Easy Vegan Macaroni Casserole
Easy Vegan Macaroni Casserole – easy vegan, cheesy, deliciousness in each and every bite. Sometimes being easy can be so good. Need I say more?
I love taking a recipe and veganizing it. That’s what today’s post is all about. I originally saw this recipe for Easy Macaroni Casserole on SkinnyTaste. And I thought to myself, “Self,” (because that’s what I call me), “I think you can do this recipe in a vegan kind of way.”
Not only did this recipe kick in my veganista ways, it also turned on my competitive juices. Ms. Taste was impressed that she was able to get this recipe down to 338 calories per serving. I was pretty sure my vegan version could top that. Or not top that. Calories can be a little like golf, the lower the score the better!
I entered the ingredients in Calorie Count to produce the chart below. My Easy Vegan Macaroni Casserole comes in at a skinny 311 calories per serving. Not too shabby for a delicious meal…if you ask me!
In addition I took the ingredient list and did a little cost analysis too. Easy, cheap, and skinny. Hmm, that may not be the best way to describe a recipe, now that I think about it.
- 2 tbsps olive oil = 0.32 cents
- 1 onion = 0.25
- 1 red pepper = 1.33
- 3 cloves garlic = 0.24
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes 0.59
- 2 cups marinara sauce (I used store brand variety) $1.09
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan .50
- 1 cup bocca crumbles 1.75
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella $3.50
- 12 oz box whole wheat macaroni $2.89
Total = $12.46 for the entire recipe. Divided by 8 = $1.56 per serving. Not too bad!
Give the recipe a try and see if you agree that easy can be soooo good.
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium red pepper optional, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup Vegan Ground Crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles
- 12 oz box of whole wheat macaroni
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese optional
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella shredded
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Heat your oven to 375F and prepare a 9X13 baking dish by giving it a light coating of vegetable spray
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In a large skillet or saucepan, add olive oil, onions, and red pepper. Cook over medium heat until they're tender, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the chopped garlic.
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Add the tomatoes, marinara, and water and bring this mixture to a boil. Turn down heat and add the veggie crumbles. Stir to combine.
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Spoon just enough of the marinara sauce mixture to cover the bottom of your prepared 9X13 pan. Pour the box of uncooked pasta over the top of this, spreading it out evenly across the pan. Now, you simply pour the rest of that marinara sauce mixture over the uncooked macaroni, being sure to spread it out evenly as well.
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Top the casserole with the Parmesan cheese (optional), followed by the vegan mozzarella. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil, crimping the edges just slightly to keep the heat inside. Bake for 50 minutes. Then remove the casserole from the oven and keep the foil on the pan for 15 minutes or so. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Andrea
Looks like you skipped the macaroni in the total cost?
Marly
Great catch, Andrea! I’ve added it now.
Liz
What brands of vegan cheeses did you use?
Marly
Hi Liz. My favorites are Follow Your Heart and Daiya. They both melt very well and have great flavor. We typically use Follow Your Heart on pizza and Daiya when we want cheese incorporated into a dish, like a casserole or dip. I hope that helps!
Katie
Definitely going to give this one a try this weekend! Kids gravitate toward anything macaroni, so this is sure to be a hit 🙂
Marly
It’s so funny because we just made this again this weekend too. We had family in town and definitely not a lot of time to be in the kitchen. It’s so nice to be able to throw some ingredients together, walk away for awhile, and return to the kitchen and have dinner waiting for you! Hope your kiddies liked it!
Roza
I’ve made this recipe so many times. And I love it!!! Simple and easy to make and filling.
Marly
You made my day Roza! So glad you like this. It’s a go-to recipe for us too!