Macaroni 'n' Cheese - VegNews

“This is the best mac ‘n’ cheese on the planet. End of story.” (VegNews, October 2008)

 I agree! This one is going in my permanent rotation of easy weeknight dinners.  My 17 year old son scarfed it down like crazy and even complimented me on it! (SHOCK!!) Seriously, I NEVER in a million years thought I would prefer a classic like macaroni and cheese without a shred of cheese in sight. Crazy. Compare this recipe with an old favorite of mine (here) and just see the difference! Ridiculous, right? 

Here’s what you need:

8 ounces macaroni

3 slices bread, torn in pieces (original recipe called for 4 slices, but I preferred 3)

2 T + 1/3 C non-dairy, non-hydrogenated butter (Earth Balance brand is super)

2 T shallots, peeled and chopped

1 C red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped

¼ C carrots, peeled and chopped

1/3 C onion, peeled and chopped

1 C water

¼ C raw cashews

1 t sea salt

¼ t garlic, minced

¼ t Dijon mustard

1 T lemon juice

¼ t black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

¼ t paprika

Here’s what you do:

Cook the macaroni according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor make the bread crumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 T of butter. Set aside. (One comment here: these homemade breadcrumbs took this mac ‘n’ cheese way, way into the stratosphere of comfort – don’t skimp)

In a sauce pan add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onions, and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until veg is really, really soft.

In a blender process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 C non-dairy butter, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Add the softened veg and all the cooking liquid. Process until it is perfectly smooth.

Mix the sauce and pasta. Place in 9 X 9 ish size baking dish. Sprinkle the buttery breadcrumbs over. Bake 350 for about 30 minutes or until it’s nice and brown and bubbly.

 One Year Ago : Coconut Pancakes (really, really good!)