Easy Vegan and gluten-free Mac and Cheese

Today I made an easy gluten-free vegan mac and cheese that was the best ever! I went to my local market (shout out to Styles at 9th Ave!) and got a “must-go” bag of assorted vegetables for $1. I always love when markets give us a chance to rescue bruised apples and weird looking shaped potatoes.

The apples became dried apples, and the potatoes vegan cheese. This recipe is inspired by one of Miyoko’s recipes I tried a long time ago. It is so good I bet it can fool non vegans! For this recipe I tried a gluten-free pasta everybody raves about, and justly. The result was a way better and healthier version of one of America’s favorite comfort food. This is a wonderful mac and cheese recipe on its own that can be made stove-top or a baked casserole dish, but you can also add roasted vegetables.

step one

Add water to 2 large saucepans to bring them to a boil. When the pasta is done (about 8-10 minutes), remove from the saucepan, place them in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

step two – the chessiest vegan sauce

The great thing about this vegan cheese sauce is that it has less calories than using a cashew based sauce. Potatoes and carrots also add fiber and nutrients making this mac and cheese super healthy. It is extremely versatile sauce that can be used for other dishes like casseroles, as a dip, or as a topping for pizzas and flatbreads.

Boil potatoes and carrots until tender. About 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place the potatoes and carrots to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the boiling water to the blender to help. Blend until smooth.

2. With the blender still running, add the silken tofu, lemon juice, and blend until incorporated. Add the onion and garlic powders, nutritional yeast, and about 2 teaspoons of sea salt and blend for a few seconds until well incorporated. Set aside.

3. In a small to medium saucepan add 1/2 cup of water and the agar powder, whisking well until dissolved. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes without whisking again, it will be bubbling and thick.

4. In a small cup or container add 2 tablespoons of cold water to the tapioca starch and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

5. Add the potato/carrot blended mixture to the agar, whisking well for about 1-2 minutes. While stirring, add the dissolved tapioca starch and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until thickened.

6. Pour the sauce for the pasta, and mix well.

topping ideas

Tomatoes (roasted or raw)
Mushrooms (raw and cooked)
Onion (raw and caramelized))
Bean Sprouts
Shredded Carrots
Roasted broccoli
Roasted cauliflower
Beans (Pinto, Kidney, Black, baked and refried)
Corn (cooked or roasted
Scallions
Ketchup (Seriously delicious!)
Truffle Oil
Hot Sauce (and Buffalo)
Teriyaki
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Vegan Sour Cream
Spices and fresh herbs
Harrissa

PANKO TOPPING

For a quick-baked version perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner, this panko topping makes a delicious cheesy and crunchy crust.

Ingredients

1 cup panko bread crumbs (gluten-free panko if you are allergic to gluten)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Transfer the mac and cheese to a casserole baking dish. Put it in the oven on the shelf nearest to the broiler and broil until just golden on top, about 2 minutes. (The panko toasts quickly, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it.)

Easy Vegan and Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese sauce, mac and cheese, macaroni

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

2 boxes of elbow pasta
2 cups white potatoes peeled and cubed
1 cup carrots peeled and cubed
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agar powder
2 tablespoons tapioca or cornstarch
1-2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions

Boil pasta until tender. Drain with cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer cooked pasta to a medium saucepan and set aside.Boil potatoes and carrots until tender. About 7 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, place the potatoes and carrots to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the boiling water to the blender to help. Blend until smooth.With the blender still running, add the silken tofu, lemon juice, and blend until incorporated. Add the onion and garlic powders, nutritional yeast, and about 2 teaspoons of sea salt and blend for a few seconds until well incorporated.
In a small saucepan add 1/2 cup of water and the agar powder, whisking well until dissolved. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes without whisking again, it will be bubbling and thick. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water to the tapioca starch and stir until dissolved, set aside.
Add the blended mixture to the agar, whisking well for about 1-2 minutes. While stirring, add the dissolved tapioca starch and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Pour the sauce for the pasta, and mix well.