Creamy Chipotle Mexicali Mac & Cheese

I know I’m only supposed to be sharing slimming, hydrating salads and super bikini-worthy recipes now that it’s July.

But I just can’t give up my hearty pasta dishes!

And in my defense, this tastes just as good cold so you are welcome to enjoy it at a pool, potluck, the beach, WHATEV. Eat it in your bikini-I dare you 😉

To be truthful it isn’t extremely heavy and having a coconut milk based bechemal won’t weigh you down. And by amping up the veggies and using less pasta, you could totally file this dish as beach-body meal. No judgement.

1 box organic pasta of your choice (smaller is better), cooked

2 cups cooked black beans

2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cup shredded Daiya or vegan cheese

1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped for topping

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp organic flour of your choice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

• Over medium heat in a saucepan, whisk olive oil and flour together over medium heat for 1 minute
• Add coconut milk and bring to a boil
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and stir in Daiya and nutritional yeast and continue whisking for about 5 minutes or until thick and creamy
• Pour over pasta and stir together
• In another skillet, cook peppers and jalapeno in 1 tbsp oil for 8 minutes over medium/high heat of when it begins to brown
• Add tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper and chipotle powder and cook for 2 more minutes
• Pour into mac and cheese, top with scallions and serve!