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

wooden bowl of Mac and cheese with text overlay "buffalo chickpea Mac and cheese"

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!

image collage of prepping buffalo chickpeas

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.

roasted buffalo sauce chickpeas on a baking sheet

fresh romaine chopped and on a cutting board

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. 😉

image collage of baking a cake, vegan mozzarella, tattoo on a thigh, and burger — Birthday Shenanigans

And now.. THE RECIPE!!!1!

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

Wooden bowl of Mac and cheese topped with buffalo chickpeas, and ranch next to a bowl of romaine lettuce

Yield: 4

Buffalo Chickpea Mac n Cheese

Name: Buffalo Chickpea Mac n Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups Dried Pasta + Water for Boiling; 1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar shreds; 3/4-1 cup Non-Dairy Milk; Optional: Pinch of Salt; Optional: 1 tablespoon Vegan Butter; 3 tablespoons Vegan Mayo; 2 tablespoons Plain Vegan Yogurt; 2 tablespoons Raw Cashews, Soaked for 30 mins or more; 1 tablespoon 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, if you'd like; 15 oz . Can of Cooked Chickpeas, Drained & Rinsed; 1/4 cup Your favorite Buffalo Sauce + extra for drizzling

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 oz . Can of Cooked Chickpeas, Drained & Rinsed
1/4 cup Your favorite Buffalo Sauce + extra for drizzling

Ranch Sauce

3 tablespoons Vegan Mayo
2 tablespoons Plain Vegan Yogurt
2 tablespoons Raw Cashews, Soaked for 30 mins or more
1 tablespoon 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, if you'd like

Pasta

2 1/2 cups Dried Pasta + Water for Boiling
1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar shreds
3/4-1 cup Non-Dairy Milk
Optional: Pinch of Salt
Optional: 1 tablespoon Vegan Butter

Instructions

Roasted Chickpeas

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.
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

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.
Pour into a cup or squirt bottle and set aside.

Pasta

Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package, then drain and rinse with cool water.
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.
Add more non-dairy milk if you'd like a creamier sauce.

Serving

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.
Enjoy!