Best Vegan Mac N Cheese Aka Creamy Cashew Macaroni Recipes

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil the cashews, potatoes, and carrots until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Drain well and set aside.
• Place macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until al dente and according to package directions (about 9-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
• Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender (except garlic & butter). Blend until potatoes, carrots & cashews have completely broken down and sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat up butter in a large pan over medium heat. When melted, add garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds, until lightly golden and fragrant (be careful not to burn).
• Pour in the cheese sauce and cook for 4-6 minutes until sauce thickens up and becomes slightly stretchy. Stir often to prevent burning. If it's too thick, add a splash of broth. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
• Now add pasta and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Rinse cashews in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add water to cover by 3 in. Cover and let stand overnight., Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse cashews, discarding liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Add 1-1/2 cups water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and seasonings; cover and process until pureed, 3-4 minutes, scraping down sides as needed., Drain macaroni; return to pan. Stir in cashew mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with additional paprika if desired.

VEGAN MAC N CHEESE AKA CREAMY CASHEW MACARONI

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Cover so it won't dry out.
• Grind cashews in food processor on high speed until relatively smooth. It's okay if the result is rather grainy looking, so long as what you have is mostly a thick paste.
• With processor on low speed, slowly add in the entire can of coconut milk.
• Dissolve the bullion cube in the hot water completely. Again with processor on low speed, slowly pour into the cashew/coconut milk mixture to incorporate fully.
• Add in the garlic and blend.
• Still on slow speed, add in the nutritional yeast, 2TB at a time. Taste after each 2TB to determine the taste that suits you. More nutritional yeast = more cheddar-y type flavor, however, some people do not like the yeast-y flavor it can impart. Add in as much or as little as suits you.
• Add in the vinegar the same way, starting with about 1TB, then adding in more 1tsp at a time, tasting after each tsp to determine what you like. The more vinegar you add, the more "sharp" taste you get. For a very sharp taste, try white vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the sauce is at your satisfaction, pour over the pasta and mix well. Add in water (or make some additional broth) if you prefer a thinner sauce. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
• I coupled this with some braised spinach (2 bunches of fresh spinach coarsely chopped and sautéed in 2TB olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes), that I threw right into the bowl (you can see the spinach in the picture above). Other veggies that would probably pair nicely: peas, braised julienne carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus tips.

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• The night before, soak the cashew nuts in water and leave overnight.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Steam the carrots and potatoes together for 5 mins, until completely softened. Transfer to a food processor. Drain the cashews and add these with 60ml of the oil, then blitz to break down the nuts. Tip in the other ingredients - apart from the macaroni, breadcrumbs and the remaining oil - then blitz again until the mixture is smooth and season well. Add a splash of water and just a drizzle of olive oil if it looks too stiff, then set aside.
• Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 1 min less than packet instructions, drain then stir through the sauce. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish, stir the breadcrumbs with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Scatter over the top of the macaroni and bake for 20-25 mins until piping hot and crisp.