Trader Joe’s Vegan Mac & Cheese Is Hitting Stores And People Are Comparing It To Velveeta

Alexis Morillo, Kristin Salaky
·4 min read
Photo credit: Trader Joe's Aficionado - Instagram
Photo credit: Trader Joe's Aficionado - Instagram

From Delish

Update, February 26, 2020 10:30 a.m.: Well, that didn't take long! Trader Joe's take on vegan mac & cheese is already being spotted in stores just one day after it was reported to be on its way.

Photos of the dish—which is simply called Vegan Mac—hit Instagram and people are VERY pumped about it. I mean, it is mac & "cheese" after all. Trader Joe's Aficionado posted about it and said that while it "can be done with way less ingredients and salt," they're still pumped to give it a try.

View this post on Instagram

New Vegan Mac and Cheese! I’m excited for this one but I really think that this can be done with way less ingredients and salt. Don’t you think? I mean, I still had to get it though 😂 It looks thick and creamy. 😏 #vegan #macandcheese #veganfood #veganmacandcheese #pasta #veganlunch #vegandinner #veganfood #traderjoes #traderjoesmusthaves #traderjoesdoesitagain #traderjoesfinds #traderjoeslist #traderjoesaficionado #traderjoesvegan

A post shared by Trader Joe’s Aficionado ❤️ (@traderjoesaficionado) on Feb 25, 2020 at 5:31pm PST

Instagrammer @queencityveganeats also sampled it and said that while the recipe could use some tweaks, the sauce tastes similar to Velveeta's. That's high praise! Just be sure to keep seasoning on hand.

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Let’s talk about mac and cheese. Most vegan mac and cheese sucks unless you’re getting it from @cookingwithjoya or making it yourself. I got this today from Trader Joe’s and it’s pretty good but needs a little work. The sauce is really thick and creamy like Velveeta but it’s slightly lacking in flavor. I added some pepper, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and a splash of almond milk to thin out the sauce a tad. Now it’s fantastic. My favorite instant mac and cheese is Amy’s shell pasta and creamy sauce. Every other boxed kind has that barfy vegan cheese taste. It’s a little steep at $4.49 but I suggest you give it a try.

A post shared by @ queencityveganeats on Feb 25, 2020 at 3:36pm PST

You can pick it up for about $4.49 at your local Trader Joe's and judging by the TONS of photos of it already hitting Insta, chances are it'll be there!

Original, February 25, 2020 1:18 p.m.: Mac & cheese is arguably one of the best foods out there when you need something carby, cheesy, and all-around delicious. For people with dietary restrictions, though, it can be one of the hardest foods to eat because of the ingredients. Thankfully, that will soon change because Trader Joe's is introducing vegan mac & cheese.

There's not much info about the new product quite yet, but a Trader Joe's manager confirmed the product's existence to VegNews. According to the employee, this new vegan product will be a ready-to-eat meal in the refrigerated aisle, meaning it will be as easy as a simple reheat to enjoy.

The meal weighs in at about 20 ounces and will go for $4.79 per package. We can't be sure yet where it will fall in our ranking of Trader Joe's meals, but it's mac & cheese, so honestlyyyy, it's kind of a shoe-in! It's also unclear if the vegan mac & cheese will be a nationwide roll-out or if it will only be available at select TJ's locations. Trader Joe's did not immediately answer a request for comment.

This isn't the first new vegan-friendly item to make its way to Trader Joe's in 2020. The vegan queso has been breaking the internet because it's that good. Other creative (but unfortunately non-vegan) products like the Everything But The Elote Seasoning, limone alfredo sauce, and raspberry bundt cake are quickly reaching weekly grocery list status, too. This is all to say that Trader Joe's does it all no matter your dietary needs! And for that we are oh so thankful.

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