One of my favorite comfort foods ever is Mac and Cheese. But until I discovered Daiya vegan cheese last year, I hadn't had Mac and Cheese since I was 13!
Anyway, I've pretty much perfected my mac and cheesey-licious recipe and have been wanting to once again switch it up a little bit. I was looking at the gourmet mac and cheese dish on the menu at The Yardhouse and that is the inspiration for this new vegan Mac and Cheese dish.
We had our friends and new vegans, TJ and Tara, over for dinner on Saturday night to enjoy it with us and I am proud to report it was a huge hit.
This is also based off of the recipe in Skinny B* in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I seriously love that book!
3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped and steamed
1 package cavatappi pasta
16 ounces of pureed squash, frozen beforehand
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
8 ounces Daiya vegan cheddar cheese shreds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375.
Cook the pasta according to the package.
In the meantime, combine the frozen squash and milk in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until the squash is completely defrosted. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese shreds, crushed red pepper, cream cheese, powdered mustard, and cayenne pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick and creamy.
Drain the pasta, return to pot, and mix in the cheese sauce. Add the mushrooms and broccoli and mix everything together.
Transfer the cheesey pasta to a large casserole dish.
Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the pasta.
Bake for 25 minutes then broil for 3 minutes to make it nice and crunchy on top.
Oh yes. This is the best version of Mac and Cheese yet. And, yes, I know I say that every time. So okay, it just gets better and better.
Michele, I have a mac-and-cashew-cheese recipe I use, and my husband really likes it. The other day, he came home from work to tell me he had been excited to see mac and cheese in a potluck line at work. ........ Now he knows he doesn't like the "real thing"--only the vegan kind!!!
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