Quick and easy comfort food on a busy weeknight? It’s possible! Better than anything out of a box, this dairy free hamburger helper is sure to please. Cut the recipe in half if you don’t need to feed a family plus leftovers!
One of the hardest things about learning to cook with allergies is ending your reliance on packaged foods. Even if you don’t eat a ton of foods from boxes or cans, the modern grocery store is full of things that have WAY more ingredients than you realize. I absolutely don’t judge anyone for how they eat, because I don’t know your life. And also because we eat Oreos on the regular. But allergies really change the way you see food, and your favorite brands can turn into the enemy overnight.
I never really ate boxed hamburger helper that much growing up, but it was a occasional treat. This recipe came out of my need for something just as quick and easy for a weeknight, that’s as fast as browning some beef, opening a box, and boom! Dinner. My version of hamburger helper features ground beef and macaroni noodles in a creamy, dairy free tomato sauce. Brown some beef, stir in some spices and liquids, and cook until the noodles are done. Boom! Dinner!
What is Nutritional Yeast?
The secret ingredient to the “cheesy” flavored sauce is nutritional yeast. It’s a specialty ingredient, but it’s one that is really handy in a dairy and nut free kitchen. So many vegan sauces rely on cashews or other nuts to provide their creamy, tangy texture and flavor. And I’m sure they taste amazing, but they aren’t safe for our house. So nutritional yeast comes to the rescue in recipes like macaroni and cheese and this hamburger helper!
You can find nutritional yeast in most grocery stores these days, usually in the natural foods aisle. It looks like yellow fish food flakes, if I’m being honest. Make sure you do not purchase brewer’s yeast or active dry yeast!! These are NOT the same and will result in a very strange sauce indeed. A little bit goes a long way, so keep your nutritional yeast in an airtight container and it will last for quite a while.
Make Dairy Free Hamburger Helper Allergy Friendly for Your Family
As written, this recipe is dairy free, nut free, garlic/onion free, and soy free. If you use gluten free pasta, the recipe is gluten free and top 9 allergen free as well. You can even eliminate the meat and make vegan non-hamburger helper! If you can handle onion powder, you can optionally add 1/4 tsp. onion powder with the other spices into the sauce. Be sure you use plain tomato puree, NOT tomato sauce (sauce contains garlic and other ingredients that may not be allergy friendly).
Leave a comment below and let me know how your hamburger helper turns out! Use the hashtag #coffeetableeats to share your creations on social media, or tag @coffeetableeats on Instagram!
Dairy Free Hamburger Helper
This ain't the packaged dinner you buy at the store, but it's just as fast and easy. Feel free to cut the amounts in half if you don't need to feed a family with leftovers! If your allergies permit, you can sub 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning for the dried herbs. Nutritional yeast is usually found in the natural foods section of the grocery store, and looks like tiny yellow flakes of fish food. Do not use brewer's yeast or active dry yeast, they are not the same thing!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 (15 oz.) cans plain tomato puree
- 2 (15 oz.) cans unsweetened oat milk (or vegan milk of your choice, use the tomato cans to measure)
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni of your choice
- 1/2 c. water (as needed)
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat. Add ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon into small crumbles. Cook over medium high heat until thoroughly browned and there is no pink left in the meat.
- Add in the tomato puree, oat milk, nutritional yeast, salt, paprika, dried herbs, and pepper. Stir to combine, scraping the browned bits of meat off the bottom of the pan with your spoon. Continue to cook over medium high heat until the liquid comes to a boil.
- Pour in the elbow macaroni, put the lid on the pan, and set your kitchen timer to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the noodles and stir frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom of the pan. You can add up to a 1/2 c. extra water if your sauce starts looking dry but the noodles are not soft yet, some noodles require more liquid than others! My noodles take 10 minutes to cook, but yours may need more or less time depending on the brand. The noodles are done when they are soft enough to bite into but not mushy, and most of the sauce has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat immediately, to prevent the noodles from overcooking. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
This dairy free hamburger helper tastes great reheated the next day. Simply add your portion into a microwave-safe bowl with 1 tsp. water and heat in the microwave to your desired temperature. It's also great for school or work lunches, I heat a serving up in the morning and put it into an airtight thermos so it stays hot until lunchtime!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 213Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 18gNutrition facts may vary based on the ingredients, swaps, and products used.