Creamy Vegan Mac Cheese Recipes

THE BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Peel and finely chop potatoes when cool enough to handle.
• Combine potatoes, onion, carrot, and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook until soft enough to blend and water is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer sauce to a blender. Add 3/4 cup water, cashews, soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, paprika, and cayenne. Cover the blender and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend until smooth.
• Heat 2 tablespoons water in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add broccoli and cook until soft but still a little crunchy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour sauce in and mix until thoroughly coated.

CREAMY VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni al dente, according to package instructions (usually requires boiling for 6-8 minutes in salted water), drain, and set aside.
• Bring several cups of water to boil in a small pot. Place chopped potatoes, carrots, and onion in the boiling water, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and soft enough to blend. Cooking time will vary slightly, based on how small you have chopped your veggies.
• When veggies are soft enough to blend, use a slotted spoon to remove them from cooking water, and place them in your blender. Add 3/4 cup of that cooking water to your blender, along with your remaining ingredients (including cashews).
• Blend until smooth.
• Pour sauce over your cooked macaroni noodles in a dish of your choice, taste for salt, and serve immediately.
• Or, place macaroni mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until crumbs are turning golden brown.

THE BEST EVER VEGAN MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Add the cashews to a medium bowl and cover with warm water by 1 inch (2 ½ cm). Soak for 3-4 hours, until the cashews are softened and plump, then drain.
• While the cashews are soaking, make the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Cut off the top ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) of the head of garlic and drizzle the exposed cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Replace the top of the head of garlic and wrap tightly in foil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the cloves are easily pierced with a fork. Unwrap the garlic and let cool completely. Once cooled, squeeze all of the cloves from their skins.
• Add the soaked cashews, roasted garlic cloves, and cold water to a high-powered blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch (30 G) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the panko, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir with a spatula to coat the bread crumbs in the oil. Toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly golden brown. Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
• In the same skillet, melt together the vegan butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Whisk in the flour, making sure there are no clumps. Cook the roux for 3-4 minutes, whisking continuously, until the flour is golden in color and fragrant.
• Add the blended cashew mixture to the skillet and whisk well to combine with the roux. Add the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and pool when drizzled, but not so thick that it is gloppy. If the cheese sauce is too thick, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Add the elbow noodles to the sauce and toss until well coated.
• Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top of the pasta in an even layer.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the skillet and the bread crumbs are deep golden brown.
• Garnish with fresh minced parsley and serve.
• Enjoy!