Vegan Southern Baked Mac And Cheese
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of this Vegan Southern Baked Mac and Cheese. This dairy-free mac and cheese is baked to perfection with a crispy and buttery breadcrumb topping. It’s a healthier and lighter version and so easy to make.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
Macaroni
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni dry
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked, drained and rinsed
- 1 large white potato cut into large cubes
- 1 cup carrots about 2 whole carrots
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk unsweetened, canned full fat coconut milk
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup vegetable stock or more if needed
Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅓ teaspoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Soak the cashews by placing them in a small bowl and pour 1 cup of boiled water over them and let them soak for at least 10 minutes.
- Boil the elbow pasta according to package directions. Cook al dente. Once finished drain in a colander and let cool to room temperature until ready to use.
- Heat a pot of water over medium heat with a little salt. Once boiling, add in the carrots and potatoes and lower to medium heat. Allow them to boil until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Then remove them from the heat and let them cool to room temperature.
- Sauté onion and garlic in a small pan, then set aside.
- Using a large high speed blender, add the cashews, coconut milk, potato, carrots, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper and vegetable broth.
- Blend together on a high speed, until the sauce is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a little vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency but not too thin.
- Add the macaroni to a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni. Stir to combine until all of the macaroni is fully coated with sauce.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs, vegan butter, garlic salt and nutritional yeast in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the Mac and cheese is set, then broil for a few minutes (no longer than 2 - 3 minutes) until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2339IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 5mg
Disclaimer
Although HalfPastHungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on which products you use, the brand that was purchased, or in other unforeseeable ways. HalfPastHungry.com will not be held liable for any reliance on given nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your physician first.
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