Vegan Mac-n-cheese with Green Peas

This is as simple as it gets. Vegan comfort food that even your kids will love. This mac-n-cheese has become a staple at our house because it's quick and easy. 

You could buy one of those boxed vegan mac-n-cheese meals, nothing wrong with that. I, honestly, use them when I'm short on time. I try to make this more than the boxed stuff just because we enjoy cooking as a family. 

This recipe is simply the old standard recipe I used to make before going vegan, veganized. I absolutely love taking a family recipe and making it vegan. It's a great way to prove that "anything you can make, I can make vegan!" Mac-n-Cheese is not the exception to that saying,  it's the proof that it's always true!

Looking for more great vegan recipes? Try my Sriracha Black Bean Burger, Buffalo Chic Pea Quesadilla, Stuffed Eggplant Parm , Baked Spinach and Artichoke Pasta , BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "Rice" , & Triple Berry Cobbler

Recipe:

1 ( 1 lb.) box of pasta, cooked according to box directions & drained well.

3 Tbsp vegan butter 

3 Tbsp flour 

2.5 cups unsweetened plant milk 

1 tsp. yellow mustard 

3 slices of Chao creamy original cheese* 

4 slices of Daiya cheddar slices*

Salt, pepper and paprika to taste 

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed & warmed up in a microwave safe dish

Method:

1. Prepare you pasta according to the package and drain well.

2. In a large skillet, heat butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Cook 3-4 minutes, until well combined and "blonde" colored.

3. Add plant milk, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard. Whisk again to break up any lumps. Continue whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick. 

4. Add your cheese and stir until it all melts into a creamy cheese sauce. 

5. Toss pasta and green peas with your cheese sauce. Allow to cook a few more minutes until everything is heated throughly. 

6. Sprinkle with a little paprika before serving. 

Make 4-6 servings.

* If you don't have, or can't find, the Chao or Daiya I used in this recipe, use any combination & brands you like. Just make sure your cheese combination equals about 2 cups for this recipe. 

You can also use 1/2 - 3/4 cup of nutritional yeast in place of the cheeses I used in this recipe. It will not be as creamy, but the flavor will be similar. 

Enchilada Pasta

It's a COLD and icy night here in North Carolina. It was so cold today that I was late this morning because my garage door was frozen closed (the first time that's ever happened to me). It's cold, icy, dark, kids are out of school and I'm tired of looking at my house. Time to add a little warmth and excitement to our night. After a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is spend over an hour cooking enchiladas, but that was the request from my family tonight. It's time to compromise. This dish is my quick and easy compromise... 

Looking for more easy Vegan pasta ideas? Try my Hearty Spaghetti, Mac-n-cheese with Chipotle Lentils, Butternut Macaroni, Lemon & Garlic Pasta with Tempeh & Broccoli, Baked Spinach & Artichoke Pasta, 3 Cheeze Baked Ziti, & Kale & Almond Pesto Pasta

Recipe:

2 cups frozen beefless crumbles*

1 (7 oz.) bag frozen peppers and onions 

1 cup chopped fresh kale 

1 packet taco seasoning**

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Chili powder to taste

1 (10 oz.) can tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce 

1 (1 lb.) box of pasta

2 cups 5 minute vegan cheese sauce

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

While pasta is cooking, cook beefless crumbles*, frozen peppers and onions, and kale over medium heat until tender. ( no need to add oil).

Add taco seasoning**, chili powder, tomatoes and black beans. Cook an additional 5 minutes. 

Stir in 1/2 can of enchilada sauce.

Toss pasta, beefless crumbles mixture and vegan cheese sauce together.

Before serving, garnish each bowl of pasta with remaining enchilada sauce. 

Makes 4 - 5 servings. 

* you can substitute diced mushrooms or TVP for beefless crumbles.

** to make your own taco seasoning, use 1 tsp. Cumin, 1 tsp. Paprika, 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder, & 1/2 tsp. Onion powder.

Garlicky Kale and Sausage Pasta

This pasta dish came from a night cooking with my son. I was going to make a (boring) tomato sauce to go with our pasta and Tofurky Italian sausage. Mikey wanted a garlicky sauce and kale, so, we made it happen. 

We started out making a roux, like we would for mac-n-cheese. We wanted a sauce full of garlic and herbs that would be great with the kale. We also wanted it to be creamy like an alfredo sauce. This is our creation. It was easy, full of garlic, creamy, and perfect with kale.. just what we were looking for on this cold night.

Looking for more great vegan family meals? Try my Easy Sunday Dinner, Easy Red Beans & Rice, Portobella Philly Sandwich, Creamy Jackfruit Casserole & BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "rice"

GARLICKY KALE & SAUSAGE PASTA:

Ingredients :

1 (1 lb.) box pasta

1 package of Tofurky Italian Sausage ,  cut into bite sized pieces*

4 cups chopped kale

3 Tbsp vegan butter 

3 Tbsp of flour

5 cloves of garlic, crushed 

3 cups unsweetened plant milk 

1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Paprika to garnish 

Method:

Cook pasta according to package & drain well.

Sautée Tofurky Italian sausage* & kale over medium heat until sausage is brown and kale is tender.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and flour. 

Allow flour to cook throughly, then add garlic . Cook about 2 minutes. ( Don't allow garlic to burn.)

Add plant milk, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk continously while milk comes up to a boil to avoid lumps in sauce.

Cook sauce an additional 5 minutes after it boils.

Toss sauce, sausage , kale and pasta together. Garnish with paprika before serving . 

Makes 5 servings . 

* You can use 2 cups chopped mushrooms if you don't want to use the Tofurky Italian Sausage. 

Kale & Almond Pesto Pasta

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The other day, my dear friend, Jennifer, gave me the last of her basil for the year. I wanted to  make a dish worthy of such a lovely gift. This is not you "normal" pesto with pine nuts. Pine nuts are very expensive & this blog is all about affordable family meals. I did a little experiment tonight & it turned out delicious!! I used sliced almonds  ($2 a bag vs. $13 for pine nuts). I added kale, fresh lemon juice and nutritional yeast for a nutritional blast of flavor and tossed in some fresh, colorful cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. This was truly amazing and easy to make. It only took 20 minutes tonight for dinner!

Looking for more vegan recipes? Try my 3 Cheeze Baked Ziti Al Forno, Vegan Fried Chick'n & Gravy,  Italian Stuffed Eggplant, Roasted Tempeh with Whole Garlic Cloves, Baked Spinach & Artichoke Pasta, Sriracha Black Bean Burgers, & No Bake Banana Oreo Pudding Cups

Recipe:

3 cups fresh basil

1 cup fresh kale

1/3 cup nutritional yeast 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

5 cloves garlic, crushed 

2/3 cup olive oil *

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

2 tsp. salt

1 box of pasta**

3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 cup kalamata olives 

Method:

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain well. 

While pasta cooks, combine basil, kale, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, almonds and olive oil in a food processor on high. Process until smooth.

Toss pesto, tomatoes and olives with prepared pasta and serve.

Makes 4 - 5 servings. 

* You can use an avocado if you are oil free. 

** Use gluten-free pasta if you are gluten-free

Hidden Veggie Macaroni

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We have a "picky eater" in our house. Getting vegetables into her is sometimes a challenge, to say the least. I "hide" vegetables in everything from smoothies to pasta sauce to make sure she is eating balanced meals. 

This meal is full of vegetables, but your "picky eater" will never pick them out in this sauce.  I added broccoli because my daughter actually likes broccoli, but if your child prefers another vegetable, just substitute that vegetable as the "obvious veggie" to get them to try the pasta. Yes, broccoli is my bait! Make it your own recipe because you know what works best for your family.

Looking for more Vegan family meals? Try my Hearty Hidden Veggie Spaghetti, Easy Sunday Dinner, Portobella Philly & Cheeze, Creamy Jackfruit Casserole, Chili & Cornbread Casserole & finish with my Summer Berry Cobbler

Recipe:

1/3 cup oil of choice 

1 tsp. Chopped fresh garlic 

1 cup yellow squash, chopped * 

1 cup carrots, chopped 

2 cups cauliflower, chopped 

2 1/2 cups of unsweetened  plant milk

  1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. Garlic powder 

1/2 tsp. Paprika 

1 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice 

1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

3 cups steamed broccoli 

1 (16 oz) package of pasta

Cook pasta according to package. Drain and return to the pot.

Heat oil and garlic over medium heat, just until the garlic becomes fragrant. 

Add plant milk and allow to come to a boil. 

Add cauliflower, squash, carrots, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. 

Cook an additional 10 - 12 minutes,  until vegetables are soft.

Pour milk and veggies into a high powdered blender. 

Add nutritional yeast  and lemon juice. 

* adjust salt and pepper if needed*

Blend on high until smooth. 

Pour vegetable sauce over pasta.

Add broccoli and stir to combine. 

Cook over medium heat an additional 2-3 minutes to thicken sauce.

Makes 4 - 5 servings.

* If you cannot find yellow squash, you can use any squash you like. (Butternut is great) If you are using zucchini or eggplant, make sure you peel the skins off first so it doesn't make your cheese sauce a funny color ( which can make picky eaters suspicious!). 

  

Three Cheeze Baked Ziti

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This is a classic dish in our family. It is usually made with ricotta and ground beef topped with lots of cheese. This is my veganized version of this classic dish. It's just as hearty and delicious as the original & perfect for serving at family dinners because no will know it's vegan!

Looking for more great vegan pasta ideas? Try my Hearty Vegan Spaghetti, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, Chipotle Mac-N-Cheeze with Smokey Lentils, Baked Spinach and Artichoke PAsta, Cheezy Butternut Macaroni, & Lemon Garlic Spaghetti with Tempeh

**Recipe**

Tofu ricotta :

1 (14 oz) tofu, do not press

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 

4 cloves garlic, pressed 

3 Tbsp. Olive oil 

1 tsp. Italian seasoning 

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. lemon juice 

1/4 cup plant milk 

Beefless sauce:

1 (13 oz ) Gardein beefless crumbles *

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp cumin 

Olive oil 

32 oz. Pasta sauce 

1 (16oz ) ziti pasta

Cheddar and mozzarella style vegan cheese 

**Method**

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta. Boil about 8 minutes. (Pasta should be slightly under cooked). Drain well. 

Cook beefless crumbles, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin with a little olive oil over medium high heat until browned. 

Reduce heat to low.

Stir sauce into the beefless crumbles. 

Cover your sauce and simmer while you make your "ricotta".

Combine all ingredients for tofu ricotta in in a mixibg bowl. Smash and mix together well, until smooth. 

Pour beefless sauce and ricotta over pasta. Mix well. 

Pour into a greased 11x13 casserole dish. Top with vegan cheeses. Bake 25 minutes. 

Makes 6 servings 

Lemon Garlic Pasta with Tempeh & Broccoli

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This recipe is full of good "cold fighting" ingredients, which happen to be some of my favorite ingredients too ( fresh lemons, turmeric, garlic and parsley). In our house, lemon juice go with everything- salad, steamed veggies, rice, pasta, chick'n, fishless filets, potatoes, water, tea. We keep a bowl of them in the kitchen like most people keep fruit. We also keep enough garlic to kill an army of vampires...maybe this is why we are never sick. 

My children and husband all cleaned their plates tonight with this simple dish. It starts with infusing the lemon zest and garlic into the oil. Once you flavor the oil, it becomes an amazing "sauce" to toss with your spaghetti. We used Tempeh, but if you are not a fan of it, you can leave it out, or substitute extra broccoli. This is a simple meal, but one that's perfect for a busy family with different schedules and tastes (like ours) because it can be reheated easily and served later. Hope you enjoy this easy meal with your busy family and make sure to leave me comments if you try my recipes, I LOVE feedback!

Looking for more great Vegan pasta dishes? Try myVegan "Meaty" Spaghetti, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, Cheezy Butternut Macaroni, BBQ Tempeh with Cauliflower "Rice", &

Recipe:

3/4 cup of olive oil 
Zest of 2 medium lemons
6 cloves of garlic, freshly pressed
Juice of 4 medium lemons
2 (8 oz.) packages tempeh, cubed
12 oz. Frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped fine
Salt & lemon Pepper to taste
1 box pasta ( I used fettuccine)

1 Tbsp. turmeric

Brown tempeh with a little oil over medium high heat.

Add salt & lemon pepper to taste and set aside.

Boil pasta in salted water with turmeric, cooking according to package. Drain well. The turmeric will turn your pasta a beautiful bright yellow color once cooked.

In a sauce pan over medium low heat, simmer oil with lemon zest, garlic, and lemon juice. Sauce is ready once the garlic becomes fragrant. This only takes a few minutes. Do not overcook your garlic, or it will be bitter.

Add tempeh, parsley, broccoli, and lemon sauce to pasta.

Toss well.

Serve with lemon slices.

Makes 5 servings.

Cheezy Butternut Macaroni

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This was a recipe I had seen floating around the vegan recipe pages and thought it was worth a shot. My husband, as you probably know by now, loves all things butternut squash and my daughter is very picky, so, this seemed like a good way to hide a few veggies. I followed the recipe I saw online and I was not happy with the way it turned out. I was very sweet and my daughter would pick out the flavor and turn her nose up quick. My husband poured hot sauce on it and ate it anyways, but I knew I had to work on this recipe before feeding it to the kids. 

This recipe is similar to the one I saw online, except I made it more of a Mac-n-cheese with hidden butternut squash. If my daughter could taste the cheesiness first, she would be fine ( she pours ketchup on her mac-n-cheese anyways). This batch passed with fling colors! In fact, the ENTIRE pan was cleaned out and my daughter ate 2 helpings. I truly enjoyed this recipe once I reworked it and made it more family friendly. 

Looking for more great family friendly meals? Try my "Baked & Loaded" Stuffed Burritos, Vegan "Meaty" spaghetti, "Beefless" Pies with Roasted Butternut Squash, Vegan "Chick'n" (Jackfruit) Casserole & Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Cheezy Butternut Macaroni:

Recipe :

4 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves Chopped fresh garlic
1 cup nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups veggie broth
1 cup unsweetened plain plant milk
8 oz. vegan cheddar style shreds
1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Chili powder (optional)
1 (16oz )Box pasta

**For the breadcrumbs :

5 slices of bread
2 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. groundflax seeds
Sea salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. Paprika
Olive oil to drizzle

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil water and cook pasta about 7 minutes... just slightly under cooked.

In a deep skillet over medium high heat, cook butternut squash, onions, garlic, nutritional yeast and paprika in veggie broth & chili powder (Should cover all veggies, add more if needed).

Allow to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and add plant milk, salt & pepper to taste. Cook 10 minutes.

Drain pasta and pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.

Transfer butternut squash and all the liquid it cooked in, to a high powdered blender and puree until smooth.

Pour over pasta. Add vegan cheddar shreds. Stir to mix well. Mixture will seem a bit "runny", but it will absorb during baking.

Toast your bread. Let cool completely. 

Add bread to a food processor with nutritional yeast, salt,ground flax seeds, pepper, and paprika.

Process on high until it becomes breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta and drizzle with olive oil.

Place in oven and cook for 25 mins.

Serves 6-8.

** you can substitute 1 cup of premade breadcrumbs if you don't have time to make them.

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

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My son loves spinach and artichoke dip, so he is my inspiration tonight. This was a modified version of the cauliflower alfredo I make for my kids. The idea struck me, while grocery shopping, that I could do better than just plain alfredo for dinner tonight. I wanted to make it hearty. A meal to stand up to this cold weather and make you feel loved. I think I accomplished that with this dish. This is a dish good enough to take to a potluck & have no one notice it's vegan. I served this with broccoli steamed in fresh lemon juice and tossed in a little italian seasoning... it was a perfect meal for the kids tonight. I hope you family will enjoy it on a cold night in the future. 

Looking for more Vegan Pasta Dishes? Try my Vegan 'Meaty" spaghetti, Lemon and Garlic Pasta, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, &Chipotle Mac-N-Cheeze w/ smokey lentils

For the Pasta sauce :

1/3 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, crushed 
3 cups Frozen or fresh cauliflower, thawed & chopped into small pieces

2 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 (12 oz ) jar artichokes, rinsed and drained

1 (16 oz) package of cooked rigatoni

For the breadcrumbs:

4 slices of bread

2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp. dried parsley

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil and garlic over medium low heat until garlic is golden brown and fragrant.

Add milk and allow to come to a boil.

Add cauliflower, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Set aside.

Toast bread.

Break toast up into rough pieces and add to a food processor with nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, & dried parsley.

Pulse on high until toast becomes breadcrumbs.

Add cauliflower mixture to a high powdered blender.

Set to "food puree" and blend until smooth.

Pour cauliflower sauce over rigatoni in a deep mixing bowl . Add spinach and artichokes. Stir to combine.

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Pour rigatoni into casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs.

Drizzle melted butter over breadcrumbs.

Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until breadcrumbs are golden brown and pasta is bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings

Chipotle Mac-n-Cheese & Smokey Lentils

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This is a recipe that I started and had no idea where it would end up... You probably have those moments too. I needed to go to the grocery store, but it was too late. I had to work with what I had on hand for dinner tonight. I pulled out the usual suspects - pasta, spaghetti sauce, veggies, lentils,left over veggie broth and my last pobalno pepper to figure out what would make sense out of this group of random ingredients ( which is how most of my cooking always starts). 

At first, I though I would make an American chop suey with lentils, but I needed to use up my last pobalno pepper from my garden before it went bad. Strike the chop suey. I decided to just start cooking the pasta, because I knew that was going to be the base of my meal. While the pasta cooked, I started the lentils (which my husband does not like any other way than "smokey" with lots of cumin and paprika in veggie broth). My basic recipe was started, but where was it headed?

As my pasta and lentils cooked, I looked around for a flavor idea. In the freezer I found some of my potato and carrot cheese I keep on hand. *Recipe can be found here -vegan cheese sauce * I always make a double batch of this and freeze it in 1/2 cup portions to have on hand for quick meals. I had a mac-n-cheese idea working! In the refrigerator I found a little vegan sour cream and the last of my jar of chipotle peppers. That was the inspiration I needed. Smokey, cheesy, creamy, spicy...yes, I love all those flavors! That is how I ended up here tonight. Vegan "hamburger helper" is what this reminded me of, so, I served it with just a few slices of bread in a big bowl. 

My husband raved, which is huge with a lentil dish! He loved it so much I added it to this blog just for him to remember later. It is not a "pretty" or "gourmet" meal, but a real meal that a busy Vegan mom can throw together after a hard day of work and make her family happy. That is what my cooking is all about, Family. If they won't eat it, there's no point in me making it. Dinner came together in under 30 minutes, from cheap, on hand, ingredients and everyone was happy. That's a successful night around here. 

Looking for other great Vegan dinner ideas? Try my BBQ tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "rice", Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, Cheezy Baked Enchiladas, or Sriracha Roasted Tofu over Rainbow veggies & Don't forget the desert - Banana Pudding Pie

Recipe:

1 lb. Cooked pasta, drained

1 cup dried lentils
2 cups veggie broth 
2 tsp. Cumin 
1 tsp. garlic powder 
1 tsp. smokey Paprika 
Salt & Pepper 
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 poblano pepper, chopped fine 
1/2 cup of corn
Oil
3 cups Vegan cheese sauce
3-4 Tbsp. Vegan sour cream of choice 
1 Tbsp. of jarred Chipotle peppers in their sauce

Cook lentils with veggie broth, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and salt and pepper over medium heat until tender (about 15 minutes).

Drain any excess liquid from lentils. 

Sautée onions, poblano peppers and corn over high heat with a little oil until slightly charred.

Toss pasta, lentils, sautéed veggies, Sour cream, Chipotle peppers and Cheeze together. Serve with a little extra sour cream or Sriracha if you want it hotter.

Makes 4-6 servings