Mexi Cheezy Mac — this is a delicious, vegan mac n’ cheez with a Mexican twist. Use gluten-free pasta, like me, or use whichever is your macaroni of choice, and try out this tasty, easy-to-make dish.
I’m excited about this new mac and cheez because it turned out sooo yum, and I love having easier options for when I don’t have all night to spend in the kitchen. My cheese sauce for this turned out absolutely delicious. I made it very similar to my Cashew Cheez Sauce, only omitting a couple of the ingredients and adding diced green chilies.
Along with the macaroni and my new cheez sauce, this dish has black beans, cilantro, corn, diced tomato, sweet bell pepper, onion, jalepeño, and diced green chilies. Very southwestern, as is a lot of food created here in Cali.
I said this was easy-to-make, and it is, but you do have to remember to soak the cashews ahead of time! Otherwise, they won’t blend well, so this is very important. Ideally, cashews should soak overnight. I hardly ever do this because my meals are often planned the morning before making them.
If you do not have a high-speed blender, overnight soaking is imperative. If you do have a high-speed blender, four hours will suffice, or I will often soak mine in boiling water to make this even quicker (one hour in pre-boiled water works).
After your cashews are soaked, you can make the sauce. To do this simply blend all the sauce ingredients until smooth. Blending may take several minutes and does require stopping a few times to scrape down the top and sides of the blender.
Once you’ve made the cheez sauce, you can boil water for your pasta. Depending on what macaroni you use, the boiling times will vary. I’ve always used Banza Elbows, but you may have your own favorite gluten-free pasta, and if gluten isn’t an issue I encourage you to use regular wheat macaroni.
With the cheez made and the noodles boiling, you will next need to sauté diced onions, the peppers, and some minced garlic. When the onions and peppers are soft, you add everything aside from the pasta and cilantro to your pot or skillet.
The ingredients will cook in the cheez sauce for a few minutes before you finally need to stir in the pasta and cilantro. And just like that, it’s ready to eat! If you like, it can also be topped with additional ingredients. I always add avocado slices to mine, and sometimes I will use hot sauce as well. Other suggested optional toppings are chopped green onions or more cilantro.
I love knowing when others make my recipes! If you make and enjoy this dish, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis.
Mexi Cheezy Mac
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups raw cashews *soaked overnight or at least 4 hours
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 Tbsp white miso paste
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 4 oz can diced green chilies drained as well as possible
- 8 oz gluten-free macaroni or regular, whole wheat macaroni if gluten isn't an issue
- 1/2 cup white or yellow onion diced
- 1/2 cup yellow, red, or orange bell pepper diced
- 1 jalepeño stem removed, seeded, and diced small
- 1/2 tsp garlic minced
- drizzle oil of choice, vegetable broth, or water for cooking
- 1/2 cup tomato diced
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans canned are fined but make sure they are first drained and rinsed well
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional for topping…
- 1 large avocado sliced
- about 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- about 1/4 cup cilantro
- your favorite hot sauce I like to use sriracha!
Instructions
- Blend the first 6 ingredients along with 3 tablespoons of the canned green chilies (save the rest) until completley smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender periodically.
- Cook the macaroni according to package instructions.
- In a deep skillet or wide pot, sauté the onion, bell pepper, jalepeño, and garlic in a little oil, water, or broth.
- Once the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft, add the cheez sauce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, and remaining green chilies to the skillet/pot with the onions and peppers. Turn down the heat slightly and sauté for 3 minutes, or until corn is hot and no longer frozen.
- Stir in pasta and cilantro and cook until pasta is again hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. If desired, top with preferred optional toppings when serving.