Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese

This Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and super easy to make. It’s entirely vegan, gluten free and will wow everyone in no time. Plus you can make 2 versions: one on the stove and one in the oven.

We’re making it slowly into he autumn season. It’s getting colder and the temperatures are dropping down.

Time for this Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese:

It’s creamy, addictive, cheesy, absolutely mouthwatering and satisfying, filling, cozy, and a must make for the holidays or any time when your are craving comfort food piled high.

In these times, that means we’re all excited and want to fill our plates with this Lentil Chickpea Yellow Curry and so many more goodies.

Just feel free to use the search bar to get on board with many more delicious ideas.

What is mac and cheese

Maybe you know the pre-packaged boxes with mac and cheese and that you just need hot water and let the magic begin.

Super easy and fast, this was my way before going vegan to enjoy this classic comfort food.

Basically, it’s pasta with a creamy sauce made from heavy cream, cheese, and butter.

Some people add bacon to their version to add a deeper flavor.

We do something different to keep all plant based. So there isn’t any cream or butter involved.

I used my 3 ingredient vegan cheese sauce for this. Just cashews, vegetable broth, and tahini. This time we also add nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor.

How to prepare Brussels Sprouts

There are different methods for this Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese. My way to go is to make them in a pan.

You heat a bit of oil or vegetable broth in a pan and fry the halved sprouts for around 8 minutes until they are crispy and browned.

Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

It will add a lot of flavor and taste. Which we can’t achieve with steamed or cooked brussels sprouts.  They are soft but often miss flavor.

Another amazing method that you can try is roasting them on a sheet pan in the oven for around 30 minutes. You can add a bit olive oil if you like, season with salt and pepper.

Please have a look every 10 minutes and turn them if needed. This way you make sure you get the perfect texture and browning level.

Note: before you do any method, clean and wash the vegetables properly and cut the leaves.

How to make Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese

First cook your pasta according the package directions. While they are cooking combine cashews, tahini, vegetable broth and this time nutritional yeast in the bowl of a blender.

Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy, set aside.

Next, heat a pan with a bit of oil. Olive oil is fine, or for a oil free version just heat a bit vegetable broth. Add garlic, optional garlic powder and fry for 2 minutes.

By now add trimmed and cleaned Brussels sprouts to that pan. Fry again for 5 minutes, then add pasta and vegan cheese sauce to that pan. Cook everything for 5 minutes longer.

Finally transfer to bowls or plates, enjoy.

Note: If you prefer a baked mac and cheese, just do the steps until after frying the Brussels sprouts.

From there you will need a 8×11 inch casserole dish. Add pasta, sauce, Brussels sprouts to the dish. Mix everything well, this way you save a bowl  Bake it for around 15 minutes at 415°F.

This makes an amazing dairy free alternative for dinner, lunch, meal prep, date night, and even work lunch that the whole family will love.

Best pasta for mac and cheese

Of course you can use any pasta that you like but I find not every pasta gives you the best results.

Macaroni is by no means always my go to pasta, but maybe you’re looking for a new and fresh approach. Make sure that your pasta holds the sauce in every bite you take.

This can you achieve with pasta like, rigatoni, rotini, shells, farfalle, or orechiette.

Pro tip: Just make sure your pasta has a big surface. This will help by holding the sauce perfectly.

If you give this Garlic Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese a try, tag me on Instagram and Facebook with a picture.

Love seeing all your remakes. Florian.