Vegan Nachos Mac Pie

August 17, 2020
Wicked
Appetizers

50 mins
6 hearty portions
0.0

Where’s the protein at? All your favourite comfort food rolled into one and baked to perfection. The protein comes in a double dose of chickpea pasta and tofu, the creamiest all-plant cheese sauce, and some serious crunch from the cauliflower and crushed nacho crust. Indulgent meal prep and great for a big family get-together. Super, duper, Wicked high protein – check!

Ingredients

2 cup (x2 227g package) dry chickpea pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
½ head cauliflower, chopped
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, chopped with skin on
1 bay leaf
5 cloves garlic
2 packages tofu, extra firm
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
Oil
2 green onion, sliced
2 fresh jalapeno, whole
2 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen sweetcorn
4-5 cup baby spinach

Crust:

1 13oz/400g can chickpeas, drained (save water for sauce)
3 cup tortilla chips
4 tsp tomato salsa
1 7oz/200g package of vegan cheese (we used Follow Your Heart)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
pinch salt and pepper
4-5 TBSP nutritional yeast
Plant-based milk
Parsley or coriander, to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 420f/215c.

Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set to the side.

Sauce:

In a large saucepan add chopped cauliflower, sweet potatoes, bay leaf, and garlic and cover with water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce to simmer and cook until tender. Drain and save liquid.
Transfer drained veggies to a high-speed blender, along with the jalapeno (optional).
Add salsa and vegan cheese. Add spices (cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper), nutritional yeast, and chickpea water. Blend for at least 2 minutes until smooth. Add plant-based milk to thin for cheesy consistency.

Tofu:

Heat med size cast iron or saute pan until hot. Coat each tofu side liberally with black pepper, cumin, and garlic salt.
Use hands to massage the seasoning in.
Add oil to the pan to coat evenly. Add tofu and sear, add jalapeno to cook alongside tofu. Flip tofu and repeat until golden.

Crust:

Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving the water to the side. Add chickpeas to a bowl and mash chickpeas with a potato masher. Add black pepper, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips. Mix with hands to form the crumb crust.
In a deep tray bake dish, add crust pack down crust evenly to cover the bottom of the pan. Put the tray in a pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Mix pasta, 1/2 of the peas, sweetcorn and a ¼ of the sauce (about a cup) to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add green onion and any extra veggies from the sauce mix. Add more sauce, until the mix is well coated evenly. Add cheesy-veg pasta mix to a traybake, top with sliced tofu, and a drizzle of extra sauce before baking.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5- 10 mins and serve.
For optimal results, leave it to chill overnight before serving.
Serve up and enjoy!