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VegNews’ Macaroni and Cheese

May 28, 2011 by epicureanvegan

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean VeganSo legend has it, this recipe from VegNews is the “bestΒ  mac ‘n’ cheese on the planet,”—vegan or not. I had to try it for myself and well . . . the rumors are true. This mac and cheese is outstanding! It doesn’t take fake at all, is creamy and incredibly tasty. You won’t believe that it has onions, carrots, and potatoes in it. Seriously. Between the three of us, we cleaned up a 9×12 pan of it in no time.

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz elbow macaroni (I used about 10-ounces)
4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (I recommend using two. Four was WAY too much)
2 Tbs + 1/3 C Earth Balance margarine (this is one stick)
2 Tbs shallots, chopped
1 C red potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used one large russet potato)
1/4 C carrot, chopped|
1/3 C onion, chopped
1 C water
1/4 C cashews
2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
Optional: 1/4 C nutritional yeast (I threw it in for some extra B vitamins)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the bread pieces in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance and process until well crumbly and well combined. I used Rudi’s brand and it made so much! I ended up only using maybe half of what it made and even that was too much. I highly recommend using 2 slices of bread with 1 tablespoon of margarine.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, and shallots with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, salt, garlic, remaining margarine, Dijon, lemon juice, pepper, cayenne, and nutritional yeast, if using. I recommend grinding the cashews up first before adding the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Add the vegetable/water mixture to the cashew mixture and blend it until smooth. You’ll end up with a creamy cheesy sauce.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

In a large bowl, combine the sauce and pasta until well coated. Pour it into a 9×13 baking pan.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!

VegNews' Macaroni and Cheese
 
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So legend has it, this recipe from VegNews is the "best mac 'n' cheese on the planet,"---vegan or not. I had to try it for myself and well . . . the rumors are true. This mac and cheese is outstanding! It doesn't take fake at all, is creamy and incredibly tasty. You won't believe that it has onions, carrots, and potatoes in it. Seriously. Between the three of us, we cleaned up a 9x12 pan of it in no time.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Ingredients
  • 8-oz elbow macaroni (I used about 10-ounces)
  • 4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (I recommend using two. Four was WAY too much)
  • 2 Tbs + ⅓ C Earth Balance margarine (this is one stick)
  • 2 Tbs shallots, chopped
  • 1 C red potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used one large russet potato)
  • ¼ C carrot, chopped|
  • ⅓ C onion, chopped
  • 1 C water
  • ¼ C cashews
  • 2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)
  • ¼ tsp garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • Optional: ¼ C nutritional yeast (I threw it in for some extra B vitamins)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Place the bread pieces in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance and process until well crumbly and well combined. I used Rudi's brand and it made so much! I ended up only using maybe half of what it made and even that was too much. I highly recommend using 2 slices of bread with 1 tablespoon of margarine.
  3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  4. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, and shallots with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, salt, garlic, remaining margarine, Dijon, lemon juice, pepper, cayenne, and nutritional yeast, if using. I recommend grinding the cashews up first before adding the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
  6. Add the vegetable/water mixture to the cashew mixture and blend it until smooth. You'll end up with a creamy cheesy sauce.
  7. In a large bowl, combine the sauce and pasta until well coated. Pour it into a 9x13 baking pan.
  8. Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.
  9. Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!
3.5.3208

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Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: easy, mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese, VegNews

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Comments

  1. Colette says

    May 28, 2011 at 8:38 am

    This looks yummy! I sooo appreciate your helpful tips and comments as you test and tweak the recipes (and love the pictures). Will be making this one soon!

    • epicureanvegan says

      May 28, 2011 at 8:45 am

      Thanks! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. (I’m disappointed because there are no leftovers!)

      • Colette says

        May 28, 2011 at 8:51 am

        I hear you re the leftovers LOL… I’ve had great success with your recipes, they are mighty tasty and honestly, when there are any leftovers, hubby and I occasionally fight over who gets them for lunch the next day!

    • epicureanvegan says

      May 28, 2011 at 8:53 am

      Oh, thank you! That means a lot!

  2. Angela says

    June 20, 2011 at 5:06 am

    I’ve been meaning to try this one ever since that recipe was published. It looks great and I’m glad to hear that it tastes as good as they claimed it would taste!

  3. Izzy says

    January 23, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    Hey, going to make this this week (finally!). I keep meaning to ask you if you soak your cashews first or not.

    • epicureanvegan says

      January 23, 2012 at 7:40 pm

      No, I don’t soak the cashews, but I don’t see why you couldn’t.

      • Izzy says

        January 23, 2012 at 7:52 pm

        Naw, I prefer the lazy option. Will report back soon. πŸ˜‰

  4. Vee says

    July 2, 2012 at 9:32 pm

    Nutritional yeast is ridiculously expensive and fairly hard to come by where I am, so this is a blessing! But honestly, I’m sceptical. This does not taste like cheese, does it? If not, then what exactly makes it a mac and cheese…isn’t it more a mac and ambiguous cream sauce? Still got to try it for myself.

    • epicureanvegan says

      July 3, 2012 at 6:59 am

      You could probably leave the nutritional yeast out. Being vegan, getting B vitamins are important to me, so I think the cost of the yeast is worth it. The magazine named it Mac and cheese and no, it’s not like cheese, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. Everyone’s different; you’ll either like it or you won’t.

  5. Laura says

    August 12, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    I first made this recipe right after going vegan and I can’t explain what joy I felt after mixing the cheese sauce in my vita mix and tasting it. I then knew, for certain, I would not only be vegan for the rest of my life, but enjoy it thoroughly.

    • epicureanvegan says

      August 12, 2012 at 4:18 pm

      πŸ™‚ Amazing how one dish can make going vegan a bit easier! It’s definitely a keeper!

  6. Teresa Redmond-Ott says

    November 4, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    This is the BEST dang vegan mac-n-cheeze EVER! Thanks April!!! πŸ˜€

  7. Bridget says

    May 10, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    This is the ultimate comfort food. A non-vegan co-worker shared this recipe with me and I’ve been making it periodically ever since, absolutely love it. I leave out the breadcrumbs though, as I find it interferes with the creaminess of the mac & cheeze.

  8. Francine Kane says

    March 10, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    I’m so thrilled with this recipe. My five year old grandson loves it!!! That is a miracle!

    • Epicurean Vegan says

      March 10, 2016 at 9:23 pm

      Yep, it’s a good one! It’s one of my husband’s favorite. Glad you grandson likes it!

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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