There are a few different ways to go about making vegan macaroni and cheese. It was shocking to me when I learned how cheese-flavored sauces can be made with cashews, or a combination of potatoes and squash, or even carrots. Plant-based cooking will lead you to start experimenting and getting real creative with whole foods… And that’s when a new world of possibilities opens up!
This week’s featured recipe is a very quick Mac + Cheeze that can be made using vegan “cheddar and mozzarella-flavored” shreds. I’ve tried many brands, but my favorite vegan cheeze for sauces in dishes like Mac + Cheeze or last week’s Black Bean Nachos, is So Delicious. The primary ingredient in this product line is organic coconut milk and it’s gluten-free/soy-free. Pre-made vegan cheeze products tend to have a weird paste-like texture, especially when you melt them down… But with the right amount of plant-milk, this one is smooth.
Check out my Mac + Cheeze recipe below + subscribe to the #projectDARLA newsletter for more!
Ingredients
1 box organic macaroni pasta (16 oz); boiled
1 bag of dairy free cheddar cheese shreds (8 oz)
1 bag of dairy-free mozzarella cheese shreds (8 oz)
5 fresh garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp himalayan pink salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Melt down cheddar + mozzarella shreds in pot with milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices. (Add in more milk if needed.)
- Toss cooked macaroni into baking pan or oven-safe dish.
- Add in cheese sauce and mix evenly.
- Cover with bread crumbs on top and bake in oven for appx. 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven when bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve warm with ground black pepper and himalayan pink salt on top.
(Tip: drizzle 3 tsp of vegan butter on top of macaroni before bread crumbs.)
