Philly-style Helper 💚
What's Helper?
I doubt "Helper"-branded products reach far outside North America. They just sound soooo American ☺️ It's simply a product that brings seasonings, pasta, and meat together in a creamy sauce, cooked in one pot. They're known for being simple, satisfying, and generally universally enjoyable (that's my observation, at least).
Philly-Style!
I'm often drawn to the flavors of onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Historically, I think of them as Philly-style, because given the choice I would ALWAYS opt for these accoutrements with a Philly cheesesteak. A couple of recent recipes, namely plant-based Hamburger Helper & Tofu Gyro Meat, got me thinking about a Philly-style helper: thick shaved tofu, air fried while the veggies, sauce, and pasta cook, brought together with some pepper and cornstarch to thicken it up.
A thin, lower-heat, seasoned tofu like this takes on the mouthfeel of a tender meat. I made it just like the @itdoesnttastelikechicken tofu hamburger (or "hamburg" as we used to call it in Maine), but with a different cut (see photos). I cook it at 300F in the air fryer for 20 mins, flipping halfway through, then I turn the air fryer to dehydrate until the pasta is al dente before mixing it in. This dense tofu holds up better than one might think.
I made some notes for next time. I added too much pasta because I was in autopilot and used half the 16 oz. box instead of measuring it 6oz. I can easily double the veggies used, too 🧅🫑🍄x2! The real question is: how will this taste as leftovers! Stay tuned 📺
#plantbased #oilfree #phillypasta