Although vegan mac and cheese is fabulous, why not give it a little spicy love? Another one of my favorite appetizers is buffalo cauliflower. If I combine the two and add a little veggies, the world is a happy, spicy, veggie place.
Obviously, the more veggies the better. So, I chose some fresh arugula and made a lovely spicy Pico for the top. The “cheesy” macaroni, the buffalo cauliflower, and the spicy veggies mix makes a complete meal in one bowl. Personally, I prefer The New Primal Buffalo Sauce
A lot of store-bought buffalo sauces contain butter and non-vegan products, so make sure you read your labels.
So, without further ado……heres creamy mac and cheese with a kick.
Skinny Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Comfort food just reached a new level with this creamy, spicy mac and cheese. The "cheesy" sauce works perfectly with buffalo cauliflower, while the fresh baby arugula and pico de gallo gives a fresh, crisp taste to the hot mac and cheese.
Ingredients
MACARONI:
- 1 16 ounce box whole grain elbow macaroni, or any noodle of choice. Gluten-free noddles work as well.
'CHEESE SAUCE'
- 3 Baking Potatoes, skin on, cut into equal sized chunks
- 3 large carrots, cleaned and cut into similar sizes as potatoes
- 3 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 3 Tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used Annie's)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER:
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 cup Vegan Buffalo Sauce
TOPPINGS:
- 12 sliced grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1 seeded Jalapeno pepper
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cups Baby Arugula
Instructions
VEGAN POTATO CHEESE SAUCE
- Wash and cut potatoes and carrots in equal size.
- Put in a pot and cover potatoes and carrots with water.
- Boil for 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain potatoes and carrots; place into a high speed blender with the remaining ingredients.
- Blend on high until cheese sauce is thoroughly blended and smooth.
- Transfer to a sauce pan and heat on low.
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Core, wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized florets.
- Lay cauliflower in a single layer.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Put cauliflower in a large bowl and pour vegan buffalo sauce on cauliflower and stir.
- Return cauliflower to pan, and spread in a single layer.
- Return to oven for 11 minutes, while you cook the macaroni.
COOK ELBOW MACARONI
- Cook elbow macaroni following the instructions on the box.
- Drain and return to pan.
PICO DE GALLO TOPPING
- Put sliced tomatoes, diced onions, and sliced jalapeños in a bowl, and toss in 1 Tablespoon of lime juice.
ASSEMBLING THE MAC AND CHEESE
- Drain the macaroni and return to pot.
- Add buffalo cauliflower.
- Pour cheese sauce over the top.
- Stir.
- Spoon into bowls.
- Add 1/2 cup arugula in the middle of the bowl.
- Spoon pico de gallo mixture on top of the arugula.
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