One of my favorite foods dates back to childhood, the ubiquitous macaroni and cheese. Most American kids love the stuff and for some of us that love continues into adulthood. My tastes have evolved so that the Kraft-type neon-orange versions are no longer appealing. Since I’m now a vegan, these types are also off the menu.

I’ve tried a few wonderful vegan macaroni and cheese recipes. This week, Isa Chandra Moskowitz posted a recipe for Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese to her Post Punk Kitchen blog and I knew I had to try it. I had a can of chipotle peppers in the pantry that I had yet to use and I also had all the other ingredients on hand. The best part is that she had an easy method of making the cheese sauce in the blender. This dish comes together quickly and the chipotle takes macaroni and cheese to a whole new level of flavor. It adds a depth and smokiness that I never realized it was missing. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat it any other way again.

Recipe – Chipotle Mac & Cheese with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Modifications

I made a few changes to the recipe:

• I only used 1/2 a chipotle pepper (seeded). Taste the peppers before adding to gauge your tolerance for heat. Add more as needed. 
• I used 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast instead of 2 tablespoons. I really like nutritional yeast, but you can start with the smaller amount and add to taste.
• I used roasted broccoli instead of brussels sprouts because that’s what I had. I imagine any vegetable would be delicious.