This is a sponsored post. But all opinions are my own.
Attention bunnies, Annie's Homegrown has gone vegan! Well, sort've.
Vegan Mac & Cheese. I was so excited when I heard that one of my favorite brands, Annie's, was coming out with a boxed vegan Mac & Cheese product. The two new products are Organic Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce and Organic Gluten Free Vegan Elbows & Creamy Sauce.
Learn more about these yummy products and get my two meal-approved recipe ideas to make your vegan Mac a& Cheese night extra special. And extra delicious. Plus enter a giveaway to WIN Mac & Cheese!..
New vegan product. Kid-approved. Adult-approved. Everyone-approved.
Fluffy pasta is the first step..
Then that creamy vegan sauce..
Shells..
Or gluten-free elbows..
Add some oomph to your pasta to make it a meal!..
THIS vegan meal was amazing!.
When you add one cup of edamame soy beans, you add 17g plant-based protein to this bowl. I love the colors, cheesy orange with pops of green.
Go-To Dinner. My husband and I have always kept a few boxes of vegan Mac and Cheese in our pantry for go-to meals and comfort food sides in a flash. But in the past, there have been very few options for vegan Mac and Cheese. Until now.
It is such an exciting time to be vegan, and products like this are one of the reasons why.
One of my favorite brands is Annie's. I adore their vegan BBQ sauce, vegan salad dressings (my faves are Goddess, Woodstock and Lemon Chive). And their yummy Chocolate Chip Bunny Grahams are vegan too! But I always wished they had a vegan version of their famous boxed pastas.
Well Annie's loves to listen to their customers, so in response to all the many requests for a vegan Mac and Cheese, Annie's delivered!
Thank you Annie's for listening to your vegan customers!!! That is the best.
About the Product.
* Organic
* Two pastas: one version with gluten-free rice elbow pasta and one version with wheat shell pasta
* No artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives.
* Annie's works with trusted suppliers to source only non-GMO ingredients.
* The sauce contains organic pumpkin and sweet potato!
When I heard that the recipe contained pumpkin and sweet potato, I got excited because those are ingredients I love to put in my vegan version Mac and Cheese recipes. My favorite recipe is one using a sweet potato based cheese sauce, so this was exciting.
Note About the Product. This is actually the second batch of Annie's Vegan Mac & Cheese. So just in case you tried this product when it first hit shelves, you definitely want to give it another shot!
In other words, Annie’s first batch of Vegan Mac & Cheese didn’t taste as originally planned by their product innovation team, so they’ve made adjustments and think fans will love the latest box that's starting to hop onto store shelves now.
Get Creative. The best part about boxed Mac and Cheese is that you can use it as the base for your meal by adding tons of veggies, legumes and more to make it a meal. Today I share two recipes where I made my cheesy Mac into a meal...
Flavor Profile. To me, the product has a lovely creamy texture with a bit of sweetness from that pumpkin and sweet potato. So for my add-ins, I like to choose savory items that compliment it. I also like to add in spicy accents like cayenne or red pepper flakes or spicy chipotle vegan sausages by Field Roast. I also like to add in a few pinches of nutritional yeast to enhance the savory and cheezy flavor and add nutrients. So these recipes are winners!..
Recipe One: Spicy Vegan Bacon Mac and Cheese with avocado
1. Make Annie's Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce according to box directions. Set aside.
2. In a skillet, prepare vegan bacon. I used Benevolent Bacon by Sweet Earth Foods. You can also use homemade tempeh bacon. Chop vegan bacon into bits.
3. Fold the vegan bacon into the pasta. Optional: Fold in a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Pour pasta into serving bowls.
4. Top with diced avocado and optional chopped cilantro or parsley.
Recipe Two: Edamame + Vegan Elbows & Creamy Sauce
1. Make Annie's Vegan Shells & Creamy Sauce according to box directions. Set aside.
2. Steam a frozen packet of shelled edamame soy beans, until tender -- you can do this on your stovetop or in the microwave.
3. Fold the edamame into the pasta. Optional: Fold in a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
4. Pour into serving dishes and top with chopped parsley.
Where Can I Find These Products? I have seen both versions in a few Whole Foods stores. You can also use Annie's store locator.
Learn more about Annies Products on their awesome website. You can even browse Annie's products by #vegan status! Organic Gluten Free Vegan Elbows and Creamy Sauce. Organic Vegan Shells and Creamy Sauce.
Follow Annie's online:
Twitter
Facebook
Follow the hashtag #AnniesGoesVegan for all the vegan Mac & Cheese chatter.
This was SO GOOD, I will absolutely be making it again.
So creamy..
first last (is it dead yet?) says
I'd rather buy Earth Balance's boxed mac & cheese. Annie's sold out to General Mills last year so I'm expecting the ingredients to be changing (for the worse) pretty soon.
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
I wish that we could get that over here!!!
Katherine B says
YUMMM I'm so excited to try this, but I haven't seen it at any of my stores. What would I do with it?! Well, like usual, probably throw in some peas, or eat it with some yummy, spicy, local arugala. OR if I wanted to get a little crazy, I would make fried mac n cheese bites! I've always wanted to try that.
Kendra Taylor says
I would add chunks of broccoli, zuchini and mushrooms, plus I'd put it on a bed of spinach leaves. Then season with a little garlis salt and a piece of Zuchini bread on the side.
Kristy says
My creative spin on Annie's vegan mac and cheese would be X-Tra Cheezy Bunny Love Peas and Carrots. I would add in peas, diced carrots, and chopped broccoli florets and top it with a home made vegan parm made using nutritional yeast, ground brazil nuts/cashews/almonds and tamari.
Megan Nelson says
I would add brox and coconut bacon and of course red chili flaaaakes.
Emily A. says
i'd add spinach, hemp seeds, and maybe some baked tofu
Amberle Wright says
I can't wait to track some down! I love mac n cheese topped with roasted broccoli.
disqus_A5pCm5rUFU says
i would add some broccoli, roasted red peppers, garlic and bacos to my annies mac n cheese!
Ann says
I would add salsa in mine and maybe some black beans.
Liz says
I would add some temph!
Steph says
I would add soy crumbles!!
Rose Leicht says
I would add stewed tomatoes because that's my mom and I's favorite in mac and cheese and Annie's is our favorite brand! So excited they've gone veg with me!
1froglegs says
We would add sweet peas. Our kids love mac-n-peas. They always add it, and probably would not want it without it.
VeganBelivin says
Adding mushrooms is my absolute fav! Give them a little sauté first to get their favors going and stir 'em right in with those cheesy noodles. Having something green is a must with macs, to which my answer is romaine lettuce, it's really good when it wilts with the heat of the dish. Keep it simple and let the flavor a soar! Can't wait to find this new Annie's in my local stores 🙂
RockMyVeganSocks says
Fun! In my pre-vegan days, I LOVED mac n' cheese. I lived off of the stuff. I'm curious to try this, especially since they have a gluten-free version. Score! I love your tempeh bacon & avo version. YUM
DJohnson says
I would love to add in some sun dried tomatoes.
Jess says
I would probably just add in hot sauce, because I'm not that creative. I would love to try your idea of vegan bacon and avocado, though!
Chatelaine says
OMG I haven't had mac'n'cheese in years because of dairy!!! I can't wait to try this! And the vegan bacon sounds like the perfect place to start 🙂
Cassie Pruitt says
Wow, this looks so delish! When I was little, my mom always made my sister and me Annie's mac and cheese with peas-- it's such a nostalgic comfort food for me. Now that I'm a vegan college student, I'm so excited to try a veg-friendly version of my childhood favorite.
Sheelagh says
I haven't had mac and cheese in so long I feel like the first few times I will just want to savor it on its own! Then I might get creative 😉
Jessica Piekenbrock says
I'd add in broccoli and tomatoes
TTTXOXOHTH says
I'd add Butler's Soy Curls and broccoli!
Katie Barthel says
Haha, thanks! I did look for these new Annie's Mac & Cheeses at the grocery store yesterday, but they haven't made it to my small central Missouri town just yet. I'll keep looking because these sound great!
CLC says
Me, too! Just thought you might want to know so you weren't searching the boxed section in the grocery store for Amy's Mac and Cheese, although it would be awesome if they made one, too!!
Rebecca Wright says
broccoli, spinach, or maybe some butternut squash for extra creaminess, love some of the ideas of other people on here also!
Shakti Joignant says
I would add sweet peas, because it's my favorite way to eat pasta!! And I'd add soy sauce for extra saltyness if needed 🙂
Sherri Lyness says
Broccoli...kids love it.
Li Cheng says
Thank you so much for sharing this new product from Annie's. It's been my go to brand for natural choice. I would definitely add tons of veggies (zucchini, squash, spinach, mushrooms, peas) to bulk it up. I might also make the pasta and shape that into patties and grill them. Like a ramen burger that is on trend now.
joyce says
add onions and sriracha sauce...yummm
Paula Leach says
Another new vegan mac 'n cheese. Fantastic. Boy, times are changing. I'd totally add chili to this for vegan chili mac.
Robin P says
Broccoli and tons of garlic pepper.
Ruth Gaynor says
I always liked mac n' cheese plain, but I love the idea of adding some chipotle and tempeh bacon.
Lauren Kelsch says
Yummm! Mac and cheese done right. A childhood favorite.
Alexandra Lubensky says
Some greens in mac and cheese always make it better
Corrine says
When my children were young they liked to add cut up hot dogs. Of course there are a few vegan choices on the market today!
Laura says
I'd add in whatever's in season!
Michelle Wickline says
That looks so good! I think I'd add some curry powder, peas, and chopped cilantro for a fancy, Indian flavored vegan meal 🙂
ska4me says
Wait, vegan mac and cheese in a box, and Annie's no less? I think I'm in heaven!
Sammi says
I must have garlic in mine! <3
Tara Cormican says
One of my girlfriends introduced me to mixing salsa in with my Mac n Cheese - though as much as I like that, I probably wouldn't add in anything, because I love the basic so much! 😉 Love your avacado idea!
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
I would definitely add in some nooch and steamed broccoli! Can't wait to try these, I'm definitely on the lookout!
Terri Jones Cole says
I would add broccoli and white beans, probably some nooch.
Kenneth Nemchak says
Before becoming vegan, I would add a big handful of cheddar cheese and a big scoop of sour cream to my Kraft mac and cheese. Now, when I make 'Roads End' vegan mac and cheese I add sriracha sauce and 'Follow Your Heart' vegan blue cheese dressing.
Beverly says
yum! i can't wait to see this and try it!
Lindsay F says
Peas...my daughter loves peas!
Claire Elizabeth says
I'd add broccoli and diced celery and loads of cayenne!! Mmm!!!!
Megan B. says
Broccoli or peas....a sure fire way to get my 2 year old to eat her green veggies!
Lisa Kilinc says
Looks amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Aimee Brimmer says
I would add in black beans, avocado, and salsa. 🙂
Paige Callahan says
I would add cauliflower rice in!
Kathy Sturr says
Yum! I would add in peas, or some curry and chickpeas, or steamed broccoli, or roasted cherry tomatoes, or sautéed kale, or drizzle with sriracha ... so many things to try. I need a dozen or so boxes.
pgyx says
I'd add cauliflower and smoked paprika. But I'll probably just enjoy it plain the first time...
Carrie Ahonen says
I like to add peas or spinach to mine!
Christina Koebernik says
This is very exciting! Boxed mac & cheese is always a good go-to, but I feel that most of the vegan versions I've tried have fallen a bit flat, so I'm very excited to try this out! It might be fun to give this a Mexican twist, mixing the sauce with some chipotle powder, and then folding in some flavored TVP with diced tomato and green pepper and maybe a bit of raw red onion sprinkled on top!
Rhonna Jerauld says
not super inventive, but i'd probably be inclined to recreate one of my favorite college meals- annie's mexican shells with sweet corn mixed in. thanks for the giveaway!
Laura B says
Admittedly, I skimmed it (sorry!!! at work lol) I will definitely check it out again. Thanks for the heads up!!
Kathy Patalsky says
Your welcome! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Your welcome! 🙂
Katie Barthel says
I love Amy's! I'm so glad they are listening to what the customers want.
CLC says
This brand is actually "Annie's" 🙂
Katie Barthel says
Ha, slip of the fingers. I do love Amy's, too, though!
kstickradt says
Will try this! Will probably add crushed red pepper and sliced scallions. Then serve with sliced brown tomatoes and avocado on the side. Also like the idea of paprika, turmeric &/or sun dried tomatoes/nut yeast.
indynicm says
I love broccoli in my mac and cheese. So that's what I'd try first!
Laurie A. says
I can't wait until this hits the shelves where I live; I've been searching for it every week. I'd love to add some green veggies, such as broccoli or kale. I also might just add a pinch of mustard if I'm in the mood. 🙂
Ann Wilson says
I'm not vegan, but mostly Paleo, so I would probably add peas and bacon. Yum!
Chantal says
I would add shallots, garlic, fresh herbs like mint, basil, dill, etc., and either capers or olives with maybe a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice.
Lili V. says
I would saute broccoli, kale, and carrots. Then, I would mix in in nutritional yeast and paprika. 🙂
Laura B says
This one just didn't do it for me. I ended up throwing it out. I still love the Earth Balance one best. Perhaps I'm a weirdo lol!
Kathy Patalsky says
Hey Laura, hope you read my full post about the product. They actually revamped the recipe and are just now rolling out the updated second batch version. So I hope you give it a try in perhaps a few weeks or so, you most likely tried the first batch.
Kelli says
I hope it is better than the ones on the shelves a few weeks ago - it reminded me of that first generation of boxed mac & cheeses years ago that tasted like bad nutritional yeast. But due to your mentioning this, I will give it another try. Aside from that, I also only like the Earth Balance out of all the new boxed ones.
Taylor says
Tempeh and broccoli and kale, all roasted. And hot sauce on top!
Rachel H says
I'd make a mediterranean version with Italian seasoning, chopped tomatoes and spinach.
owsla says
I'm actually more of a purist. Plain old Mac & Cheese!
Aaron says
I would add broccoli and cauliflower.
Melissa says
I love broccoli in my mac & cheese
Sarah De la Cruz says
Ooh—I think some Upton's veggie bacon would be really yummy with this!!! Or Gardein nuggets—that's usually my go to! But now I'm craving the bacon 🙂
Adriane says
Love mac n cheese with roasted brussels!
Dana says
I think I'd add broccoli and a sprinkle of nooch
Beth says
Not sure what I would add in. I'd go original first, as I'm really curious how this vegan mac & cheese tastes on it's own. The second helping/batch would probably be made with edamame. That recipe looks delish!
Maddie says
I'm a sucker for anything with avocado so I will definitely have to try some in mac and cheese!
Kathy Patalsky says
This was my first time putting avocado on Mac and Cheese, and I loved it! Not the most obvious addition, but it totally works. Especially when paired with spicy, savory or fiesta-inspired ingredient accents.
Marina D says
I would add in crispy chickpeas for a delicious crunch!!
Kathy Patalsky says
yum! Genius idea! I need to try that next. Now if only my husband would start liking whole chickpeas! le sigh 🙂
Donat P. says
I love adding in turmeric, paprika and cracked pepper to my mac and cheese
Bianca says
i would love to mix in broccoli and pesto!
Shelly says
I've just recommitted to going vegan again last week, so this is great timing! Looks delicious!
Kathy Patalsky says
AWESOME! Congrats and yay you. Be sure to also check out FindingVegan.com, my other website, for LOADS of amazing blogger-submitted recipes. <3
Carmen Hannon-Patton says
Oh man, that looks great! The Earth Balance is good, but leaves something to be desired!
Lucia says
Perfect college student comfort food. I need some boxes of this in my pantry. Hopefully I can get to it before the rats do.
Kathy Patalsky says
perfect for college students, I agree! I wonder if you could make this in a dorm microwave... hmmmm
Mrs. D. says
Oh wow! Probably leftover oven-roasted veggies lol.
Kathy Patalsky says
yum that sounds great
Barb says
This all looks soooo good!
Kathy Patalsky says
glad you like it!
amber says
I have been looking for these everywhere. Hope they hits stores near me soon! 🙂
We love to jazz up our mac-n-cheese with lots of extra goodies, too. My favorite way would have to be when we add a southwest flair - seasoned beefless crumbles, corn, cilantro, diced jalapenos, salsa, etc. So delish!
Kathy Patalsky says
Hope they do! Southwest flair sounds awesome, love that!
Terry says
TIP: put hot sauce on Mac N Cheese. You will not be disappointed!
Kathy Patalsky says
yes I agree! Spicy accents are SO good with Mac & Cheese.
gretchen says
Tomato, jalapeno, tomatillo, avocado... yesm.
Kathy Patalsky says
yum!
Grace Bae says
oh my goodness! i must try this! thanks for sharing 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Your welcome!
Shannon says
I prefer my mac mixed with a lot of broccoli. Sometimes I always go with some kale or spinach too.
Kathy Patalsky says
I love broccoli in Mac too. Peas as well. Thus the edamame experiment that worked out well. Green veggies look so pretty with Mac Cheez!
Rebecca P. says
As evidenced by my blog recently, I have a mac obsession! And a CURRY mac at that!
Kathy Patalsky says
I will have to check that out!
Samantha Plotkin says
I love mixing in a green veggie (broccoli, spinach or peas) for flavor and color and topping with fresh black pepper.
Kathy Patalsky says
me tooooo - and yes to the black pepper
Kelsey G says
I love that it's made with Sweet Potato and Pumpkin!!
Kathy Patalsky says
right?! Awesome
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
Ahhhh this makes me so happy! I think I would add broccoli and coconut bacon 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Yum! Coconut bacon would be fun.
Anna Lee says
I'm so excited for this! I've never tried boxed vegan mac and cheese before, but I'm so ready for it. It would be great with some green chiles added in for a little kick!
Kathy Patalsky says
yes green chiles are a great idea
De says
I wish rafflecopter things these days weren't so heavily Twitter and/or Instagram. I don't have either of them, and lately most of the ones I've seen have been more those than Facebook and/or blog comments.
Kathy Patalsky says
sorry! :/
Cristina Rose says
yay! i love that theres a GF one
Kathy Patalsky says
Me too. The gf one is super delicious too.
Meaghan Dischler says
I used to love their mac n cheese shells, so I'm super excited about their vegan version! Your spicy version looks delicious, I want to try that with some broccoli or kale added in- yum!
Kathy Patalsky says
It was so good! I loved the vegan "bacon" with the Mac, perfect savory flavor boost.
Meaghan Dischler says
I just went to the store and got the benevolent "bacon"...I had been curious about it but after your pics - I HAD to try 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Have you tried it yet?? Do you love it? It has SO much flavor. A little goes a long way!
Meaghan Dischler says
I haven't yet...I cannot wait though!! I'll keep that in mind, and let you know what I think. I'm sure I will love it though, they have so many other good products.
Casey says
I would probably add some Old Bay and Artichoke Hearts!
Kathy Patalsky says
ooo creative! I love it!
Anne says
I like my Mac N' Cheese plain, but some steamed broccoli would be delicious
Kathy Patalsky says
yes agreed! Steamed broccoli is so good.
Red3horn says
SO happy to see this! I grew up on Mac & Cheese from the blue box and it's still my comfort food. I have made plenty of versions from cookbooks etc. but making it from a box... it just brings that childhood memory flooding back and now it is so much better because it's vegan! Thanks for the giveaway!
Kathy Patalsky says
Hope you give it a try! 🙂 yay to new vegan products
Kristin Lee Williams says
So excited about this! I will probably cut some veggie dogs into my first box so I can pretend I'm 5 again.
Kathy Patalsky says
ooo yum. I love the different flavors of vegan "dogs" and "sausages" that are on the market.
Kelly says
Yum!I used to love their white cheddar mac & cheese, so I'm excited to try this.
Kathy Patalsky says
Glad you are excited Kelly