I recently made a “baked” vegan mac and cheese which was a total family favorite! My only complaint with that recipe was the time it took to pull together and all the planning ahead that seemed necessary. And hey- for a party or holiday time, thats great for a decadent side dish option. But what about those lazy days when you just really want some comforting mac n cheese.
Now, lets talk “cheese”. This is a triggering topic for me because this was definitely the hardest food for me to give up when I went vegan, in fact it was one of the main reasons why I put off the idea transitioning to a completely vegan diet for a few years. Its funny to look back on that now because while I was openly obsessed with cheese, I simultaneously was fighting with lactose intolerance. Like so many others out there, anytime I had cheese or dairy products I had to suffer through bloating and feeling nauseous with an upset stomach afterwards. Yet I kept eating it! It was “too good” to give up, I thought. At that time I was completely unaware of any alternatives – in fact it was even an option that was on my radar. That is also one of the coolest things about going vegan- you are exposed to this entire world of creative and delicious food and recipes options that you never knew existed!
So, needless to say, finding an actually good vegan cheese sauce was at the top of my list once I began to seek out vegan alternatives. Luckily for me, at the time I was beginning to explore vegan options, my sister-in-law had also gone dairy-free and passed along my first vegan “queso” recipe. After that – I was hooked. That recipe was amazing, but not quite right for a mac and cheese. It wasn’t until I went through a lot (and I mean a lot) of trial and error that I found/tweaked the recipe below to capture the perfect quick vegan mac n cheese.
During that trial and error stage, my search for vegan cheese perfection led me to realize that there are seriously hundreds of vegan cheeses out there. While some of them are decent, most just taste weird and so obviously fake. I have also seen some extremely very creative ways to achieve that creamy “cheese-like” consistency and after testing out a handful of recipes I have found that the 2 winning ingredients are…. cashews and nutritional yeast! Blending in pre-soaked cashews to almost any vegan dip makes it instantly creamier and gives you that “comfort food” feeling that brings a smile to your face. In my opinion, nutritional yeast is an absolute essential for any vegan. Despite the odd name, it provides a nice and subtle cheesy taste that is obviously key in making a vegan cheese sauce.
This recipe is not just a watered down alternative to the “real thing”, it is a stand alone star. I have had my dairy-loving friends and family test and try this recipe out and it is decidedly a hit! Thus proving that you do not need dairy and meat to make something delicious. I am sure you will feel the same after giving this a try! It is personally apart of my weekly rotation of meals and a go-to meal for when I need something easy and comforting to whip up fast.
I hope you love the below as much as I do! Please let me know if you try it by posting on social media and tagging @kindachillvegan
Now let’s get cooking!
Only 20 Minutes to your favorite Vegan Mac N “Cheese”
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Elbow Macaroni
- 1 1/2 Cups Raw Cashews Either soaked overnight or soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften them up – basically when it is ready, you will be able to pinch the cashew and it should easily break
- 1 Clove Garlic I used 1 freezer minced garlic cube that are available in most grocery stores, Can also use 1 TBSP of minced garlic
- 1/4-1/2 Cup Non-Dairy Milk I used plain unsweetened almond milk. You’ll start with 1/4 cup and add additional 1/4 cup as desired to thin out mixture
- 1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice Or Juice of alittle less than 1/2 a Lemon
- 1/2 Tbsp Tumeric
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight (if you’re a great planner – I honestly think this is unnecessary. I personally just quickly boil water in a teapot and then pour over cashews for 10 minutes letting it sit in the hot water.
- Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside
- In blender or food processor (I used a nutribullet) add drained cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard tumeric, smoked paprika and 1/4 non-dairy milk. Blend until smooth. To reach desired consistency, continually add more non dairy milk or a few tbsp’s of water until the “cheese” is as thick or thin as you personally want it.
- Combine macaroni noodles and vegan cheese sauce. sprinkle some additional smoked paprika, pepper and torn parsley on top if desired. Enjoy!
Soooo yummy!