What do you get when you combine my vegan chili recipe with my vegan mac and cheese recipe? I think you guessed it, you get The Best Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese!!!! If you've never had vegan chili mac and cheese before, I can tell you that you are missing out on this irresistible comfort food. The (vegan) meatiness of chili combined with the (vegan) cheesiness of mac and cheese. The perfect combo? I think so. Bonus points: this recipe can also be made gluten-free and/or oil-free.
There are 3 secret ingredients that make this vegan mac and cheese completely epic.
- Tofu crumbles: If you've been a fan of my recipes for a while you know I'm obsessed with tofu crumbles. The tofu crumbles are seasoned and then dried out in the oven. Then when they are stirred into the chili mac, they absorb some liquid and become the meatiest chewy amazing texture.
- Nutritional yeast: a staple seasoning for vegans. This flaky yellow stuff adds SO much cheesy flavour. These days many grocery stores carry it but you can also find it at health food stores or online.
- White miso paste: miso paste isn't just for soup. This umami-packed fermented paste adds so much depth and really gives it that tang that makes cheese taste like cheese. It's one of my favourite ingredients to make vegan cheeses. Most grocery stores should carry it but if not you can find it at health food stores or online.
My recipe for The Best Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese has quickly become my new favourite winter meal. It takes a bit of time to prepare but every step is super easy and the end results are epic. Hearty meaty, cheesy, tomatoey vegan comfort food. Everything you could want for a warming meal. Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese can also be prepared ahead of time and even frozen (see recipe notes for instructions).
How to Make the Best Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese:
To Make the Tofu Crumbles:
In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. You can alternatively use a potato masher in the bowl to mash up the tofu. Mix the crumbled tofu with the seasoning to make sure it is evenly coated.
Spread the crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
To Make the Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, 6 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, the miso paste, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring every now and then, for 15 minutes.
Add the macaroni noodles, and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring often so the macaroni doesn't stick to the bottom.
Lastly, add the prepared tofu and cook for about 5 more minutes until the macaroni is al dente. As soon as the macaroni is al dente remove the pot from the heat so that it doesn't get overcooked. If the chili mac is a bit watery, just let it rest, the macaroni and tofu will continue to absorb the liquid. If the chili mac is too dry, simply add a splash more of vegetable broth or water to reach desired consistency. 
Serve hot with dollops of vegan nacho cheese if desired, and a sprinkle of parsley. The nacho cheese is a lovely addition, but this vegan chili mac and cheese is also super delish all on its own, so only add the cheese if you want extra cheesiness!
Common Questions:
Can I make Chili Mac and Cheese Oil-free?
Yes, to make oil-free simply sub the oil in the tofu marinate with vegetable broth. Then when sautéing the onions and garlic, do a water or broth sauté.
Can I Make Chili Mac and Cheese ahead of time?
Yes, vegan chili mac and cheese can be prepared fully and served later. Make sure to cook your noodles al dente (do not overcook or it can get mushy) then immediately remove the pot from the heat and let it cool completely.
Can I freeze Chili Mac and Cheese?
Yup! Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge or freeze. When reheating, if it has gotten too thick, just add a splash or two of water to thin it out.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
The Best Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese!
Ingredients
For the tofu crumbles:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 12oz block extra-firm tofu, drained (no need to press it)
For the chili mac:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 28oz can diced tomato
- 1 19oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni noodles (1 ½ cups), (gluten-free if preferred)
Optional toppings:
- 1 recipe Melty Strechy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese or store-bought vegan cheese of choice
- 1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
To prepare the tofu crumbles:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. You can alternatively use a potato masher in the bowl to mash up the tofu. Mix the crumbled tofu with the seasoning to make sure it is evenly coated.
- Spread the crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of textures.
To make the chili mac:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, 6 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, the miso paste, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then.
- Add the macaroni noodles, and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring often so the macaroni doesn't stick to the bottom. Lastly, add the prepared tofu and cook for about 5 more minutes until the macaroni is al dente. As soon as the macaroni is al dente remove the pot from the heat so that it doesn't get overcooked. If the chili mac is a bit watery, just let it rest, the macaroni and tofu will continue to absorb the liquid. If the chili mac is too dry, simply add a splash more of vegetable broth or water to reach desired consistency. Serve hot with dollops of vegan nacho cheese if desired, and a sprinkle of parsley.
Jordan says
Delicious! On an unexpectedly cold and damp day, this recipe (with whole wheat macaroni) really hit the spot. I topped our bowls with a trio of toppings: vegan cheez whiz, guacamole and salsa, so every bite was a new taste. Thanks Sam for your great recipes
JBC says
I could eat this every day. It's DELICIOUS!!! Even my non-vegan (keto!) sister loves it. This is totally fabulous as written. However, I made a couple of tweaks that I like a lot:
• I do press the tofu before crumbling into the marinade, so it absorbs more flavor and dries out more in the oven and becomes even chewier.
• I add 1t yeast extract (Marmite) and 1/4t liquid mesquite smoke to the marinade for the tofu crumbles, and I let the tofu marinate for at least 30 mins. OMG, the tofu crumbles are delicious enough to eat plain!
• I add 1/2 recipe of unheated (i.e. still really liquidy) Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Nacho Cheese to the chili at the same time I add the tofu crumbles. It permeates the chili, thickens it, and gives it both a cheesier flavor and texture. Yum!
Ksyhy says
If I just want Mac n cheese I’d add the nutritional yeast with spices, etc?
Christal Matheson says
I will have to agree that this is the best chili Mac ever! It was delicious and my Son was even eating the tofu crumbles off the pan!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Thrilled it's such a hit Christal 🙂
Shari Z says
Really good! I used whole wheat penne pasta as that’s what was in pantry and it turned out great!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it, Shari!
C says
This recipe looks great and I’m excited to make it! Especially with the cheese sauce on top 🙂
Quick question - I dislike the texture of tomatoes, so I’m planning to substitute tomato purée for the diced tomatoes. Should I make any other changes to the recipe to account for that?
Erin says
YUM!!!!!! I love all of your recipes & the gooey cheese with it too was amazing :)))
Sam Turnbull says
SO happy you loved it Erin! 🙂
Laura says
Hi Sam - Your recipes are awesome - thanks! I’m making this tomorrow with brown rice elbow pasta - since this type of pasta cooks off a lot of starch compared to white, do you think it will do well for this recipe?
Thanks!
Laura
Sam Turnbull says
Yes rice pastas can make things a bit slimy due to the starches, so you may want to cook the pasta separately and reduce the vegetable broth. Start with half the vegetable broth and add more if needed 🙂
Laura says
Thanks Sam - I decided to throw caution to the wind and just made the recipe “as is” with the brown rice pasta and it turned out great! Although I will lessen the cook time by a couple minutes. My husband LOVES this recipe so I can see myself putting this into rotation. I gave it 5 stars before I even made it - now, I give it 10 !!! Thank you!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! That's amazing. Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
gillyjally says
Sam, another fab recipe! My teenage daughter and I made it together and it was a huge hit. We had to change the tofu to Meatless Farm mince (uk) as didn't have tofu. Delicious and better after sitting in the pan for 10 mins to thicken up. The nacho sauce is delicious too! Yummy
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you both enjoyed it 🙂
Jen says
This recipe has terrific flavor, and topping it with the nacho cheese is really decadent. I would probably use a cup less of water the next time I make it. It was a slight bit too soupy. I love the texture of the tofu in this dish.
Linnea says
This really is the best Chili Mac!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!!!
Nancy says
I made this tonight..absolutely delicious and I wouldn’t change a thing!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you loved it so much, Nancy! 🙂
Shannon says
I used to love chili mac!! I'm sure this will be delicious like every other recipe of yours! Can't wait to make this
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Shannon!
Gayle says
I made this tonight! It was soooo good! I even added a little bit of TVP. Thank you, it was delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Gayle 🙂
Tina says
Making this tomorrow! How many grams dried pasta do I use? Is that one 454g bag?
Sam Turnbull says
Right at the end of the ingredient list you can click the word "metric" and it will switch to grams for you 🙂
Nicole Gray says
Looks delicious. Can tofu crumbles be made ahead of time and frozen, to pull out for weeknight meals? What spice mix would you use for a basic tofu crumble that can be added to a variety of meals?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Nicole, yes they can! And the spice listed here would be perfect 🙂
Kristine says
I had everything at home to make this, so whipped it up for dinner. But apparently it is being eaten for lunch- a huge hit! Even non vegan husband thought it was great. Definitely a keeper (and there is enough for dinner too) !!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha that's amazing! Thrilled you both enjoyed it so much, Kristine 🙂