Weeknight · 15–30 min

Melissa's Buffalo Chick'n Mac & Cheese

Name: Melissa's Buffalo Chick'n Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 strips Gardein Meatless Chick'n Strips; 55 g chickpea pasta, rotini; 1 tbsp hot sauce, buffalo sauce; 1 pinch Frank's RedHot seasoning, optional; 8 oz vegetable broth, veggie broth; 1 ½ tbsp coconut aminos; 1 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp dairy-free cheese, vegan parmesan; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 tsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water, cold; ¼ tsp black pepper; ⅛ tsp salt; Silken tofu; 1 tbsp green onions, chopped

Melissa Donovan makes this when she wants comfort food that still packs about 41g of protein. The silky cheese sauce and spicy crisp buffalo chick'n make it feel like a treat.

Melissa Donovan’s pick · vegan bodybuilder | holistic life coach · 10 years, 6 months plant-based

@myplantbasedfriend

Hands-on: 20 min
Hands-off: 5 min
Total: 25 min
Dishes: 4

25gprotein402cal53gcarbs11gfatper serving · $2.65

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Skillstove · blender

Ingredients

Servings

Your protein

Gardein Meatless Chick'n Strips

2 strips · as written

25 g protein · 402 cal

per serving

Use two, like half tofu and half chickpeas, or finish a package and make up the rest.

Prep: Unbreaded, lightly seasoned strips for stir-fries, wraps and bowls.

Pasta

Buffalo chick'n

Cheese sauce

Choose cheese

To serve

Most dairy-free cheese has almost no protein. It's there for melt and flavor. For protein, lean on nutritional yeast or tofu.

Your pick applies to every recipe.

Method

1
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the chickpea pasta for 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain well.
2
Add the silken tofu (125 g), broth, coconut aminos, nutritional yeast, vegan parmesan, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
3
Pour the blended sauce into a pot and heat it over high heat until it starts to bubble.
4
In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and the cold water together until smooth.
5
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the pot and boil for 1 minute to thicken. Stir in the black pepper and salt, then taste and adjust.
6
Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Pan fry the Gardein chick'n strips until golden and crisp, then sprinkle with the pinch of Frank's RedHot seasoning if you like.
7
Toss the Gardein chick'n strips with the buffalo sauce in a bowl until well coated.
8
Stir the drained pasta into the cheese sauce until every piece is coated.
9
Spoon the mac and cheese into a bowl, top with the buffalo Gardein chick'n strips, and sprinkle with green onion.

Storage

Best fresh. If you have leftovers, store the mac and the chick'n separately in the fridge for up to 3 days and add a splash of broth when reheating the mac.

Good to know

The sauce thickens as it sits, so stir in a splash of broth or water if it gets too thick.
Melissa uses Say Grace Tenders for the chick'n. Dry TVP chunks work here too and get cooked in broth first.
Use boiling water with 1 tsp Better than Bouillon in place of the veggie broth if that's what you have.