Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese
This baked vegan mac and cheese is rich and creamy, with a comforting, golden-brown appearance and crispy surface.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 Carrot medium-size, chopped
- 1 Golden Potato medium-size, chopped
- 1 cup Yellow Onion chopped
- ½ cup Cashews
- 4 cups Water
- ½ cup Plant-Based Milk
- ¼ tsp Black Salt
- 2½ tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- ¼ tsp Mustard Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Assembling
- 2 cups Macaroni
- 4 oz Vegan Cheese
- 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast or Bread Crumbs
- sprinkle Black Pepper optional
- sprinkle Smoked Paprika optional
Instructions
- Bring water to boil. Add carrot, potato, onion and cashews and boil for about 20 minutes over low-medium heat or until soft.
- In the meantime, boil pasta by following the directions on its package. Afterward, drain the hot water and rinse macaroni with cold water, then set aside. This step is to prevent pasta from overcooking.
- After the boiled vegetables cool down, drain them but save ⅓ of a cup of water for blending.
- Add this sauce mixture to a blender along with milk, black salt, nutritional yeast, mustard, turmeric, garlic, black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Blend together into a creamy, smooth texture. Adjust salt and lemon to taste.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Mix cheese sauce and boiled macaroni well together.
- Layer half of mixed mac and cheese on an eight inch baking dish.
- Spread choice of vegan cheese over the first layer, then cover with the rest of the mac and cheese.
- Top with nutritional yeast and a few sprinkles of optional black pepper and smoked paprika. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Let dish cool down for a few minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Some new ovens have very high intense heat. Check periodically that dish does not burn.
Use gluten-free pasta, if preferred. Make this meal a combo with tomato soup.
Use gluten-free pasta, if preferred. Make this meal a combo with tomato soup.