Mac and cheese is one of my favourite comfort foods. When I wasn’t vegan, the go-to version I was used to was the baked Mac and cheese with that chewy cheese.
Of course once cutting out dairy you have to work with the dairy-free alternatives, that aren’t the best for texture, but do the job for the taste!
The only difference being, this version is creamy, loose, and served from a saucepan.
Is Mac and cheese vegan?
Although it goes without saying, traditional stovetop Mac and cheese isn’t typically vegan. It tends to contain milk, cheese, and sometimes cream, of dairy origin. But don’t fret, it’s an easy fix.
How to veganise pot Mac and cheese?
Mac and cheese is easy to veganise, the first step is of course cutting out dairy from the butter, milk and cheese, and replacing it with vegan options. Of course add some twists too, in this case, some nutritional yeast, a bit of vegan cream, as well as herbs to enhance the flavours.
You didn’t think you’d get some basic recipe from me did you? Nah we don’t do that round here.
Do you need cashews for vegan Mac and cheese?
A lot of creamy pasta and even my other baked Mac and cheeze recipe calls for cashews, as they provide a great texture. That being said, this recipe doesn’t call for it, so you won’t need it for this meal.
What does Mac and cheese pair well with?
Mac and cheese pairs perfectly with other comfort foods such as burgers, hotdogs and anything in between. Bbq flavours also work great with Mac and cheese as a contrast, such as jerk portobello mushrooms for example.
I personally prefer eating this alongside stewed lentils.
We hope you enjoy this veganised Mac and cheese recipe, if you love it, be sure to bookmark it for future reference. Thanks for considering Veganising It for your recipe inspiration, stay well and stay blessed.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Passive Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 200 Grams Macaroni Cook according to packge instructions
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 100 Grams Vegan Cheese
- 100 Millilitres Vegan milk of choice I used coconut
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Onion powder
- 1 Tsp Chilli powder
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp Italian herbs
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Ingredients
Pasta
"Cheesy" sauce
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- Drain off your cooked pasta, drizzle some olive oil in the pasta and toss, set aside. In a saucepan, turn the heat up to high and melt butter, turn heat down to medium once butter starts melting.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the butter to ensure fully melted, turn the heat down to low, then add in tomato paste to the pan, stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes.
- Add flour through a sieve, whisk to mix well with the butter, ensure the mixture isn’t lumpy, bring the heat up to medium.
- Add milk in a little bit at a time and turn the heat up to bring to a boil, continue whisking to get rid of lumps.
- Once all the milk is added, turn the heat up to bring to a gentle boil. Add in seasonings from the nutritional yeast to Italian herbs and stir to infuse within, cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, gently boiling.
- Bring to a faster boil, then add all the grated vegan cheese, a bit at a time stirring to melt in the sauce. Slowly add lemon juice and vegan cream, then lower the heat to medium for a gentle boil, cooking for another 5-7 minutes to thicken and reduce slightly.
- Taste the cheese sauce and adjust for salt/pepper, or any other imbalance, add more nutritional yeast if it’s not cheesy enough.
- Add in the cooked macaroni and stir within to ensure mix is well spread. Leave for 5 minutes to sit, then serve with your favourite sides - Enjoy!
