Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Author:The ultimate Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese! Cheesy, saucy macaroni topped with an irresistible buttery, crispy crumb topping, all baked up in the oven until bubbly and gorgeous! This recipe contains no dairy, is easily made gluten-free, and unlike a lot of vegan mac and cheese recipes it's made without nuts.
Ingredients
- 1lb (453 grams) macaroni , gluten-free if necessary
For the sauce
- 1 large (about 10oz or 290 grams) potato or white/yellow sweet potato , You can use orange sweet potato if you don't mind the extra sweetness.
- ¼ of a small (about 6oz or 175 grams) cauliflower
- 4 slightly heaping tablespoons white miso paste , use chickpea miso for soy-free
- 1¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon prepared wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour , or cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca flour
- 2 cups (480 mls) unsweetened non-dairy milk , unsweetened & unflavored
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar , or white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika , or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional but recommended for richness)
For the crumb topping
- 3 slices bread , gluten-free if necessary
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , or olive oil (optional but recommended)
- 1 clove garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).
- Cook the potato and cauliflower. Peel and dice the potato and place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cauliflower. Cook until both are just fork tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain then return to the hot pan without a lid and allow to steam dry for a few minutes.
- Cook the macaroni. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a rolling boil then cook the macaroni as directed on the packaging. Drain when tender and return to the pan.
- Make the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If you have a smaller blender you might need to do it in 2 batches.
- Combine. Pour the sauce into the cooked macaroni and stir together. Spoon into an ovenproof casserole dish.
- Make the garlic crumb topping. Wash out and dry your blender, (or use a food processor instead), then break the bread into pieces and place in the blender with the butter or olive oil and garlic. The oil/butter is recommended for a crisper, more golden and more flavorful topping but you can omit it if you prefer. Pulse until breadcrumbs are formed then spread evenly over the mac and cheese.
- Bake. Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until piping hot and the crumb topping is golden brown and crispy. If you want the top even more golden you can broil it for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time.
NOTES
If you have some previously cooked potato and cauliflower that you want to use up in this recipe use approximately 1 very packed cup or about 290 grams of cooked potato, and about 1 packed cup or 175 grams of cooked cauliflower.
Storing leftovers - Cover or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave or covered in the oven. When I reheat it I like to add a little drop of water or dairy-free milk into the macaroni to loosen it up as it heats.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 839mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7454IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 2mg
