See other boat tested recipes.

Hamburger Helper (Plant Based, Instant Pot)

This plant based take on Hamburger Helper is quick and easy when you use the Instant Pot. Crumbled portobello mushroom are a perfect stand-in for ground beef.

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 40

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 portobello mushrooms crumbled
3 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk
2 cups macaroni noodles
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups vegan cheddar cheese shreds
chopped green onions optional

Instructions

Heat Instant Pot using saute and add oil. Add onions and mushrooms to Instant Pot and saute for 2 minutes.
Turn Instant Pot off, add garlic, paprika and nutritional yeast and heat for 1 minute.
Stir in water, dairy-free milk, salt, pepper and macaroni noodles
Set Instant Pot to manual for 6 minutes. Once cooking is complete, release pressure immediately.
Stir in the vegan cheddar cheese until it melts and pasta thickens.
Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

Notes

I use a mini food processor to crumble the mushrooms. Break the mushrooms into smaller pieces including stems. Then in batches, process the mushrooms to achieve a ground beef texture.

This ‘Hamburger Helper’ recipe was made on a 37 foot Tollycraft using an Instant Pot 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker – 6 Qt. See other boat tested and tasted recipes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Stay safe and happy cruising!