Vegan Tailgate Chili Mac and Cheese

Week 12 Browns vs. Steelers

Chili Mac and Cheese

Nothing says tailgating quite like a bitter rivalry and bitter cold.  It might have been hard to watch or move your extremities at times, but the food was the highlight of the day.  You've got to enjoy some quality tailgate grub and talking about the draft for next season.

My tailgate mac and cheese is one of my favorite recipes on this blog.  As I discuss in the post, vegan mac and cheese can be quite the adventure.  After experimenting for the past few years, I've settled on cashew based recipes, whole wheat noodles and lots of added flavor.  Unlike dairy mac and cheese, where the milk does all the work, vegan mac requires some creative flare.

On a cold day, you need some warm comfort food like chili.  Mac and cheese is not too far behind.  So why not combine the two, put it in a grill pan and throw it on the hot fire?  This recipe uses quick and simple TVP chili without beans, although a few legumes wouldn't be a bad idea.  Mix it all together the night before and then just bring to the tailgate ready to grill.  Enjoy!

Vegan Chili Cook Off

Week 8 Browns vs. Chargers

Chili, a myriad of colors

Chili is one of those comfort foods that some meat eaters prefer vegetarian.  The mix of beans, veggies and spices lends itself well to any palate.  It warms you up, through the heat of the food and the heat of spice.  We needed something warm on a cold rainy day in Cleveland.

For a tailgate, chili is extremely versatile.  We decided to make breakfast burritos and chili cheese dogs for a nice breakfast/lunch combo.  Often we dont eat anything but appetizers for the first few hours, so the though of a hearty breakfast burrito is appealing.  A key to keeping the chili warm throughout the day is either to plug in a crockpot or bring a pot to heat on the grill.

There are two kinds of vegan chili as defined by the Long Star Veggie Chili Cookoff: traditional and all veg.  “All Veg” chilis are made with only vegetables, while the “Traditional” chili contain a meat analog or substitute like seitan or tempeh.  I opted to make a traditional chili with seitan and TVP, and my buddy Chris made the multi-bean and roasted veggie chili (recipe coming later this week).  I'll also include my recipe for tofu scramble for the breakfast burritos. Enjoy!