Okay, hear me out: pickles and cheese are great together. I know, it sounds like an unlikely pairing, but this mac ‘n cheese is so delicious, I’m drooling just remembering when I made it! My partner, Zach, was skeptical too when I told him my idea of throwing some of my favorite pickles into my mac ‘n cheese, but even he was asking me to make this recipe again!
Not only is this Vegan Pickle Mac ‘N Cheese ridiculously delicious, it’s also super easy to make. If you’ve made my Classic Vegan Mac ‘N Cheese, it follows that basic recipe, but with the addition of some of your favorite pickles. In this recipe, I used pepper jack vegan shreds instead of cheddar – I definitely encourage you to try different cheese shred flavors to see what you like best! I really liked the pepper jack because I think the white cheese paired well and I liked the hint of spice.
The trick for making this pasta super delicious is using your favorite and most flavorful pickles because the cheese sauce will really soak up the flavor of the pickles. A dull dill won’t result is as flavorful of a mac! Use Bubbie’s pickles if you’d like to follow the exact recipe I made. I also highly recommend sour pickles instead of sweet ones, although this is really more my personal preference as I’m not really a fan of sweet pickles to begin with!
This recipe is kosher and can easily be made gluten free by subbing in some gluten-free pasta. If you do keep kosher or are serving a meal for folks who keep kosher, be sure to look for hechsered products when grocery shopping!
This Vegan Pickle Mac ‘N Cheese is definitely a little out there, BUT is has become a droolworthy staple in my kitchen. I would love to hear you thoughts on this recipe and how you made it your own (particularly if you try it with sweet pickles!). Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
Vegan Pickle Mac 'N Cheese
Equipment
- non-stick pan
- slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 8 oz your favorite pasta
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 cup vegan milk
- 1 package vegan cheese shreds I used Daiya Pepper Jack
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 cup dill pickles minced
- dash of salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat when the pasta has about 4 minutes left.
- When the pasta is done, remove it from the heat and scoop the pasta from the water using a slotted spoon to place it in the pan with the melted butter. Reserve the pasta water.
- Stir the pasta and melted butter continuously for 2-3 minutes, ensuring that the pasta is completely coated in the butter.
- Pour the milk into the pan, then add the shredded cheese. Cook covered until the shreds are melted and combined with the milk. Stir frequently.
- Once the shreds are melted, add the nutritional yeast and chopped pickles and mix to combine. You might notice that the mixture is not quite smooth and creamy yet - to get it to the right consistency, add a bit of the reserved pasta water at a time and stir it in well. The cheese sauce should look smooth when done.
- Lastly, add salt to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
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