Mac and Cheese 2012 Update

Sometimes after a long week at work, you just want some good old fashioned comfort food.  On Friday, I wanted mac and cheese and nothing else would do.  I pulled out my trusty vegan mac and cheese recipe and decided to give it a new twist for the new year.  I know I say this every time, but this stuff never fails!  My meat and cheese-eating husband even loves this stuff!  He says it tastes better than the "real" thing.

Ingredients:
1 package of quinoa pasta (8-12 ounces)

Cheesy Sauce:
 1 cup rice milk
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon earth balance
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chedder Daiya vegan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella Daiya vegan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs
red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
Make the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

In the meantime, make the cheesy sauce:

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, nutritional yeast, tomato paste and smoked paprika.

In a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter and saute the garlic in the butter (about 3 minutes.) 

Before the butter starts to burn, add the rice milk mixture.  Stir well for about 5 minutes until it gets nice and thick and creamy.

When the pasta is done, add the sauce to the pasta.  Add most of the Daiya vegan cheese, but leave a little for sprinkling on top.  Mix the pasta, sauce, and cheese all together until everything is blended nicely.  Pour into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs, remaining cheese and red pepper flakes on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Check to see if it's bubbling and put on the top rack to broil for 2 minutes. 

As always, we pretty much demolished the entire casserole dish of this stuff.  Not too shabby for being dairy free!