Vegan mac and cheese recipe
If someone tried to coax me a year ago with a “vegan mac and cheese” recipe, I would have politely said, “no, thank you.” First of all, I actually don’t really like mac and cheese. Not the boxed kind and not even the homemade kind. Weird, I know. And sad for my husband who looooooves it. I used to have to make him the famous “Ronald Reagan’s favorite mac and cheese” recipe all the time when we first got married. Tons of butter, cheddar cheese, milk, stomach ache for me. Just not my thing. It’s now the 21st century, and we’re both eating differently and I am open minded to alternative recipes.
Although open minded or not, I’ve always felt if I’m not going to like the real deal, why would I like something pretending to be the real deal? And most vegan mac and cheese recipes call for fake processed cheese or nutritional yeast and they’re just not that tasty, in my opinion. Are you with me? Well, according to myself and according to Mr. Picky who still doesn’t like cheese except Pecorino Romano in some soups and on pizza crust, this mac and cheese is the bomb. I think it’s better than mac and cheese and he likes it because he has watched me make it and is confident there is not a morsel of cheese, real or fake, anywhere in this dish.
The only trick with this recipe is that you have to follow it exactly! No eyeballing measurements. No leaving things out. Anytime I have guesstimated an amount with this recipe, it hasn’t worked quite as well, especially with ingredients like cayenne, lemon juice (you can leave this out, but just don’t add more than indicated) and garlic. Some of the images on this post were taken of light spelt macaroni and some of whole spelt macaroni. My family much prefers the light spelt pasta with this sauce, but you should use whatever suits you. I have also tried this with brown rice pasta and a corn-quinoa pasta — both super! Once I threw some small cauliflower florets into the pasta pot two minutes before the pasta was done and made a cauliflower mac and cheese. (See above.) I’m sure broccoli and kale would be great, too! Can you see how much fun we are going to have with this??!!
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- 8 ounce package elbow macaroni pasta (I like spelt.)
- 2 slices bread, torn into large pieces (whole grain works!)
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (not vegan) or organic Earth Balance (vegan), divided
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
- 1 cup (about 7 ounces) chopped Yukon gold potatoes (you can leave the peel on)
- ¼ cup chopped carrots (about 1 small carrot)
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup raw cashews (soaked for 1-5 hours and drained if you your blender is weak)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (use 1 ¾ teaspoons if using Earth Balance)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic, minced (about 1 medium clove)
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- In a medium saucepan, add the shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and put back into the pot.
- Put the bread pieces, 1 Tablespoon of butter and paprika in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until combined to a medium-fine texture, set aside.
- Place the cashews, salt, garlic, 5 Tablespoons butter, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Add the softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender or food processor and process until perfectly smooth.
- Pour the “cheese” sauce over the cooked pasta and combine until completely coated. Spread the mixture into an un-greased 11 x 8 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. If you add veggies (such as 1 or 2 cups of blanched cauliflower or broccoli) to the macaroni, cook in a 13 x 9 dish.
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Can I make the sauce ahead and refrigerate or freeze?
Totally! The sauce can be made 3-4 days in advance. It will thicken up when refrigerated, but will return to its original consistency after warming it through. The sauce can also be frozen. Just keep in mind you may need to re-blend it after defrosting it for a smooth consistency.
[…] Recipe inspired by this Vegan Mac & Cheese recipe here. […]
Hi! Love this recipe and make it all the time. Do you think you could use the sauce for vegan creamed spinach?
I haven’t tried it, but you can try omitting the carrot for a lighter color. I have a recipe for a vegan “creamed” kale you can try with spinach. I’ll have my assistant email it to you.
I’m crazy about this sauce. In one of your books you mention “cooking it in the stovetop for a few minutes and serving over cauliflower” or potatoes, or something. I’ve also been looking at recipes for “vegan cashew mozzarella cheese” and notice they blend cashews and then simmer them on the stove until they suddenly become a sort of stretchy, creamy sauce which they then use as “mozzarella dip.” Here’s my question: would it be possible to melt in some cheddar and cream cheese into your sauce after it’s blended? That is, “cook it not the stovetop” first, then melt in the cream cheese and perhaps cook it for a bit, then melt in the cheddar? Then pour it over cooked noodles and eat it right then as a STOVETOP Mac and cheese??? I’ve been sort of itching with curiosity about it, but the people I talk to are skeptical of the cheese staying emulsified without a roux. But would not the cashews act as an emulsifier???
Hi! I’ve made this recipe tons of times and love it! Especially with adding whatever veggies I have in the fridge. I have a baby on the way and am thinking of prepping the recipe but then not baking it and freezing it instead. Just wondering if you or anyone else has tried this and how it’s turned out and how long/ what temp to bake it from frozen. Thank you!
I haven’t tried freezing this, but based on other recipes I’ve seen, you can reheat it in the oven from a frozen state somewhere between 350 – 400 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. I would cover the dish with aluminum foil when you reheat and uncover during the last couple of minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to brown. Let me know if you try it.
Congratulations on the baby!
Omg! This is by far my favorite fake out recipe! How is it soooo delish? I made with roasted cauliflower instead of pasta…simply Devine. I didn’t have much water left in the pot after simmering veggies but just added some more to blender to thin out. Thank you!
Thank you, Patti. It’s the best!!
Hi Pamela! Would MIYAKOS Vegan butter work here instead of the earth balance? Or is Earth Balance better consistency for this dish?
Miyokos vegan butter works great here!
Is there a way to substitute the cashews?
You can try swapping in 1/2 cup of cooked white beans.
I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count ever since I discovered it years ago. Every time I make it for a new person, they cannot believe that there is no cheese, and they also usually say that it’s the best mac and cheese they’ve ever eaten. I make it for all holidays and anytime I need a good side dish for a crowd. I absolutely love this recipe!!
Ah, thanks for writing in! It’s pretty miraculous, isn’t it?
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! Only thing is, I was meal prepping and used up all my potatoes before realizing I needed them for this recipe. No worries though, I had a butternut squash and tossed it in the oven. Replaced the potatoes with the squash and oh my goodness. Added riced cauliflower that
I had in the freezer and it was perfectly disguised and went unnoticed by my kids so that’s a win! Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Wow! I’ve been dying to try this recipe subbing butternut squash for the potatoes and you did it! I’m so excited to hear that it turned out well. Yay! And smart thinking adding cauliflower rice!
So, i’ve been wanting to try this recipe for quite a while now. I finally remembered to soak the cashews. I made the mac & cheese and added steamed broccoli and some turkey bacon. Holy moly! This was so good. The flavor was unbelievable. My son loves mac and cheese and really loved this. I can’t believe the ingredient used makes this magic sauce. I don’t really make Mac and cheese very often but I think I will now with this recipe. My son is weird about cheese and doesn’t like nachos. I made this sauce for the second time this week and we had nachos with it and he said “oh, this is so good!” I can’t believe it took me so long to make this. You are a genius!!
Hi Monica! I’m so delighted you and your family enjoyed it! Believe me, I am not a mac and cheese lover and my son will not eat any cheese at all and we are both crazy for this. Search my site for Vegan Queso for a fun twist on this sauce that we love on nachos!
I love this recipe so much. I lost it and have been searching the internet for months trying to find it again. The cheese sauce is so good I can’t believe there is no cheese in it. I have made it a little less thick and added broccoli to it as well, makes a great soup. Thank you so much for making something that doesn’t call for nutritional yeast(hate the stuff). You are truly a life saver!!!!!
You’re so welcome! It’s the only mac and cheese I like. And, although I don’t have a problem with the idea of nutritional yeast, I’m not a fan of the flavor either. 🙂
Hi,
How much cooking water do you add to the blender with the cooked potatoes?
Thanks!
You add all of it — everything in the pot including all the water goes into the blender.
This was really delicious! I’m no longer a vegan but I like to try different things just to eat healthier. I have been so excited to try this for a while but also a little nervous of how it would come out. I love it. Definitely doesn’t have a cheese taste, and I wouldn’t be able to fool my husband with it, but the flavor is so good anyway! I will definitely keep to make again!
I agree! Not exactly like real mac and cheese, but who cares?? It’s so delicious anyway!
Can I make this in advance? Or do I need to bake it….I remember you saying something about this in class but I didn’t find it in my notes. Thanks Pamela!
You can make it and refrigerate it before baking. Keep it covered in the fridge. 🙂
When baking after it has been refrigerated do you need to change the cooking time?
It may just need to cook for a few extra minutes. You just want to make sure everything is warmed through.
Thanks! I made the dish for dinner with a vegetarian friend on Friday night and it came out perfectly! Will definitely make extra sauce next time to store for nachos!
Nice! The sauce freezes well, too!
Hi Pamela, thanks for the great recipe! I’ve made this delicious mac n cheese probably more than 10 times and just love it! My non-vegan son likes it better than the “regular” kind. I wanted to let you and your readers know that I recently made a nightshade free version, which turned out to be wonderful. I replaced the potatoes with sweet potatoes, and replaced the cayenne with cloves. I just left the paprika out of the breadcrumbs (half the time I just use crushed Ritz instead!). Like I said, it tasted sooooo good! Thanks!
Ooooh! So good to know. Thank you so much for writing in. 🙂
God, that’s such a mouthwatering dish I wouldn’t want to miss! Love how you would combine vegan food with mac and cheese, nice!
It’s absolutely delish!
Have you tried freezing the sauce?
Yes, and it doesn’t freeze well. 🙁
Do you melt the butter first or just blend it in a cube form when making the sauce?
Just put the butter in the blender cold or room temp. Once you add the hot veggies and liquid, it will melt the butter.
thanks! It’s a yummy sauce…hoping next time it will still work even if I cut down the butter a bit.
I think it will still be good with a little less butter.
I’ve made it twice with about 2-3 tbsp of Earth Balance. It’s worked out well. Still delicious!
Thanks for this recipe Pamela, it’s great!
Great to know! I’m going to try it with less fat next time. It seems as though many readers have had success with less as well. Thanks!
What is Dijon Mustard? Can I use regular mustard I put on my sandwiches or is this different? Im so glad to have found a recipe without nutritional yeast, I sure hope I can end up making it!!
Dijon mustard is made with white wine and has a stronger flavor than yellow mustard. You can read about the difference here: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-difference-between-dijon-and-yellow-mustard.html Dijon mustard is easy to find in any supermarket. 🙂 This recipe is fabulous. You must try it!
When I read the ingredients of this vegan cheese I was like huh? But it works and tastes delicious!!! I messed up though and got Smart Balance instead of Earth Balance… I wonder if it made a difference in flavor. I should of just used butter cause I’m okay with butter. Still was yummy! Can’t wait for hubby to try and see his thoughts. Xx
Yay! I think some people have tried it with avocado oil instead and others have reduced the amount of butter with success. Just mentioning. 🙂
Is there a way to make this nut free? I’m thinking that sunflower seeds would not work this case…
You can take a peek at all the comments here (they go for a few pages) and I seem to think a few people have made this nut free. Maybe adding a few cooked white beans or extra potato….
This is awesome! I’m thinking about using it as a soup base for broccoli and cheddar soup. Would you thin it out with broth or just double the recipe?
I would thin it out with broth. Check out the broccoli stalk soup recipe on my blog and see if you can do a hybrid between the two!pamelasalzman.com/broccoli-stalk-soup-recipe/
Delicious sauce! I made it with butter (the only dairy I can tolerate) and it was soooo good! I love that it doesn’t contain nutritional yeast, as it doesn’t seem to do my digestion any favors. This is going to become a staple recipe in my house!
Try dipping veggies in the sauce or pouring it over baked potatoes! Yum! Just pour it back into the pot after blending and cook it for 5 minutes before using it if you’re not going to bake it with pasta. 🙂
I will admit I was a little skeptical, but being allergic to most dairy I gave this recipe a try. IT’S AMAZING!!! So tasty and creamy! I was alone in my kitchen when I took a sample taste of the sauce and yelled “Damn! That’s GOOD!”. I don’t think anyone would’ve known it was a cheese-free mac & cheese if I didn’t tell them. I’ve made this recipe twice in two weeks, and will make the sauce for Super bowl nachos! Thanks so much Pamela!!!
I totally get your skepticism. I mean, vegetables becoming a legit delicious cheese sauce??!! So glad you gave it a go. I am obsessed with this recipe.
Oh. My. Gosh. I didn’t believe you. I figured it would be another just like, but not quite recipes I’ve subjected my family to. But this cheese sauce taste just like, but is BETTER than queso at the ball park! The consistency is perfect – I can’t wait to dip everything in it! Thank you for this life altering recipe! Ha!
Haha! I would never steer you guys wrong. And I agree — better than queso at the ball park, totally natural and more digestible for sure. Check out the “queso” version of this: https://pamelasalzman.com/vegan-queso-recipe/
Made this yesterday and it was fantastic. Absolutely the best non-diary cheese sauce ever! The only modification I made was to force the sauce through a sieve at the very end to completely get out any small bits that the blender had missed. The result was gorgeous, creamy, and smooth “cheese” sauce that made vegan mac and cheese a serious treat. Thanks so much!
Oh, that’s a genius idea for people who don’t have super strong blenders! Thanks, Lou Anne!
I really like this! After making it a couple times, I decided not to do the last step of baking it and left the breadcrumbs off. I liked it better as baking it dried it out too much for me.
Sounds good!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This has become a family favorite recipe/sauce. I have 2 out of 3 kids with dairy allergies and they finally can have mac and cheese that they love again. My oldest who can have dairy says that this is better than the kind in the “blue box” 🙂
Better than the blue box — LOVE it! And I have to agree! 🙂
Also, for those of us who can’t have potatoes (nightshades) I bet Japanese white sweet potatoes would work as a sub.
I bet you are right! Excellent suggestion. Thank you!
Amazing! I have been missing cheese and couldn’t wait to try this! I will have to make a batch without cashews for my son and see how that turns out as he can’t eat cheese anymore either. Can’t wait to share THIS one.
I make a version with just a milk alternative (rice milk), coconut oil, grainy mustard or prepared mustard, nutritional yeast, pepper and salt. I add turmeric for color, and a pinch of paprika. 🙂 you could try that for your son also~ Lots of nutritional yeast! And mustard to taste. It adds that sharp cheddary flavor 🙂
I am so excited to try this. I am not vegan, nor have allergies, but my family and friends all have different sensitivities and I like to collect recipes to have on hand for them. My question is… do you think I can make this casserole and freeze it. has anyone tried to freeze it before baking, or even after baking it. Can’t wait to make it
I have tried freezing just the sauce, and it was not a success. I have not tried freezing the whole casserole though, although I’d like to know if it works.
I freeze my potato/carrot vegan cheese sauce all the time. The trick to getting it to turn out right is to do one to 2 things: completely reheat on stovetop, stirring frequently (if you don’t let it boil for a little bit, there will still be textured crystal particles in it) OR let thaw partially then reblend with a little extra water. Every time I make this, I make up a double recipe of my version (without cashews, +some nutritional yeast) and freeze half in a plastic container. It’s super nice to be able to pull it out of the freezer and have it ready to go for casseroles, lasagna, nachos, baked potatoes, enchiladas, pizza, burritos, you name it!
Super helpful tip, Christy! I need to try that because I only tried freezing it once and it was not great! Thank you!
I never leave comments on blogs, but this was AMAZING!!! My cheese-loving children went nuts for it and asked for seconds (and thirds, but I had to cut them off…lol)!
Well, I’m so glad you broke tradition and chimed in! So happy this was a success!
I don’t normally leave comments on recipes, but wow! This cheese sauce is amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey, you’re welcome! Now you have to try the vegan queso dip, which is a twist on the mac and cheese sauce. Insane!
Thank you for telling me about that one! I had no idea you had that on your website. This cheese sauce is out of this world. I’ve made it so many times. I even used it on a loaded baked potato as you suggested – YUM!
I am obsessed with the sauce on baked potatoes!!
Oh my god. This is literally life changing. Tried another cheese recipie yesterday and it was truly terrible so I didn’t hold out much hope for this but I was so SO WRONG
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing dish!!!!
Haha! Love your comments! Thanks!
This tastes frighteningly similar to cheese!!! I mean that in the best way possible.
My poor boyfriend, who due to a health issue can eat pretty much nothing (no red meat, nightshades, alcohol, refined sugar, almonds, soy, dairy, egg and most grains), thought I was being vengeful by cooking myself a giant pot of mac and cheese to eat all to myself.
I used sweet potato rather than yukon golds (a nightshade) and only 1 TBS of olive oil rather than butter/roux/vegan butter subsitute and added 1 TBS of nutritional yeast. It was delish! It even went well as leftovers which usually doesn’t work with rice pasta- it gets too dry.
The sweet potato gave it even more of a “cheddar” appearance.
Definitely on our “make again” list! Thank you!!!
Super excited by your comments!! I cannot wait to try this with sweet potato! Why didn’t I think to try that?! Love all your substitutions and they are so helpful for people who also can’t have this or that. Thank you so much!
this was the greatest thing i’ve ever tasted. my 6 year old had no idea it wasn’t real cheese. INSANE.
I have to say, I think this is the best mac and cheese, even though it’s not real cheese. SO glad you loved it! 🙂
For those with nut allergies what could be a substitute for the cashews? Can’t wait to try this!! Cheddar cheese and many others are amongst a long list of allergies and Mac and cheese has been on the cravings list for awhile now!
I need to try this without cashews for nut-free people. I have no idea how to do it, but I’ll probably try adding more potato or some white beans.
You can easily add more potato and carrot and leave out the cashews. I do it all the time.
I just tried this recently with more potato to sub for the cashews and it worked, but the potato flavor was pretty prominent. I need to see if I can fidget with the other flavors to make up for that.
Hey! We used sunflower seeds instead of cashews, and also butter beans instead of potatoes (we were out of both potatoes and cashews, night before a shopping day lol!), and it worked great! I used a little extra beans. Probably would have been creamier with cashews, and I intend to make it as written at some point too, but it was still great and I’m sure it would be fine just leaving out the nuts if you can’t do seeds either, and adding some extra potato or beans, like she said:) Anyway, my six year old sister loved it.. she isn’t usually a dinner girl but she ate the whole thing, so I think it went well
I am so excited to hear about these substitutions! And they’re so helpful for people who are nut-free (and out of potatoes!) I am certain that cashews would make the sauce creamier, but if sunflower seeds get the job done — awesome!
I am not vegan but this looked interesting. Just made it and it was delicious!
I’m not vegan either but I prefer this over any regular mac and cheese. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
This recipe was AMAZING, however I have a question can this be made without the cashews?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried it without the cashews. But if I were going to try, I would maybe add more potato since both are there to add creaminess and thicken it.
OMG! Just made this and literally licking the blender clean. This is amazing! I will never suffer through another mac and cheese craving again
Ha! 🙂
I’m newly vegan so I don’t eat butter, but I don’t like the idea of using processed fake butter either. Do you think thers a way to make this or no? Thanks!
Hi Ani! I would try olive oil, avocado oil or maybe silken tofu. I haven’t tried any of these, but I have a feeling they’d work fine. Please report back if you do!
I just made this with only a tablespoon of oil and only a teaspoon of salt and it was still the single best vegan cheese sauce ever.
No way! Next time I make it, I’ll try reducing the fat and see if I still love it. Thank you so much for writing in! 🙂
I just wanted to say that I tried making this with an earth balance and flour roux. Here’s how it turned out! I used about two or so tablespoons of earth balance and about three tablespoons of flour. I followed all the directions except leaving out the cashews. Once I blended it, I added it to the pan with the roux, pouring slowly and whisking. It did thicken it quite a bit, but it was more of a gummy texture and not the smooth cheesy texture I wanted. So I returned it to the blender and blended it on high for a few more seconds. This helped considerably! It still seemed a little thick, though, so I might use less flour next time. Hope that helps anyone who was wondering if it could be made without cashews!
Thanks so much for your helpful comment! A lot of people have asked me how to make this without cashews and I had never tested it. Good info to know!
the standard rule of thumb is equal parts fat to flour for a roux. I’m sure if you did 2 tbsp oil to 2 tbsp four it wouldn’t turn out too thick and be a good replacement for the cashews. But cashews also add flavor, so you might need to up the flavor component with more garlic/ nutritional yeast/ etc.
I think you made a great suggestion, Jessica. Thanks so much for your comment!
Just made this. It is outstanding! Family loved it. By far the best vegan (or regular) mac ‘n cheese and we’ve tried a lot! Can’t wait to make the sauce just for nachos or potato skins or ….
Yay!!!! If you use it for something else (like nachos or on baked potatoes), after blending, put the sauce back in the pot and cook for a couple of minutes. Taste better that way! 🙂
This is great!! Can you make a bunch of sauce and freeze it in portions?
I love this, too! Sadly, it doesn’t freeze well. I tried it and it gets grainy and separates. Not the same! 🙁 You can make extra and reheat it 2 days later, though…
This recipe is AMAZING! I am not a fan of nutritional yeast so I was excited to see this. My husband however was skeptical. Well he loves it more than your run of the mill real cheese mac and cheese. Thank you for posting this taste-a-licous recipe!
I’m not a fan of nutritional yeast either! SO glad this was a success for you! 🙂
Hi Pamela –
Tried this tonight in light of the superb reviews – and I am in LOVE with this recipe! The taste is fantastic and got rave reviews from the adults at the table – but I was unable to fool the kids. :/ Their unsophisticated palate makes them crave/prefer the chemical stuff, it appears. One quicxk question – despite churning in the Vitamix for a good two minutes, my “cheez sauce” still didn’t appear quite as velvety as yours does in the photos. Any tips/tricks you can send my way on how to achieve that velvety consistency?
Hmmmm….assuming you used raw cashews and not toasted. If the bits that weren’t smooth were cashews, trying soaking them for a few hours in water and drain them before using. The only other thing I can think of is making sure your veggies are cooked well. I haven’t had any issues with the sauce not being really smooth. Let me know if there’s anything else you can think of that you might have done differently. 🙂
I never thought I would, but I will never look for another vegan cheese sauce recipe again! I have tried so many, and some are good but there is always something I don’t quite like about them. All the ingredients are healthy, whole, and plant based which I love! I could drink the sauce, but instead I put it over raw zucchini noodles with roasted butternut squash. I’m so exited to try this on nachos and other things thanks!
I feel the exact same way! I even like this better than real mac and cheese. Yay!
Wow, delicious. I made it to take to a friend’s party and it was devoured very quickly by the house full of non-vegans. I had one woman say in disbelief, “What?! I thought that was real cheese!” My non-vegan brother told me he liked it more than the traditional cheese version of the dish, which I have to agree with. It’s a pretty easy recipe, too, with common ingredients. Thank you for sharing, I’ll be pinning it as a new favorite comfort food!
Thanks for sharing, Allison! I actually like it better than mac and cheese! Next time, try the sauce on a baked potato!
I had my reservations about how this would taste, but it was awesome! I will use it again and again! Thanks.
I totally understand where you are coming from — I was so skeptical myself. Now, it’s the only mac and cheese I’ll eat!
I am trying the Vegan Before 6 lifestyle and found this recipe on Pinterest. I added a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast, bu kept everything else the same. This recipe is so uber amazing! My 9-year old son ate half of the pan, so it is kid tested and mother approved! Thank you so much for sharing.
How cool! This is the only mac and cheese my son will eat. I made it last night because I saw your comment and I was craving it!
Hi! I’m going to try out this recipe tomorrow, considering I have to let the cashews soak. Quick question, though —
If I didn’t use ALL the cheese I made, what’s the best way to store it and use again? Refrigerate obviously, but for nachos, is heating the cheese up in the microwave a big no-no? Let me know. 🙂
Just refrigerate it in a covered container and reheat gently in a small saucepan. I supposed you can reheat in a microwave, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t guess what power and for how long. 🙂
We’ve been vegan for a little over one year now, sorely missing mac ‘n cheese. We’ve been getting by with the nutritional yeast flakes/flour type sauce (which is good, but not GREAT); however, this sauce is the bomb and will now be our go-to. I found this recipe on Pinterest this past weekend and have since made mac ‘n cheese twice, and nachos today. 😛
I used russet potatoes and no shallots, but everything else exactly as the recipe called for. It is so delicious! I think the next time we try this sauce on nachos, I might put some salsa into the mixture, to make it more of a “fiesta cheese”. I will say that I prefer eating the mac ‘n cheese without baking it/breadcrumbs. Mine got a little dry when I baked it.
Thank you, Pamela!!! You have made me SO happy!!
Thank you for your awesome comment which made ME so happy! Yay for vegan mac and cheese!
hi there. i just found this recipe on pinterest and was wondering what you think if i replace olive oil for the earth balance, as we are not fans of it. can’t wait to try this because the last vegan mac n’ cheese i tried didn’t turn out so well. thanks!
this recipe is the best mac and cheese recipe I have ever had, but I have a feeling the Earth Balance (or butter if you’re not vegan) is a much better option than olive oil in making this taste creamy and “cheesy.” But that’s just my guess. I know olive oil would be fine for the breadcrumb topping, just not sure about the sauce. If you decide to try it, I would use a little less olive oil and make sure it isn’t a very strongly flavored one. Please report back if you give this a go! Thanks~
Oh my gosh, I had to quickly write back because this was sooo good! I made it minus the shallots, used a little more onion, used a peeled russet potato instead of the yukon gold and instead of earth balance used olive oil. I also added peas and broccoli. It didn’t look as velvety as the photo above but was creamy enough and made a generous amount. We ate it all up – my omni and skeptical hubby and bro-in-law and a picky preeschooler had more than one serving! I can’t wait to try this on nachos… Thanks!
Oh MY gosh! I am so excited to know that you can use olive oil. So awesome! If you use the sauce for nachos, after you blend it, put the sauce back in the pot you used to cook the veggies and cook the sauce for a couple minutes. Tastes better that way! Thank yoU!!
I’m eating this as we speak- couldn’t wait to thank you for this awesome recipe!
When I tasted the sauce I thought it was too salty but it came out of the oven PERFECT not too salty- not too anything. Just wonderful.
My boyfriend is already on seconds hah!
Will definitely be making again- you’re awesome.
Thanks!!!
Great comment — totally true about the sauce. I think it tastes salty on its own, but after it’s baked with the pasta, I think the salt is just right. So glad you enjoyed it!
Yes… this sauce is the bomb! I’ve also modified for broccoli “cheddar” soup. Diluting with veggie stock and simmering broccoli until semi soft.
Awesome, Cyndi! I am also tweaking the sauce for a potato soup recipe. Love that!
Also, I made it gluten free by using gf pasta and bread since my kids have a gluten sensitivity and still thought it was amazing!
I’m so glad you tried this out! I think it’s amazing, too! And yes, GF works beautifully. Thanks for the comment 🙂
OMG! Made this tonight and am in love! What a perfect way to sneak some veggies in my kiddos, and as a self confessed cheese addict, this is a perfect substitute. I have a feeling I’ll be making this on a regular basis. Can’t wait to try the sauce on nachos and for other recipes. Thank you!
Hello Pamela,
My 23 year old daughter is new to the vegetarian/vegan family. Mac & cheese is one of her favorite dishes. This recipe looks very good but my daughter is allergic to tree nuts. Are cashews an absolute must in this recipe or is there something else that I can use to replace the nuts? Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi Mamie, I’ve never tried to make this without the cashews, which are often used in vegan cooking to sub for heavy cream, sour cream and to help thicken. I suppose you can try making a roux by combining flour and softened Earth Balance and adding that instead of the cashews, but I haven’t tested that out yet. Sorry!
Could this be made without butter or Earth Balance?
I don’t think it will be as creamy.
I don’t see how much paprika to add – did I miss it?
I forgot it in the ingredients! Darn. Thanks for catching that. It’s actually just to add some color to the breadcrumbs, so you could leave it out if necessary. Just a 1/4 teaspoon.
I tried this recipe and it was so delicious. It tastes just like box mac and cheese, which I love. I will be using this for nachos too!!!
Yay!
This recipe is amazing and well worth the effort. Next experiment: can it be frozen in smaller portions?
I’m so glad you liked it! I have not frozen the casserole, but I did try freezing the cheese sauce and it did NOT freeze well.
I know you said to follow the recipe exactly but I am hoping to avoid a trip to the store and I really want to make this. What do you think about subbing onion for the shallot? What about using russet potatoes or red? Or should I just go to the store?
I haven’t tried that, but I imagine it would still turn out well. When I said “exactly,” the ingredients you need to be careful about measuring are lemon juice, cayenne, mustard and garlic. Red potatoes are fine, just make sure to peel them. Let me know how it turns out!
This is the same as Allison Rivers Sampson’s recipe http://www.allisonsgourmet.com/skin/frontend/default/blank/images/recipes/VegNewsMagFeb08.gif that I have been making for years, and it truly IS amazing! The potatoes give it that oozy, gooey texture of melted cheese. My dairy-loving sister-in-law actually told me she PREFERS it to “the real thing”!
It must be the same! The link I provided above is from a VegNews recipe roundup list. I’m sorry the actual author’s name wasn’t provided in that. But, I completely agree with your sister-in-law — I actually prefer this to “real” mac and cheese!
This is one of the first vegan mac n cheese recipies I ever made and still remains a favorite. I have even experimented with cutting down on the earth balance to reduce calories. Better than any non vegan mac and cheese ive ever had!
Thanks, Laura! I totally agree!
Thanks so much for such a great recipe. I am dairy-free, don’t like “fake” cheese, but miss mac & cheese. Can’t wait to try this.
Hope you love it!
Can’t wait to try it! I love all of your other recipes. Where do you buy spelt pasta- can you find it at the grocery or do you order it online?
Thanks, Kristin! I buy it at Whole Foods, but you can find it on amazon.com as well.
For some reason, my “print recipe” function isn’t working. I apologize for the inconvenience, but until I figure this out, I suggest copying and pasting the recipe into a word doc. Thank you for your patience!