Who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese?!?!? If you don’t, then maybe this is not the recipe blog for you after all, and you should move on. Ok, I’m kidding, please don’t leave, just maybe you should give vegan Mac and Cheese another try.
Maybe you just tried a bad recipe. This recipe is not bad. This recipe is creamy, smoky, and gooey. It’s vegan Mac and Cheese perfection. It’s quick and easy too.
If you happen to have an allergy or aversion to cashews, you can sub them out for 1 cup of sunflower seeds. If you don’t like a smoky cheddar as much, just cut back a bit on the paprika and skip the liquid smoke. I love smoky cheddar so I always add the smoke!
You can also pour this Creamy Vegan Cheddar Mac and Cheese into a casserole dish, top it with some vegan butter and bread crumbs and bake it at 350 for a about 20 minutes for the perfect baked Vegan Mac and Cheese.
Trust me, leave the boxed macaroni and cheese right on the grocery shelf where you found it, and go home and make this. its almost just a quick and about 10,000 times more tasty! I promise! Pinky promise, cross my heart, and all that jazz!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cashews (plus water for heating)
2 cups water
1/3 cup sauerkraut, cabbage not juice
2 teaspoons light miso paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tapioca or corn starch
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
optional 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, if you want a smokier mac
16 oz package macaroni noodle, I like to use the fatter ones with ridges to help hold the cheese
1 tablespoon vegan butter
splash of plant milk, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook noodles according to packing instructions in a large pot. Drain, return to pot and mix in the butter. Set aside.
Cover cashews in water and microwave on hight for three minutes or soak in hot water for serval hours. Drain.
Add cashews and all remaining ingredients, including 2 cups of water, to a high speed blender or food processor.
Process and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth (no lumps at all).
Transfer the mixture to a medium size pot and cook on medium heat, stirring with a whisk continually until the mixture thickens.
Once the cheese sauce gets to a thick, almost stretchy, gooey consistency, remove it from the heat and pour over the mac. Mix well. If it seems too thick you can add a splash of plant milk. Reheat the mac and cheese on the stove top to heat the noodles back up and serve.
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