Vegan Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Creamy, spicy, and delicious vegan buffalo chicken mac and cheese is made with whole food ingredients and jackfruit for the chicken.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 511kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Blender
- stove
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni noodle shells
For the Buffalo Cheese Sauce
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight or boiled for 15 minutes. See note.
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast do not use active, rising, or brewer’s yeast.
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup buffalo sauce use more if you like it really spicy. Make our recipe or use vegan store-bought.
- ½ cup vegan ranch dressing use our recipe or vegan store-bought.
- ½ cup plant milk do not use coconut milk. Feel free to add more if you like a thin cheese sauce.
- Salt to taste
For the Vegan Chicken and Vegetable Mixture
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 16 ounce young green jackfruit in water do not buy jackfruit in brine or ripe jackfruit as it will be too sweet. Drain and rinse 3 times and squeeze out the excess water. Shred with your hands or chop finely with a knife.
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded, cored, and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Topping
- Minced cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the box.
For the Cheese Sauce
- Drain and rinse the 1 ½ cups of soaked cashews and put in a high-powered blender. Add the ⅓ cup nutritional yeast, garlic clove, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup vegan buffalo sauce, ½ cup vegan ranch dressing, ½ cup plant milk, and salt to taste. Blend on a high speed for approximately 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides at 1 minute. If the sauce isn’t completely creamy, continue to blend until the cashews are totally broken down.
For the Jackfruit and Vegetables
- In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat until it spreads in the pan and has a sheen.
- Add the onion, celery, and jalapeno and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for 4 minutes then add the jackfruit and stir well. Cook for 4 minutes, add the garlic, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the jackfruit begins to brown on the edges. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the buffalo cheese sauce and the jackfruit mixture and stir to combine. Finish with minced cilantro if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
For the creamiest cheese sauce, the cashews need to be soaked so they’re soft and puffy. Soak them in cool water in the refrigerator overnight or boil them in water for 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
For the creamiest cheese sauce, the cashews need to be soaked so they’re soft and puffy. Soak them in cool water in the refrigerator overnight or boil them in water for 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
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