Southern Vegan Mac & Please

Southern Vegan Mac & Please

By Dawn Hilton-Williams, The Vegucator

Unlike many traditional or vegan mac and cheese recipes, this flavorful, budget-friendly doesn’t incorporate any ultra processed vegan cheese. This cheese sauce can also be created to make chipotle cheese sauce dip for your favorite tortillas at the next party or tailgate!

 Ingredients

Mac noodles  

  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 3 – 16-ounce bags of whole wheat elbow macaroni or shells, cooked (optional: reserve 2 cups cooking water)

Cheese sauce

  • 3⁄4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2⁄3 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1/2-3/4 piece of chipotle in adobo (optional)
  • Up to 3 ½ cups of reserved noodle cooking water or water
  • 1 1/2 cups-soaked cashews, drained 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of grade A maple syrup 
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch 
  • 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoons of kala namak or kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoons of turmeric
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 3 roasted garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place prepared pasta in large mixing bowl, toss with ground flaxseed and set aside. 
  3.  Add carrots to a pot filled with water 1⁄2 inch over, bring to a low rolling boil, turn to simmer and cook until tender (about 10 minutes) then set aside.
  4. Add carrots and all other listed cheese sauce ingredients, except for the water  (water is added 1 cup at a time as needed) to your blender and blend until smooth (mixture will be warm from blender heat and should be saucy and slightly soupy in texture). 

Note: It is imperative that you taste and adjust for flavor here because the cheese sauce represents the flavor of your dish

  • Pour cheese sauce into your pasta bowl and mix to combine.

Note: Much like regular mac and cheese, the consistency should be saucy; almost soupy. This is important because when the casserole goes in the oven it will firm up a bit so it shouldn’t go into the oven already firm; it should be loose. Add more water, if needed and stir to get the right consistency.

  • Pour into lined or lightly oiled casserole, cover and place on lined baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. 
  • Remove from and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes or until it browns slightly. 
  • Remove and allow to cool at least 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Dawn Hilton-Williams in the author of the vegan cooking guide, “Flava My Plate.”