Creamy Vegan Mac n Cheese

Creamy and delicious.  Comfort food for those with diary sensitivities.

Shopping List:  Serves 4

  • Pasta shells or pasta of choice
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon unbleached flour. *Note: You can use arrowroot
  • 1 to 1 ½ cup of plant-based milk (almond, coconut, soy).
  • 1/2 a Lime
  • 1 Teaspoon grainy or Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 3 Tablespoon vegan shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoon vegan butter
  • ¼ Cup plant-based Block Cheese, shredded (I use almond cheese)
  • ½ Cup panko breadcrumbs for topping
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ Cup chopped spinach (optional)

Instructions: 

  1. Put pasta on to cook. Mince the garlic.
  2. Heat on medium, half the olive oil and vegan butter. Add garlic…sauté.
  3. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute.
  4. Slowly whisk the almond milk for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Mixture may be lumpy.
  5. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender.
  6. Add the juice of the lime, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and vegan parmesan to the blender and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Blend (be careful contents are hot) until smooth, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary.
  8. Return the cheese sauce to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Bring sauce to a simmer and stir in plant-based block shredded cheese and whisk gently until melted.
  9. Add in cooked pasta and spinach, fold together. Add a touch more milk if too thick. Mixture should be fairly thin – will thicken up during baking.
  10. In a small bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, other half of the olive oil, parsley, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  11. Transfer mac n’ cheese to a baking dish and top with panko mixture. Bake on 400 until top is golden brown, about 5/6 minutes.
  12. Let cool slightly and serve.