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    Home » Recipes » Entreés

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    August 18, 2014 by keepinitkind 23 Comments

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    I've been job hunting recently. My work (I work with my husband in the locations department for films) outside of the blog has been a little on the slow side and it didn't help that I turned down a pretty big show in order to write the book. I mean, I've worked (in an office, doing my "normal day job"- i.e. not blogging/cookbook writing) 1 month out of the last year. Finances haven't gotten tight, but sometimes a girl likes to have a steady paycheck, you know?

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    And I found an amazing job. I mean, this job couldn't have been more perfect for me. It was as a receptionist/client services person for a commercial editorial house in Venice, less than 10 minutes from my house. The office/compound was super hip and cool (and sooooooooo Venice). There was a huge, funky reception area with couches, a flat-screen TV, surfboards on the wall. Outside there was a big patio with a long table for entertaining clients, a ping-pong table, and a basketball court. There was a full kitchen where I would help prepare breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner for clients and staff. I would also be in charge of taking care of the clients and making sure they had everything they needed while they were there, as well as several other administrative duties. At any given time, there were 3 dogs and 1 cat running around the place (in fact, a dog sat in my lap through most of my interview). The schedule was split so that sometimes I would work from 8am to 4pm and some days I would work from noon to 6pm, leaving me plenty of down time for errand-running and blog-working. The pay was pretty good (not quite as good as I normally make in locations, but still pretty good) and came with medical, dental, and a pension plan. When I expressed concern over the food preparation and the fact that I was vegan, I was told the other receptionist I would work with was also vegan and vegan meals/options were definitely the norm. Sounds perfect, right?

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    After the interview, I was asked to come back and shadow the other receptionist for a few hours to see if it was a good fit. I told them I wanted to think about it, talk it over with my husband, and get back with them to set up a time. I practically skipped out of the building, so excited about this opportunity and 99% sure that I was going to go for it. I mean, there were dogs, guys!

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    The only thing was that the more I thought about it, the more I felt a sense of dread. Dread over the fact that I might be making a mistake, and there might be another locations job around the corner. Dread that I might not have enough time for Keepin' It Kind. Dread that I may on occasion have to work on the weekends and I would miss my family. Dread that Chris and I would no longer have the same time off and even worse, he wouldn't be there in the office with me everyday. However, when I thought about not going for this amazing job, I felt dread that I might be passing up a really perfect opportunity with a lot of room for growth (some of the receptionists have gone on to become commercial producers!) and who knows- maybe it was time I got a stable job again.

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    One day, as I was pondering all of this, it struck me: It's not my dream to be a receptionist or a commercial producer. It's not my dream to entertain clients all day. If I'm being honest with myself, I get terribly drained when I have to talk to people all day. But working locations isn't really my dream either. I don't even know what my dream is. All I know is that I want to be happy. Working alongside Chris, no matter what the project- be it on locations for a film or working on the blog or shooting a cookbook- makes me happy. Working in an office (my house) with my favorite dog, my Samantha, makes me happy. Keepin' It Kind makes me happy. You all make me happy.

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    In the end, I had to follow my heart and turn down the commercial house job. Life is too short to not follow your dream. It's too short to not be happy.

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    You know what else makes me happy? This hearty, cheesy bowl of pasta. Recently, I've had Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni on my mind- the kind my dad used to make for dinner at least once a week when I was growing up. Sure, I could've stayed with my big-ass salad for dinner like I've been doing most nights, but one day while I was at the grocery store, I found myself in the pasta aisle, staring at the wall of various pastas. Pasta is something I rarely crave, but at that moment, I knew that only one thing was going to satisfy me for dinner that night. Only one thing was going to make me happy. Cheeseburger Macaroni it was. I grabbed a bag of Beyond Meat's Beefless Crumbles (from the freezer aisle) as well as some orange cauliflower to make a creamy, cheesy sauce (I chose orange because it looks "cheesier" but white would work just as well).

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    This dish came together in about 30 minutes and I couldn't have been more overjoyed with the result. It's creamier than the cheeseburger macaroni of my youth, but it tastes so much better than I ever remember it tasting. Smokey, savory, rich, and cheesy- it was definitely the best bowl of pasta I've had in ages. When I made this dish, it was also the first time in a long time that I got in the kitchen and started cooking without some sort of recipe jotted down beforehand. It felt so organic and natural and right. It felt good. Following your heart always leads to happiness. And good food.

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Print
    Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Yield: serves 3 to 4

    Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Ingredients

      cheese sauce
    • 1/2 head of cauliflower (white or orange), broken into florets
    • olive oil spray
    • a few dashes of garlic powder
    • a few dashes of smoked paprika
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (if not using a high-speed blender, soak in water for 1 hour prior)
    • 1 cup nondairy milk
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 teaspoons stone ground or dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
    • pasta
    • 8-ounces of pasta of choice (use gluten-free if necessary)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1/2 yellow oinion, chopped
    • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
    • 1 package Beyond Meat Beefless Crumbles
    • 2 tablespoons liquid aminos
    • 2 teaspoons vegan worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • pepper to taste
    • chopped green onions for garnish (optional)
    • chopped avocado for garnish (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cauliflower florets out on the sheet. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to fully coat. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
    2. While the cauliflower is in the oven, add the rest of the sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Leave in the blender.
    3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, drain off the water, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside until ready to use.
    4. Once you've got the water boiling for the pasta, you can cook the beefless crumbles. Heat the olive oil in a large shallow sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent. Add the bell pepper and the crumbles and stir until combined and the frozen crumbles have broken up. Add the liquid aminos, vegan worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has cooked away and the crumbles are heated through. Add pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
    5. Once the cauliflower has cooled for a couple minutes, add it to the sauce and blend/process until smooth. Pour about half of the sauce over the beefless crumbles and stir until combined. Add in the pasta and stir until combined. If you want it to be saucier, add more sauce until you have your desired consistency. I used just a tiny bit more than half. Any leftover sauce can be frozen or kept to add to more pasta (or maybe even to pour over some roasted veggies!!!) at a later time. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be chilled in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Enjoy!

    Notes

    I'm no stranger to Beyond Meat Beefless Crumbles but I'm always amazed not only their similarity to their non-vegan counterparts but how tasty they are and how easy they are to prepare. If you didn't want to use the Beefless Crumbles, though, you could use 2 cups of cooked lentils or mashed chickpeas (like the base for my Sloppy Chicks) and cook them up the way you would the crumbles in this recipe.

    3.1

    Vegan Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Do you follow your heart in the kitchen or are you a recipe follower through and through?

    Photography by Chris Miller

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Caitlin

      August 18, 2014 at 9:09 am

      what a great message, kristy. i'm so glad you followed your heart and are doing what you love.

      Reply
    2. Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent

      August 18, 2014 at 9:14 am

      Kristy, this post could not be more timely. I have been an administrative assistant for the past several years. It is definitely not my dream to be a receptionist. My fiancé and I are currently trying to find a new home—one that is cheap enough that I could stay home and work on my blog full-time. THAT is my dream. I'm nervous and scared about all the changes coming up, but the thought of dedicating each day to my blog makes me so excited, I know it will be worth it. As you said, "Life is too short to not follow your dream. It’s too short to not be happy." I seriously need to print that out and frame it. Thank you so much for this post!

      P.S. This cheeseburger macaroni looks DIVINE! Adding it to my must-make list! 🙂

      Reply
    3. Abby @ The Frosted Vegan

      August 18, 2014 at 9:35 am

      I love love love this, it's so true and rings so close to my heart. I have an office job, but hope to work remote part time to follow my blog dream more. It's all about balance, and throwing in a few meals like this doesn't hurt either : )

      Reply
    4. Randy Clemens

      August 18, 2014 at 10:05 am

      You can't go back to an office! We need you here! 🙂

      Reply
    5. millie l Add A Little

      August 18, 2014 at 11:37 am

      This sounds so amazing and rich and delicious!

      http://youtube.com/addalittlefood

      Reply
    6. Gabby @ the veggie nook

      August 18, 2014 at 12:37 pm

      Sounds like we've both been doing some major soul searching lately! Good on you for staying true to yourself. I'm glad you chose to follow your passions instead of taking a job that you didn't really want or need just because it looked good on paper. Proud of you 🙂

      Reply
    7. Katie @ Produce on Parade

      August 18, 2014 at 2:11 pm

      It takes A LOT

      Reply
    8. Katie @ Produce on Parade

      August 18, 2014 at 2:12 pm

      It takes A LOT of guts to pursue your dreams! Congratulations, I think it's awesome! I think we would all miss you too much 😉

      Reply
    9. Ashlae

      August 18, 2014 at 2:15 pm

      This post makes me HAPPY. This cheeseburger macaroni does, too. 🙂 High fives and fist bumps for recognizing/doing what brings you the most joy, lady.

      Reply
    10. Beyond Meat

      August 18, 2014 at 9:45 pm

      LOVE. THIS. RECIPE!

      Thanks so much for sharing another great meal with us and your fans Kristy. We love what you do and seeing all of the great recipes you create and how much your readers love what you do - that makes us happy!

      PS - If you ever find yourself in the El Segundo area, feel free to swing on by our HQ, it's always awesome to visit with our Super Fans in real life 🙂

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        August 19, 2014 at 11:18 am

        Thank you so much! I actually live very close to El Segundo so I will have to set up a time to come visit! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Emma

      August 19, 2014 at 2:35 am

      Good for you Kristy! We're all here to support you in making your dreams happen!
      I'm just finishing a master's and realized that I'm pretty sure I don't want to go down the career path I'm trained in so it's a little scary but your message of following your heat was spot on.

      Reply
    12. Christine

      August 19, 2014 at 5:19 am

      I work from home surrounded by my 5 cats, so I concur if there is anyway to work from home you should do it. Everyone thinks there is safety in going to work in house somewhere, but it is really a myth. Those corporations are not loyal to you and it makes more sense to focus your creative energy towards your own goals, not theirs. You should be the one reaping the rewards of your hard work.

      Reply
    13. Kelly Nicola

      August 19, 2014 at 10:50 am

      This looks great! I'm just getting into vegan cooking and it's recipes like this that make me believe that it's going to be epic and delicious! I'm tempted to make just the sauce and then put it on everything that I eat. Is that wrong? ♥‿♥

      Reply
    14. Thalia @ butter and brioche

      August 19, 2014 at 2:07 pm

      definitely craving a bowl of this pasta right now.. looks delicious!

      Reply
    15. Arlene

      August 19, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      Great post Kristy! You made the perfect decision.

      Thank you,

      Arlene

      Reply
    16. Ana

      August 20, 2014 at 7:36 am

      What- you can get ORANGE cauliflower???????????????? Is anyone willing to send me some in the post? Cant wait to make this!!! And if I'm following the recipe, I like to have really detailed instructions so I can follow them to the T, if I'm making a recipe up.... It usually comes out okay. Just believe people!

      Reply
    17. Jamila

      August 21, 2014 at 8:40 pm

      I added coconut bacon and made it Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni! It was delish!!! Thanks!!!

      Reply
    18. Holly McKeon

      September 07, 2014 at 2:01 pm

      This looks amazing!! You have so many great recipes-have you ever thought about adding a "recipe box" feature on your website where we can store our favourites??

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 08, 2014 at 11:04 am

        That is something that is in the works, actually. 🙂

        Reply
    19. Emilyna

      September 09, 2014 at 7:55 am

      Hi there,

      I found you today on pinterest this morning (so first off this recipe sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it!) and second thank you so much for the post about the job you didn't take. I think the sense of dread was just your internal guidance system telling you, although this might be a great job it's not a great job for you. I just spent the last 2 months turning down jobs (and feeling a mixture of incredible relief and then later uncertainty because... well I need to pay the bills).

      The thing is, I LOVE what I do (costume design) and I had taken some time away from designing to try and get in the costumer's union- yup costume has two separate unions- and experienced 2 years of stomach aches and ups and downs constantly trying to convince myself it would be worth it, eventually. I met some wonderful people but honestly the daily "work" I had to do on my emotional state to stay in a semi happy place was not worth it.

      I feel so much joy when I'm designing... why would I put my happiness on the back burner ever again. Thank you for the little bit of extra inspiration I needed this morning to keep on being true to myself! You listened to your inner self and that's the best thing any of us can do! Rock on.

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 09, 2014 at 1:05 pm

        Thank you! It does feel really good when you decide to stick with what makes you happy. It's what will be most rewarding in the long-run. Good luck to you! 🙂

        Reply
    20. A

      July 02, 2015 at 10:00 am

      Not really sure why I clicked on this recipe because I didn't really grow up with hamburger helper but I think it was because of the 4th of July coming up. However, your post really touched my heart and I know it's coming up almost a year from when it was published so I hope you have found something that fits with your schedule and life. I'm an RN in my early 30's and I started medical leave for a surgery and I'm starting to believe that my lifestyle, including my job has made me ill. The stress, the hours, etc takes a toll on your mind, body soul, relationships. As you had mentioned, I'm scared to not have a steady paycheck, and this year, I don't know what I would have done without good health insurance. (Just one thing after another with my health and I'm still so young!) But all I know is that I need to do something else or else it's going to kill me. Thanks for the great post. I will definitely be subscribing to your blog:)

      Reply

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