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Chipotle Mac & Cheese With Roasted Brussel Sprouts

June 2, 2013 306 Comments

Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes || Active time: 15 minutes

Chipotle Mac & Cheese

Chipotle Mac & Cheese! Okay? I probably don’t need to say anything else, you’re already rummaging through your pantry for a can of chipotles and some cashews to soak. Mac & Cheese is, after all, the ultimate comfort food. A box of macaroni might as well come with sweatpants, a cozy blanket and an entire season of Mad Men DVDs.

This version is creamy, of course, but also spicy and smoky. But what really sets it apart is how EASY it is. That’s ALL CAPS and throw in an italic EASY.

1) Boil some macaroni 2) Throw some stuff into the blender 3) Put it all together. 4) There you go. I roasted some brussel sprouts, too (as I do), but you can add any manner of veggie; steamed kale, grilled asparagus, sauteed zucchini…you get the picture. I do highly recommend the brussels, though, because they roast away effortlessly, and you are free to prepare everything else. Oh, and of course, they’re also super delicious.

The only thing that’s a little fussy is getting the seeds out of the chipotle. But follow my notes below and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Happy macking, everyone!


Notes

~ If you forgot to soak the cashews, have no fear. You can boil them for the same creamy effect, and still have this on the table in 30 minutes. Just submerge in boiling water for 15 minutes, drain, and proceed.~ Sometimes people forget that chipotles are still HOT and can give you jalapeno hands if you touch the seeds. You can use small pieces of plastic wrap when handling. Seed them by placing one flat on the cutting board, splitting down the center with a paring knife and using that knife to scrape out the seeds. Immediately scrape the seeds into the sink and wash them away, to prevent and further contact, then place the seeded one into the blender, and repeat the process.

~ The reason we’re removing the seeds, in case you’re wondering, is that seeds are really spicy. With the seeds removed, you can use more chipotles, thus getting more smoky flavor without all the heat.

~ Update! If you’d like to make this was blanched, slivered or sliced almonds, go for it! People have been reporting back that it works well.

~ For a non-spicy version, try one roasted red pepper (homemade or from a jar) in place of the 4 chipotles.

~ I love a milder miso here. I used chickpea, but mellow white would be nice, too. The kind of miso you use will determine the saltiness, and so I suggest salting to taste before and after adding it to the macaroni.

Ingredients

8 oz macaroni (gluten-free, whole wheat, or any type)
1 lb brussels, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oilFor the sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
4 chipotles, seeded (see note)
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons miso (I used chickpea miso)
Salt to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F for the brussels, and prepare a pot of salted water for the pasta. In the meantime, prep the brussels and make the sauce.Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the quartered brussel sprouts with olive oil and a dash of salt. Bake for 18 minutes, until lightly browned. No need to flip them, just let ‘em roast.

To make the sauce: Drain the cashews and place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend away until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Depending on the strength of your blender this could take from one to five minutes.

When the macaroni is tender, drain it in a colander. Immediately place it back in the pot you boiled it in and stir in the sauce. Place pot on low heat and stir for 3 minutes or so, until the sauce is thickened a bit and everything is deliciously creamy. Taste for salt, toss in the brussel sprouts and serve!

(In the pic I put some extra chipotles in, but that was just for show. Unless you like things REALLY spicy you can skip that.)

Filed Under: 4th Of July, Entrees, Featured, Gluten Free, Recipe, Recipes Featured, Sauces, Superbowl Tagged With: brussel sprouts, cashews, chipotle, Pasta

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    August 8, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    I love this recipe and my little 5 year old nephew loves it too! He always requests it when he comes over to my house. This is just crazy delicious!

    Reply
  2. StAlphonzo

    November 13, 2016 at 5:18 pm

    So I did something last night… I took the cheese sauce recipe and poured it over scalloped sweet and regular potatoes and baked for 40 minutes.

    Y
    U
    M

    Reply
    • Luna Bee

      November 16, 2016 at 2:37 am

      And I was there so can attest — it was DELICIOUS! Can’t remember what oven temp we used. I think it was 375 degrees.

      Reply
  3. Eric

    November 30, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    What cookbook is this in? (If it is even in one!) I’m going to buy the book so I can stop looking online for this recipe and all the other fab stuff you prepare.

    BTW – thanks for all you teach me!

    Reply
  4. Suzanne

    January 11, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    Hi Isa, any idea on the calories in this? My hubby and I make this at least 2x a month and I’m just curious 🙂 SO GOOD!!

    Reply
  5. Chipotle Paul

    January 29, 2017 at 1:06 am

    Lucky you Eric, you can find the recipe in The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook. I just got the book from the library and this is the first recipe I made. It is in the Superbowl section. Everyone loved the dish – except for one person who’s shy on the spices. I used 3 chipotle peppers (perfect for me!). It would be easy to split the recipe with different peppers so guests can choose their heat.

    Reply
  6. Tanya Rollin

    March 1, 2017 at 6:03 pm

    I looooove this recipe and I have shared it with friends, however a friend asked is there a substitute for the cashews because of nut allergies. what would you suggest?

    Reply
  7. Shannon

    October 31, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    I made this, and LOVED IT! and quickly realized if I added honey that it would be SO SO close to the copy-cat recipe for Cheesecake Factory’s spicy chipotle pasta!!! ( I add peas, mushrooms, asparagus, peppers and onions)! This one recipe alone will make being dairy free easy and delicious!

    Reply
  8. Martin

    November 11, 2017 at 7:33 am

    It was delicious ! I used sapporo miso (stronger than chickpeas miso I think) and dried chipotle (only a 1/2) and it worked out perfectly !

    Reply
  9. moss__piglet

    November 20, 2017 at 2:01 am

    omg i’m switching things UP this thanksgiving this sounds so dang good (and i suspect the kids i’ll be dining with will be interested too, if i set aside some chipotle-free portions). i’ll report back.

    Reply
  10. Amy Gardner

    January 31, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    My family loves this recipe! I substituted raw almonds for cashews and one can of organic diced green chiles instead of chipotles, it was incredible!
    The first time I made it I overheated the sauce and it really changed the initial fresh flavor, I’m making it again tonight and will be sure to heat it on low for only a few minutes.
    Thank you!!

    Reply
  11. Kat Morrisson

    February 12, 2018 at 8:15 pm

    Any chance of getting the recipe available for printing WITHOUT the accompanying photos? That is such an ink-thirsty waste of print! Thanks for such a great, mouth-watering and inspiring recipe!

    Reply
    • Joey

      April 9, 2018 at 9:30 am

      You could try copy and pasting the recipe into a Word document, then printing that?

      Reply
  12. Ribqah

    February 29, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    One of my favorite PPK recipes. I hadn’t made it in a couple years and yesterday Sprouts had a really good sale on Brussels sprouts. When I went to make it today I realized I didn’t have stock. I wonder how it would be with unsweetened oat milk and a dash of coconut aminos instead, I thought. I’m creating an account now to tell you, fellow macaroni and chz lovers, unsweetened oat milk with a dash of aminos in lieu of veggie stock is my new way now.

    Reply
  13. Cassiopeia

    April 1, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    We loooooooved it!
    You’re my favourite chef in the world thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Nate

    July 4, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    I just made this last night and it’s wonderful!! Easily the best vegan mac I’ve ever tasted. 4 chipotle chiles made for a little bit of heat, which was great for us but folks should be aware.

    It makes me want to try her pizza mac now! Thank you!

    Reply
  15. Gabe

    November 21, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    We love this; it’s now a standard meal in our house.

    I’m thinking about testing a baked version for Thanksgiving, you know mixing in some different grated veg cheeses and topping it off with breadcrumbs. Hope it will be even more delicious with these additions.

    Reply
  16. ashley

    December 1, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    Ideas for a nut free version? I’m dying to try it!

    Reply
  17. Julianne

    December 9, 2021 at 1:31 am

    I’m obsessed with this recipe I’ve made this so many times and it’s just SO gooooood! I’ve used both dried and canned chipotle chiles. With the dried chiles you’ll need to rehydrate them before adding them to the sauce mixture. I’ll boil the dried chilies in hot water and then use the hot water as the liquid for extra spicy mac! Another addition that I’ve done is add caramelized onions and red pepper for crunch! Or, if you are feeling EXTRA saucy, baking some shitake mushrooms for that added bacon flavor.

    ***I also realized I accidently rated another chipotle mac & cheese recipe by accident thinking I was commenting on Isa’s page! whoops!

    Reply
  18. jill

    January 13, 2022 at 3:50 am

    are the chipotles canned? or fresh? I’ve only ever seen canned chipotles in adobo. I’m assuming fresh…and will probably use jalapeños instead when i try this; thanks!

    Reply
  19. Shannon

    September 4, 2022 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Isa!!! I just made this and my friend and I loved it and want to make it again. We used a mix of cashews and sunflower seeds since that’s what we had. We loved the smoky flavor from the peppers. It went perfectly with the roasted Brussels sprouts. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.

    Reply
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Trackbacks

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    February 25, 2016 at 4:44 am

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    February 28, 2016 at 10:47 am

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