People tend to laugh in your face when you say you're having cheese-less mac and cheese...but you know what? "Cheese-less mac and cheese" sounds a whole lot better than "mac and rice milk, Daiya and nutritional yeast"! This recipe is so creamy and rich, yet it takes the same amount of time and effort it takes to make regular mac and cheese and it's much better for you!
I won't lie to you. This recipe does NOT taste like Kraft Dinner. I have yet to try a vegan mac and cheese that does, but frankly, after already following a dominantly plant-based diet for a few months, when I tried KD again, it tasted much more greasy, salty, and fake than I remembered. So, no. This recipe does not taste like plasticky, processed junk food. It tastes more akin to a gourmet Parmesan mac and cheese that you would order in a fine Italian restaurant. It is so thick and rich, yet still light and fresh. You'll feel energized and satisfied after eating it, instead of the usual heaviness and sleepiness that tends to accompany boxed mac and cheese.
I include cubed tomato and a bit of tomato paste in my mac and cheese recipe, but feel free to omit it. I find that the added acidity helps cut through the richness of the dish. Look at it as the healthy version of putting ketchup on your mac and cheese. I use brown rice pasta, which is gluten-free, but use your own preferred pasta type and shape! This recipe also uses nutritional yeast. This yeast is chock full of vitamin B12 and has a light cheesy taste. Don't be intimidated by this ingredient. It's actually quite easy to find, usually in the natural foods section of your grocery store. I use Bob's Red Mill Large Flake.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice pasta
- 2 tsp vegan butter (eg. Earth Balance)
- 2 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch or AP flour)
- 1 1/2 cup rice milk (nut milks are fine, too, but they make it more sweet)
- 3/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (eg. Daiya)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup diced tomato (drained), optional
- 4 tsp tomato paste, optional
- paprika, to serve
Method:
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the starch/flour. Let darken for about 5 minutes, whisking often.
2. Slowly whisk in the milk. Leave to thicken, whisking often. It should be suitably thick after roughly 10 minutes, but if it gets too thick, thin it out with more milk. If it's too thin, leave it a little longer.
3. Remove the white sauce from the heat. Whisk in the cheese substitute and yeast. After they're well mixed in and the mixture is smooth, stir in the salt, lemon, and spices.
4. Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta. Add in the tomato, if using, and stir it all up. Sprinkle with paprika and serve!
Enjoy your "mac and rice milk, Daiya and nutritional yeast"!
I won't lie to you. This recipe does NOT taste like Kraft Dinner. I have yet to try a vegan mac and cheese that does, but frankly, after already following a dominantly plant-based diet for a few months, when I tried KD again, it tasted much more greasy, salty, and fake than I remembered. So, no. This recipe does not taste like plasticky, processed junk food. It tastes more akin to a gourmet Parmesan mac and cheese that you would order in a fine Italian restaurant. It is so thick and rich, yet still light and fresh. You'll feel energized and satisfied after eating it, instead of the usual heaviness and sleepiness that tends to accompany boxed mac and cheese.
I include cubed tomato and a bit of tomato paste in my mac and cheese recipe, but feel free to omit it. I find that the added acidity helps cut through the richness of the dish. Look at it as the healthy version of putting ketchup on your mac and cheese. I use brown rice pasta, which is gluten-free, but use your own preferred pasta type and shape! This recipe also uses nutritional yeast. This yeast is chock full of vitamin B12 and has a light cheesy taste. Don't be intimidated by this ingredient. It's actually quite easy to find, usually in the natural foods section of your grocery store. I use Bob's Red Mill Large Flake.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice pasta
- 2 tsp vegan butter (eg. Earth Balance)
- 2 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch or AP flour)
- 1 1/2 cup rice milk (nut milks are fine, too, but they make it more sweet)
- 3/4 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (eg. Daiya)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup diced tomato (drained), optional
- 4 tsp tomato paste, optional
- paprika, to serve
Method:
1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the starch/flour. Let darken for about 5 minutes, whisking often.
2. Slowly whisk in the milk. Leave to thicken, whisking often. It should be suitably thick after roughly 10 minutes, but if it gets too thick, thin it out with more milk. If it's too thin, leave it a little longer.
3. Remove the white sauce from the heat. Whisk in the cheese substitute and yeast. After they're well mixed in and the mixture is smooth, stir in the salt, lemon, and spices.
4. Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta. Add in the tomato, if using, and stir it all up. Sprinkle with paprika and serve!
Enjoy your "mac and rice milk, Daiya and nutritional yeast"!
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