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Mac and Cheese with a Kick: 4-Ingredient Vegan and Gluten-Free Twist on This Favorite Comfort Food

Filed Under: Recipes By Beth Godbee May 16, 2020 Leave a Comment

This image shows vegan + gluten-free mac and cheese—a mix of creamy cheese and pasta (yellow) and spinach and jalapenos (green) in a light green bowl.

Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods, so when I became vegan in 2013, I began adapting familiar recipes. Some ways of making this favorite food are more complicated, but this 4-ingredient recipe is simple, straightforward, and smile-producing.

In the pandemic, I’m cooking at home daily, even as my energy fluctuates day-to-day. This means that I sometimes want to stretch myself, try new recipes, and spend hours in the kitchen. On these days, cooking feels like an expression of creativity and exciting activity.

On other days, cooking feels like the opposite, like too much. I want and need to eat, and I crave comfort foods. But I don’t have the energy to put into food. At these times, my goals are to minimize complexity and time involved in cooking. I want to produce tasty food as quickly as possible.

This recipe is for those times when I want the yummiest, most-favorite comfort foods, but I also don’t have it in me to do the cooking. May this support you, too, during this pandemic and for eating in a way that supports us all—toward social, racial, and environmental justice.

Mac and Cheese with a Kick

This recipe takes 10-15 minutes (mostly boiling water and heating pasta), and in my household, it feeds two people.

There are just 4 ingredients involved:

  • Box of gluten-free pasta (I prefer lentil pasta for more protein)
  • Bag of spinach
  • Bag of shredded vegan cheese
  • Jar of jalapeño slices
This photo shows four ingredients to make mac and cheese: (1) bag of baby spinach; (2) So Delicious dairy-free cheddar shreds; (3) a jar of nacho sliced jalapenos; and (4) rotini pasta made from lentils, rice, and peas.

This photo shows four ingredients to make vegan mac and cheese: (1) bag of baby spinach; (2) So Delicious dairy-free cheddar shreds; (3) a jar of nacho sliced jalapeños; and (4) rotini pasta made from lentils, rice, and peas.

This recipe is very flexible and forgiving, so there are no precise measurements to these ingredients.

Instead, I follow these 3 steps, tasting as I prepare the dish:

  1. Prepare pasta according to instructions on the box: boiling water, adding pasta, and then straining.
  2. Put pasta back on the stove on medium-low heat, and stir in full bags of both spinach and vegan cheese (I typically use Daiya, So Delicious, or Follow Your Heart cheddar shreds).
  3. Add sliced jalapeños and some liquid from the jar, and adjust to taste. The more, the spicier. Because I like this mac and cheese to have a kick, I add ~¼ of the juice and 20-25 slices.

Enjoy!

This image shows vegan + gluten-free mac and cheese—a mix of creamy cheese and pasta (yellow) and spinach and jalapenos (green) in a light green bowl.

—
This post is written by
Beth Godbee, Ph.D. for Heart-Head-Hands.com. Check out other simple vegan + gluten-free recipes on this site, including “Vegan Stuffed Dates: 4-Ingredient Decadent Dessert” and “When Times Get Tough: Simple Sautéed Spinach and Tempeh.”

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Tagged with: dairy-free, environmental justice, gluten-free, habits, mindful eating, nut-free, refined sugar-free, self-care, soy-free, vegan

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I'm grateful that my partner Jonathan and I decide I'm grateful that my partner Jonathan and I decided to leave DC last week. (It was a complicated decision during the pandemic, but we’re grateful for car camping supplies, including a portable toilet and the capacity to plan + pack food for the week.) 

Time near the ocean and in marshlands provided a real respite. Here are a few of my favorite photos -- with deep gratitude again (and always) for the earth.

Photo 2: Tree trunks branching in multiple directions -- horizontal and vertical -- in a brown and green forest setting.

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I'm grateful that my partner Jonathan and I decide I'm grateful that my partner Jonathan and I decided to leave DC last week. (It was a complicated decision during the pandemic, but we’re grateful for car camping supplies, including a portable toilet and the capacity to plan + pack food for the week.) 

Time near the ocean and in marshlands provided a real respite. Here are a few of my favorite photos -- with deep gratitude again (and always) for the earth.

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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former college professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

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