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This Vegan Jalapeno Skillet Mac and Cheese is made in just 1 Skillet! No need for multiple pans! A 30 minute simple vegan spin on a family dinner favorite that is perfectly cheesy with a kick of heat from the added jalapenos. Options for gluten-free soyfree nutfree
Jalapeno Skillet Mac and Cheese in all its cheesy, salty and spicy glory! This is the ultimate vegan comfort food for a cold night and with this recipe, it comes together quicker and easier than one that needs to make the sauce and boil pasta separately!
We make this dish in one skillet on the stovetop. Stovetop Pasta dishes like my Vegan Pesto Skillet Lasagna and my French Onion Skillet Lasagna are among my favorite dishes to make when life gets busy and I crave a comforting meal.
I love the spicy kick of the jalapenos to counterbalance the rich cheese sauce. However, if kids are eating with you, remove the seeds, or add less jalapenos or just to one side of the dish.
We want to bring on the flavor right from the beginning, starting with cooking the pasta in seasoned broth instead of plain water. If your pasta absorbs all the water while cooking, you might want to add a splash more of broth to bring the sauce together.
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Why you will love this skillet Mac
- It needs just 1 skillet
- its easily made without gluten soy nuts
- It’s quick comfort food
- it takes just 25 mins
More Pasta Recipes and pasta casseroles:
Vegan Garlic Chili Oil Pasta with Smoky Pecans
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes
Vegan Mac And Cheese Taco Bake ; Mac Taco Casserole
Garlicky Korean Mac and Cheese with Gochujang
Skillet Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups elbow or macaroni pasta, , about 6 ounces, Use gluten-free pasta for gf
- 2 ½ cups water or broth
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mellow miso,, use chickpea miso for Soyfree
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- 2 teaspoons ketchup, or 1 teaspoon tomato paste
To add later:
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream, or vegan cream cheese or vegan yogurt or cashew cream (1/2 cup cashews blended with 3/4 cup water)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup vegan cheese shreds, I usually use a mix of vegan mozzarella and vegan cheddar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch, or cornstarch or other starch
- 1/2 cup water
- Optional: Add in one cup of chopped small broccoli or other vegetables of choice.
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup of sliced pickled jalapeño
- 1 tablespoon of sliced fresh jalapeño
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the water/broth, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, miso, mustard, ketchup, Italian seasoning and mix really well. Press and mix the miso into the broth. It will mix in as the broth starts to heat up.
- Add in the dried pasta and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook for 11 to 15 minutes, depending on your skillet and the stove. Check at the 11 minute mark if the pasta is done and accordingly add more cooking time.
- Once the pasta is cooked to preference, open the lid. Add in the nutritional yeast, vegan butter, vegan cream cheese or yogurt or sour cream or cashew cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese shreds. Add paprika and black pepper and mix well until the mixture is well incorporated. Now you can add in the broccoli or any other vegetable at this point.
- Mix the tapioca starch into the 1/2 cup of water and then add to the skillet and continue to mix until the sauce starts bubbling and is a creamy mixture. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more broth for saucier if it’s thickening too much
- Even it out, top it with pickled jalapeño and fresh jalapeño and 1/4 cup or the remaining vegan cheese shreds. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low and cook for a minute then switch it off. Let the skillet sit for another 1 to 2 minutes for the cheese to melt then open the lid and serve.
- Store refrigerated for upto 3 days
Video
Notes
- For variation: top the cooked Mac with some veggie crumbles( sauté the crumbles with a bit of chili powder until cooked to preference then top the Mac).
- Or Top with some toasted breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning
- Nutfree: use soy or coconut or oat based cream cheese or sour cream or yogurt
- Cheese shreds Substitute – Use 1/4 cup more cream cheese or cashew cream. Add 1-2 tablespoons more nutritional yeast.
- Starch substitute: I use tapioca starch to add a bit of stringy ness like cheese. You can omit that and add 1/2 cup or more non dairy milk or cream instead .
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- elbow or macaroni pasta works best but penne can also be used
- to bump up the umami and get that real savory cheese flavor we use a blend of nutritional yeast, mellow miso, mustard, garlic powder and onion powder
- I like adding some Italian seasoning but if you don’t have that particular blend, just use oregano, dried rosemary and/or thyme – in equal parts or just use whatever herb you have
- a small amount of ketchup adds sweetness
- that perfect rich and creamy cheesy sauce is achieved with a combination of vegan cheese shreds, sour cream, butter and broth, all thickened with a small amount of tapioca starch
- for that hint of smokiness to balance the richness, I add paprika or smoked paprika and black pepper
- bulk it up with veggies: chopped small broccoli work here but any other vegetable will do
- for the topping, use sliced pickled jalapeño and fresh jalapeño
Tips:
- To make this gluten free use gluten free pasta
- to make this soy-free use chickpea miso
- For variation: top the cooked Mac with some veggie crumbles (sauté them with a bit of chili powder until cooked to preference then top the Mac). Or top with some toasted breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning
- instead of vegan sour cream, you can use vegan cream cheese or vegan yogurt or cashew cream
- I usually use a mix of vegan mozzarella and vegan cheddar for this to get a good mix of melt and sharpness
How to make Vegan Skillet Mac and Cheese
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the water/broth, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, miso, mustard, ketchup, Italian seasoning and mix really well. Press and mix the miso into the broth. It will mix in as the broth/water starts to heat up.
Add in the dried pasta and mix well. Cover with lid and cook for 11 to 15 minutes, depending on your skillet and the stove.
Check at the 11 minute mark if the pasta is done and accordingly add more cooking time.
Once the pasta is cooked to your preference, open the lid.
Add in the nutritional yeast, vegan butter, 1/2 cup of the vegan cream cheese, yogurt or sour cream or cashew cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese shreds, paprika, and black pepper and mix well until the mixture is well incorporated.
Now you can add in the broccoli or any other vegetable you want.
Mix the tapioca starch into the 1/2 cup of water and then add to the mix and continue to mix until the sauce starts bubbling and is a creamy cheese mixture.
Even it out, top it with pickled jalapeño and fresh jalapeño and 1/4 cup or the remaining vegan cheese shreds. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low and cook for a minute then switch it off.
Let the skillet sit for another 1 to 2 minutes for the cheese to melt then open the lid and serve.
Store: refrigerate in a closed container for upto 3 days
I have been disappointed with SO many vegan mac & cheese recipes– but not this one! It’s so good, and the one-pot method also makes it easy and convenient. To save time, I measured everything in advance (“add later” ingredients in their own container) so when it was cooking time, I dumped all the initial ingredients in, and then all the later additions. I used fresh jalapenos because I almost always have some, but the brininess of pickled would be good, too.
So good to hear!
Absolutely fabulous version of mac and cheese. I’m used to having to use a lot of cheese to make mac and cheese tasty. Here all kinds of flavourings and spices do the job! I used broccoli and the whole thing was delicious, with only one pan to clean up.
So glad you liked it Dianne!
This is SO easy and delicious! It is my boyfriend’s favorite dinner, especially when topped with breadcrumbs, chili flakes and Italian seasoning and put under the broiler. Thank you Richa for yet another hit recipe!
glad you loved it!
This was so good! It was so easy as well. However it was only two servings for my husband and I because we are pigs when it comes to pasta… LOL
Hahaha love to hear it! 🙂
AMAZING!!!
So glad you enjoy! 🙂
I’ll start by saying that is hard to impress me with vegan mac and cheese recipes. I loved this one! It had a great flavour that was “cheesy” without trying too hard to be dairy cheese. The addition of the vegan cheese shreds gave it the stretchy texture that is usually missing from vegan mac and cheese, but in a small enough amount that it didn’t taste like fake cheese. It was perfectly spicy and delicious! It was just as good as leftovers the next day (I added a little water to bring the sauce back to the right texture). I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you enjoy the recipe! Thank you for the kind comment, Leslie.
You might also want to try the Smoky Mac Bake from Richa’s book, “Everyday Kitchen”. It has no store-bought cheese and my family (and I) could happily easy it every day!
I made this a few nights ago. This is the first vegan Mac and cheese I’ve actually liked. I used chickpea pasta and added broccoli. It was very easy and really yummy. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so happy to hear, Kathie!