Description
This baked vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese has an easy, cheesy cashew-free sauce, steamed broccoli and chickpeas and a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping. It's a delicious, easy, kid-friendly weeknight dinner (and a great way to get in an extra serving of veggies!).
Ingredients
Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese:
- 12 oz pasta of choice
- 6 tbsp vegan butter, divided
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion or shallot
- 3 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 1 14.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups nondairy milk
- 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Breadcrumb topping:
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of vegan butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to soften. Stir in broccoli and continue cooking until broccoli is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and remove from heat.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup of vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Let the flour cook for a minute or two, stirring often so it doesn't burn. Slowly pour in milk, whisking well, until smooth. Let the mixture thicken (stirring often), then add in nutritional yeast, mustard, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Add cooked pasta and broccoli mixture to a large skillet or baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and toss well to coat evenly.
- In a small bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and olive oil. Top mac and cheese with breadcrumb mixture, then bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Make it gluten free: swap in your favorite gluten free pasta, gluten free breadcrumbs, and gluten free flour. (We use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour!)
Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nondairy milk: full fat oat milk is my favorite choice for savory vegan recipes. It's thick and creamy and has a neutral flavor.
Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast (aka "nooch") is an inactive form of yeast that has a buttery, cheesy flavor and is an excellent source of B vitamins. It's often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes to add a cheesy, rich flavor to mimic dairy ingredients.
Broccoli: for best results, make sure to chop your broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. If the pieces are too big, they won't cook evenly. You can also use broccolini.
Chickpeas: these are an optional addition – we like to add them to give this dish a bit more heft. You can sub with white beans if preferred, or leave them out altogether.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 458
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 1044.9 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.5 g
- Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 15.6 g
