Jun 6, 2020

mac-n-cheeseburger pasta



Overview

Time: 40 minutes
Dishes: large, oven-safe skillet and lid, medium pot


Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Ever wondered how to make a meatless, vegetarian, and vegan burger into a pasta dish? I have, too! Wonder no more. This pasta dish does indeed, surprisingly, tastes like a cheeseburger but it is so much easier to prepare and eat than one.

This dish is really versatile, since you can use beans instead of vegan grounds, and it still comes out fabulous. I used Beyond Beaf grounds in this one, but even homemade ground seitan would be great.

It is also very quick to prepare, and clean up is easy too, if you have an oven-safe skillet; if not, then use a 9x9 baking pan. Put your water for the pasta on right away since the rest of the dish comes together quite fast!

This one is complete with pickles and mustard - but, of course, make it your own. Add some ground bacon-type bits or Smart Bacon, Tofu Bacon or Tempeh Bacon for a great twist. If you wind up with leftovers, reheat in the microwave with a splash of water, to offset any dryness.

Serve with a green salad to act as the lettuce on your "burger."

Enjoy! 



Speedy Cooking Tips:

  • Get all the ingredients out and the pots and pans prepared.
  • Put the pasta water on first.
  • Remember to reserve the cooking water.
  • Remember to reserve the onion for the topping.
  • Use a lid while cooking the onion for faster cooking.
 



Mac-n-Cheeseburger Pasta

Makes 4 servings 


Serve with: Green Salad

Preheat oven to 400-F


1. Pasta: Cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted boiling water, 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water:

12 ounces elbow pasta

2. Grounds: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onions, garlic and grounds. Cook, covered, until golden, about 5 minutes. If using beans, add beans after onions have cooked 3 minutes:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-pound vegan grounds or 2 cans black beans

3. Sauce: Add the Reserved Cooking Water, tomato sauce, pickles, Worcestershire, mustard and salt and pepper. Mix well, bring to boil and add the cooked Pasta.

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped dill pickles

1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mustard

 4. Bake: Cover the pan with an oven-safe lid (or foil) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese, cover again and bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes: 

8 slices vegan yellow cheese

5. Serve: Top with the optional tomatoes and Reserved Chopped Onions:

2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes (optional)

 





© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.





6 comments:

  1. Excuse me, I need to just sit down for a moment, I am overcome with desire to immediately put this in my face!

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    Replies
    1. Haha! You are too kind, Susan! But the dish is pretty good, too, so you're spot on for its intent :)

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  2. I used to love hamburger helper as a kid, and this seems like the perfect veganized version to enjoy as an adult (although it looks very kid friendly too!)

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    1. My kids a bit older now, but, boy do they still eat like kids! So, yes, I can say this is kid-friendly, too. And it is so nice to enjoy veganized versions of childhood dishes- I speak from experience saying that, having tried to recreate almost everything!

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  3. I made this last night. I halved the recipe for two of us, but I have a little bit left over for lunch today because it was very generous, satisfying, and filling. Really easy to make as well, and let me use up some vegan mince (I used some Fry's mince) and Sheese slices that I had kicking around.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for making it and reporting about it! Awesome that it was satisfying, filling and easy to make. Great combo :) It's great when some leftover ingredients can be used up. That's satisfying in itself.

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Thanks for your comment! I'll check if it's spam and post if it is not. I appreciate your time and effort for commenting! ~ Zsu