This Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole is a delicious and SUPER easy recipe. It is made with Daiya Cheezy Mac and mixed with caramelized onions and sautéed Brussels sprouts for an effortless holiday dish. Vegan and gluten free!
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This post is sponsored by Daiya. All opinions are 100% mine.
As much as I love the holiday season, menu planning and food prep can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be! There are many ways to reduce the stress around holiday meal prep and today I’m sharing one of my favorite holiday hacks.
Enter: Daiya.
Daiya’s delicious vegan and gluten-free foods allow me to cut down the prep time without compromising on taste. With their amazing line of vegan and gluten free products, you can make quick and easy holiday sides, desserts, and more!
One of my favorite ways to simplify is by using Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac to create a plant based macaroni casserole that is perfect for your holiday table. Dressed up with Brussels Sprouts and a crunchy breadcrumb topping, this Thanksgiving side dish is delicious, easy, and festive.
And best of all, it’s SO easy to put together.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This easy Mac and Cheese Casserole uses a combination of fresh vegetables alongside Daiya’s rich and creamy Deluxe Cheezy Mac for a super quick side dish with easy-to-find ingredients.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredient Notes
- Deluxe Alfredo Style Cheezy Mac – While I recommend Alfredo Style, Daiya has 5 different varieties of Cheezy Mac (see below), all that would work for this recipe.
- Brussels Sprouts – Look for Brussels sprouts that are bright green and tightly closed. Smaller ones will be sweeter and more tender than larger sprouts. Avoid any that are discolored or spotted.
- Bread Crumbs – For a gluten-free option, look for gluten free bread crumbs.
Go To Vegan Mac & Cheese
If you’ve been a plant-based eater for a while, then I’m sure you’re familiar with Daiya. Daiya is a pioneer of plant-based foods that is on a mission to satisfy people with great-tasting food that is kind and sustainable to the environment.
Daiya makes some of the best plant-based alternatives on the market. In the past 5 years, the company has exploded becoming a regular household name. They have done the impossible and pushed passed the dairy-free market, past the vegan market, past the health market and become a plant-based product for everyone to love and adore.
I’ve been a huge fan of Daiya since it first appeared on the market in 2009. Since then, Daiya has become a leading plant-based brand with its line of delicious, better-for-you comfort foods.
Vegan Cheezy Mac
One of my favorite products from Daiya is the Deluxe Cheezy Mac. This deluxe pasta is made from a velvety vegan cheese sauce and gluten-free pasta for an amazing shelf-stable product that is truly satisfying in every way.
Daiya’s Cheezy Mac comes in a variety of flavors: Deluxe Cheddar Style, Deluxe Alfredo Style, Deluxe White Cheddar Style Veggie, Four Cheeze Style with Herbs, and Bac’n & Cheddar Style.
While they are delicious, rich, and creamy on their own, they are the perfect base for this holiday casserole for a quick Thanksgiving side dish that everyone will be raving about.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Make the Pasta
Using at least at 4-quart stockpot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the Daiya Cheezy Mac pasta noodles and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring the noodles occasionally to prevent them from clumping together.
Cook the pasta until it is al dente, which mean it should be soft but still a bit chewy. To avoid mushy pasta, take care not to overcook it. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
Drain and rinse the pasta through a colander. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vegan cheeze sauce until the noodles are completely coated.
Step Two – Caramelize the Onions
Caramelized onions take a little bit of time, but they are so worth it. The caramelization process slowly pulls out the natural flavors of the onion, making them intensely sweet and flavorful.
To make caramelized onions, first coat the bottom of a heavy-bottomed sauté pan with olive oil. Heat it over medium-low heat and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions slowly, stirring them every few minutes. After 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes until onions have reduced in size and are caramel in color.
Pro Tip: Slice the onions thin for best results. If the onions are too thick, they will take a lot longer to caramelize.
Step Three – Sauté the Brussels Sprouts
Cut the Brussels sprouts into halves. If the sprouts are very large, you can quarter them so that they are all roughly the same size.
In a second skillet, heat up the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and sauté for 10 minutes or until they are slightly soft and blackened around the edges.
Step Four – Assemble and Bake
Add the caramelized onions and sautéed Brussels sprouts to the prepared pasta, stirring it all together until the vegetables are evenly distributed.
Transfer the pasta dish to a 2-quart casserole dish and press it down tightly. Top with bread crumbs.
Pro Tip: If you are looking for a gluten-free option, make sure to look for gluten-free bread crumbs. You should be able to find them at your local grocery store.
Place the dish into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot with your favorite holiday dishes.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve this vegan casserole fresh and hot from the oven. It goes great as a side dish for your holiday meals. Or serve it as a main dish alongside a Caesar Salad.
Storing – Store this casserole for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To store, allow it to first cool to room temperature. Place the leftovers in an airtight container or divide it into several smaller containers for easy grab-n-go lunches.
Tips and Tricks
- Avoid over-cooking the noodles. If you boil them for too long, they will get mushy in the oven.
- Make sure you caramelize the onions. This can take several minutes, but it is well worth it.
- Quarter larger sprouts so they are roughly the same size as the halved ones. This will help with cooking them consistently.
- Want variation? Swap out the Brussels sprouts for asparagus, mushrooms, or broccoli instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Daiya’s selection of deliciously plant-based foods can be found in more than 25,000 grocery stores in the U.S., including Sprouts, Target, Kroger, Safeway, and Publix, as well as most natural food retailers.
Yes! Daiya’s products are all gluten-free naturally. To make this casserole gluten-free, simply use gluten-free bread crumbs.
Yes, you can definitely change what flavor you use. Daiya offers several flavors of mac and cheese including Cheddar, Alfredo, White Cheddar, Veggie, Bac’n & Cheddar, and Four Cheeze with Herbs. Pick your favorite for your perfect holiday side dish!
More Vegan Thanksgiving Hacks
Thanksgiving dinner can be a lot of work! But it doesn’t have to be. In addition to this Mac and Cheese Casserole, Daiya also has your dessert covered!
Daiya offers a plant-based cheesecake that is dairy, soy, and gluten-free. It is rich, full of flavor, and so creamy! They come in a variety of flavors such as Pumpkin Spice (which is only available for a limited time around the holidays), New York, Key Lime, Chocolate, and Strawberry. Dress them up by topping your cheesecake with chocolate ganache, cranberry sauce, lemon curd, or a variety of other seasonal condiments. It’s fancy, decadent, and so so easy!
Also, make sure to check out my Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Daiya’s Cutting Board Shreds.
Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 boxes of Deluxe Alfredo Style Cheezy Mac
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 heaping cups Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- In a large soup pot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add the pasta noodles and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Be careful not to overcook. The pasta will get cooked again in the oven and it will get mushy if it's too soft. Drain and rinse the pasta through a colander. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the vegan cheese sauce until the noodles are completely coated and set aside.
- Thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions slowly, stirring them every few minutes. After 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until onions have reduced in size and are caramel in color. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile cut the Brussels sprouts into half. If the sprouts are very large, you can quarter them. In a second skillet, heat up the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and sauté for 10 minutes, until they are slightly soft and blackened around the edges.
- Add the caramelized onions and sautéed Brussels sprouts to the prepared pasta, stirring it all together. Transfer the pasta dish to a 2-quart casserole dish, tightly pressing it down. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
- Avoid over-cooking the noodles. If you boil them for too long, they will get mushy in the oven.
- Quarter larger sproutsso they are roughly the same size as the halved ones. This can help with cooking them consistently.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
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