Creamy, cheesy comfort food…

It’s the stuff of life!

Nothing gets my family excited like a cold day and some hot comfort food.

And just because I cut dairy out of my diet in July 2017 doesn’t mean any of us has to be deprived of our favorite comfort food of all… mac-n-cheese!

But wait! How can you make mac-n-cheese without the star ingredient?? You know, the cheese?

Dairy-Free Instant Pot Queso

That’s my answer.

I’ve been making up at least a batch a week of this amazing, cheesy, cheese-less sauce since I created the recipe months ago! I love it on roasted potatoes, with cassava flour chips, on taco salads, and now… with pasta!

This is such a budget-friendly recipe, too. Cheese is expensive, y’all! Yet, this cheesy sauce makes it possible to not only save some moolah on cheese but also to get in some extra veggies!

Honestly, I haven’t missed cheese at all since I created that queso. So, if you haven’t tried it yet, do yourself a flavor favor today and give it a go!

Also, you can’t make this Dairy-Free Bacon & Green Chile Mac-n-Cheeze without it!

If you have the dairy-free queso already made, then this recipe is almost as simple as opening a jar of sauce and boiling pasta! It’s one of those dishes I know I can rely on when things are crazy-busy and I need a healthy dinner or side dish QUICK!

Although omitting bacon will never be part of my vocabulary ;), this recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian by leaving out the bacon. The rest of this gluten-free recipe is naturally vegan/vegetarian-friendly. 🙂

5 stars from 9 voters

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Dairy-Free Bacon & Green Chile Mac-n-Cheeze

For an easy side or even main dish, you can't go wrong with a budget-friendly, veggie-filled mac-n-cheeze that everyone can enjoy!

Course Main Dish, Sides

Cuisine comfort food

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Lindsey Dietz

Ingredients

• 1 pound gluten-free penne pasta (cooked according to package directions)
• 1 recipe Dairy-Free Instant Pot Queso
• 1 pound bacon ends and pieces (such as Beeler's brand)
• one 4-ounce can green chiles

Instructions

1. Prepare 1 recipe of Dairy-Free Instant Pot Queso. This can be done in just a few minutes right before you want to prepare the mac-n-cheeze or even the day before.
2. Cook and drain pasta according to the package directions.
3. While the pasta is cooking, chop the bacon and cook it in a separate skillet until it reaches your desired level of crispness.
4. Add drained pasta back to the pot you cooked it in.
5. Pour in the Dairy-Free Instant Pot Queso.
6. Stir in 3/4 of the bacon and the entire can of green chiles.
7. Put into serving bowls or on plates, if using as a side dish.
8. Top each serving with a bit of the remaining bacon.
9. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, if desired.

Have you ever made mac without dairy? Will you give this a try?