The Best Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
A classic crowd favorite. A hard hitting bowl of ooey, gooey, cheesy mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz pack desired macaroni noodles, plus water + salt to boil
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight if using a regular blender
- 4 cups filtered water
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pack American slices by Follow Your Heart chopped
- 1 pack smoked gouda by Follow Your Heart chopped
- 1 pack provolone slices by Follow Your Heart chopped
- Topping totally optional and not necessary
- 1 bag shredded pizza style shreds by Follow Your Heart
- 6 teaspoons vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Fill a large pot with water and a healthy sprinkling of sea salt. Bring to a boil and add the macaroni noodles. Boil for about 5 minutes, until they are al dente (remembering it’s ok if they are slightly firm because they will cook more in the oven, so you need to calm down). Drain with a colander and transfer to a 9” x 13” baking dish (this recipe will just fit in that!) or desired baking vessel (bonus points for using a large cast iron). Set aside.
- In a high-speed blender, add the cashews and water and blend until smooth and creamy. This should take a minute or two. Add the chopped cheeses, butter, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, and cornstarch. Start by blending on low and gradually turn up the speed, until you are left with a smooth and creamy sauce, scraping down the sides and moving everything around as needed (please work with your blender… it needs your help and sometimes it feels as though you think it’s invincible.) If using a smaller blender, divide the cashew milk in half and try making the sauce in two separate batches.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles in the baking dish. Mix well. Optional: sprinkle the shredded pizza style cheese on top. Then evenly dispersing the butter in small dollops on top.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden and the cheese is thoroughly melted. Remove from the oven and stir with a large spoon. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Bringing this to a party? You can make it in advance. Just wrap it up tightly and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to go. Bake this at the location and serve immediately. If you would like to freeze this, you should bake it for about 10 to 15 minutes longer because, well, it’s frozen. If you need to place it back in the oven to thoroughly heat, do that!
Blender Alternative
An alternative to using a blender is by cooking the sauce on medium heat, stirring constantly, in a large saucepan or pot on the stovetop, the sauce becomes smoother and creamy. In this is the case, you should mix the cornstarch with a little water before adding so it doesn’t clump. If you can’t make your own cashew milk, use a plain unflavored soy creamer or pea milk creamer. If you can’t find creamers, use desired plant-based milk (the sauce will be slightly less creamy).
An alternative to using a blender is by cooking the sauce on medium heat, stirring constantly, in a large saucepan or pot on the stovetop, the sauce becomes smoother and creamy. In this is the case, you should mix the cornstarch with a little water before adding so it doesn’t clump. If you can’t make your own cashew milk, use a plain unflavored soy creamer or pea milk creamer. If you can’t find creamers, use desired plant-based milk (the sauce will be slightly less creamy).