Creamy Mac ‘n’ Cheese paired with Buffalo sauce-roasted chickpeas, crunchy romaine and a delicious ranch-style sauce!

Buffalo Chickpea Mac n Cheese

Originally, when I was thinking of a theme for Vegan MoFo, I was going to do “All Buffalo Everything”. Mostly because I am obsessed with Buffalo sauce on anything, and secondly, because that would be totally awesome. Alas, the idea for “Born to Mac Mofo” came up, and clearly that just NEEDED to happen. I have to say, I ‘m super glad that I chose the theme that I did, but there’s no sense in not including my beloved buffalo sauce!

That’s where this recipe comes in, the union of glorious mac ‘n’ cheese with spicy, tangy buffalo sauce. But, that’s not all. It has roasted chickpeas, crisp romaine lettuce and a drizzle of a creamy ranch-style dressing. Oh yes. All o’ dat. It was very hard to photograph this terrific dish without stuffing my face, first. Lucky for you, I abstained! But, only for a few minutes.

I was really wishing that I had this buffalo chickpea mac n cheese yesterday, for my birthday! Alas, I made a cake that I haven’t tried yet and ate an awesome burger at Healthy Junk after getting tattooed for the first time in two years. Geez! Plus, I started a bunch of cheese recipes from Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner, that I’m looking forward to sharing with friends at a get together, this weekend. I’ve already goofed one up, but I’m remaining hopeful that I don’t do too poorly with the rest. 😉

And now.. THE RECIPE!!!1!

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie & a Birthday! // Two Years Ago: Coconutty Carrot Cake

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Yield: 4

Buffalo Chickpea Mac n Cheese

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Creamy Mac 'n' Cheese paired with Buffalo-roasted chickpeas, crunchy romaine and a delicious ranch-style sauce!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Roasted Chickpeas

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup dairy-free Buffalo sauce

Ranch Sauce

• 3 tablespoons vegan mayo
• 2 tablespoons plain vegan yogurt
• 2 tablespoons raw cashews, soaked for 30 mins or more
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• Pinch of dried dill
• Pinch of black pepper
• Pinch of salt

Pasta*

• 2 1/2 cups dried pasta
• 1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar shreds
• 3/4-1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• Salt, to taste
• Optional: 1 tablespoon vegan butter

For serving

• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup sliced celery

Instructions

Roasted Chickpeas

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Toss the chickpeas in the 1/4 C. of Buffalo Sauce until they are evenly coated. Spread them out on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper.
2. Bake for 12 minutes, and carefully roll them around with a spoon to get the other side crispy. Bake for another 12-15 minutes, then place them back in the bowl and toss with the extra 1-2 T. of buffalo sauce. Set aside.

Ranch Sauce

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth. This may take a couple of times of pushing the ingredients around, or adding another tablespoon of non-dairy milk.
2. Pour into a cup or squirt bottle and set aside.

Pasta

1. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package, then drain and rinse with cool water.
2. Place the noodles back in the pot and set the heat to low-medium. Add the Cheddar Teese, non-dairy milk, salt and margarine to the pot and stir until melted and evenly coated.
3. Add more non-dairy milk if you'd like a creamier sauce.

Serving

1. When you're ready to serve, toss the romaine (and optional celery) in with the mac 'n' cheese then plate immediately. Place roughly a 1/4 C. of chickpeas on top, then drizzle with a little extra buffalo sauce and a generous drizzling of the ranch sauce.
2. Enjoy!

Notes

*Another option for the cheese sauce is to blend 1 1/2 cup cheddar shreds with 1/2 cup of raw cashews, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until very smooth and add to pasta after its drained, cooking for a couple minutes over low until stretchy and hot!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

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More vegan Mac and Cheese recipes:

• Southwest Macaroni & Cheeze
• All-Time Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipes
• Grilled Seitan Kimchi Mac and Cheese
• Avocado Mac with Pepita Bacon
• Beer & Brat Mac ‘n’ Cheese

For something so awesome to be so easy to make, might be a bad thing. 😉