Green Chile Mac & Cheese
This is a vegan and (mostly) gluten-free recipe that can be tweaked to totally not be vegan or gluten-free if that’s what you want! You can use regular cheddar if you don’t have vegan cheddar, and you can use regular pasta if you don’t have gluten-free pasta. If you’re a gluten-free person fo’ real, make sure you use rice breadcrumbs instead of real breadcrumbs here!
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter if you’re not vegan/want a richer flavor)
2 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups cheddar cheese (I used Vio Life/non-dairy)
12 oz pasta shells (I used 1 1/2 boxes Banza)
1 4oz can diced hatch chiles
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Dash of smoked paprika
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring pasta to a boil (salt the water), and cook the pasta al dente. Look at the package and cook it for about 2-3 minutes less than the suggested cook time (the pasta will cook more in the oven).
2. In an oven-safe pan/cast iron skillet, heat up oil/butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted, stir in almond flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently so almond flour doesn’t brown.
3. Slowly mix in the milk, and then the cheese, stirring frequently to prevent clumping and burning. Once the cheese has melted and a thick mixture has formed, mix in the cooked pasta and diced chiles. Mix until evenly combined.
4. Keeping the pasta in the same pan/skillet, top with breadcrumbs and a dash of smoked paprika. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until breadcrumbs turn golden.
