Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
Easy, creamy, vegan mac and cheese! This 1-pot dish is made with tender shells and creamy vegan cheddar cheese sauce. It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food with just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes required!
Servings 2 (Entrée servings)
Ingredients
MAC N CHEESE
- 2 cups pasta shells (gluten-free as needed // we used Banza brand)
- 3/4 cup Vegan Cheddar Cheese (plus more to taste)
- 5-6 Tbsp unsweetened plain almond milk (or sub other neutral-flavored milk, such as oat or rice)
- 1 healthy pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Red pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan a little more than halfway full with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions until just al dente (ours took 9 minutes). Be careful not to overcook because the shells will cook a bit longer with the cheese sauce after draining.
- Drain pasta (we avoided using a colander by using our saucepan lid, which has a draining feature — if yours doesn’t, drain in a colander as needed, then add back to saucepan).
- Immediately add the vegan cheddar cheese, almond milk (starting with lesser amount), salt, and nutritional yeast. Stir and cook over low heat, stirring frequently until the sauce melts, becomes gooey, and coats the shells. If the cheddar isn’t melting, cover to encourage it along.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. Option to garnish with vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
- Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days (not freezer friendly). Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot, adding more dairy-free milk as needed to thin.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Banza chickpea shells and without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 490 Carbohydrates: 66.6 g Protein: 27.7 g Fat: 17.1 g Saturated Fat: 2.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 8.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 499 mg Potassium: 1157 mg Fiber: 10.7 g Sugar: 5.7 g Vitamin A: 3882 IU Vitamin C: 1.5 mg Calcium: 151.5 mg Iron: 7.9 mg