Pulled Jackfruit Mac and Cheese

This pulled jackfruit mac and cheese combines two comfort foods into a delicious casserole. Creamy vegan macaroni topped with sweet and tangy pulled jackfruit. Even though this pulled jackfruit vegan mac and cheese is a summer superstar. It can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Serve with vegan coleslaw or biscuits. So grab your favorite barbecue sauce. Then whip up a batch of the pulled jackfruit vegan mac and cheese.

Pulled Jackfruit Vegan Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

For pulled jackfruit

• 14 ounce can of jackfruit in water or brine
• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup of diced onions
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce plus for some drizzling

For vegan mac and cheese

• 2 cups of macaroni
• Cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 tablespoon non-dairy butter
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

For pulled jackfruit

1. First, prepare jackfruit. Drain and rinse it. Then cut the jackfruit into smaller pieces.
2.  Next, saute onions and garlic in oil over medium-high heat. Once tender add in the chopped jackfruit. After that add in brown sugar, chili powder, sweet paprika, sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Then cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Lastly, Stir in the BBQ sauce and set aside.

For vegan mac and cheese

1. First, preheat the oven to 375. And have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or square baking dish ready.
2. Then cook the pasta following the package directions. After that drain but reserve 1/4 of pasta water. In case, the pasta needs extra liquid after being combined with the sauce later.
3. To make the sauce, place the yeast, flour, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, water, and tahini. In a medium-sized saucepan. Then whisk to combine. And Cook over medium-high heat. Whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
4. After that whisk in the butter and mustard, if using. Then place the sauce and cooked pasta into a baking pan, stirring to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time.
5. Lastly, sprinkle the jackfruit topping over the pasta. Then drizzle with extra BBQ sauce if desired. And bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, to let it firm up. Then serve and enjoy!

Yield: 4 Servings 

Notes:

• To get the best “pulled” texture. Cut the jackfruit slices from core to the outer edge. This breaks up the tougher core as much as possible.
• If jackfruit mixture is sticking to the pan add a splash of vegetable broth or water.
• In addition to your favorite BBQ sauce. You can also add shredded vegan cheese if you’d like.

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