The Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Some folks do it up fancy for V-day. Lobster. Steak. Chocolate-dipped strawberries. Not us. Not this year, at least. This morning Steve and I looked at each other and decided- simultaneously- that comfort food just felt right. Mac and cheese? he asked. Mac and cheese, I answered.

True love is groovin' on the same wave length.

And yes, there are gluten-free versions of mac 'n cheese on this blog- and hell yeah, they are darn tasty recipes. There's even a dairy-free one. (So are you bored with me yet?) But I just couldn't keep the latest vegan version of our favorite comfort food a secret. It's too creamy-cheesy good not to share.

Aren't you glad I like to tweak? Seriously.

If you're newly gluten-free and avoiding dairy too, this is the recipe that just might make you- or your GF/CF angel- smile BIG.

The Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese

Don't mourn for Kraft-y macaroni goodness, Babycakes. I've got something tastier (and healthier!). This homemade cheesy uncheese sauce is creamy and delicious. And it's corn and soy-free, too.

For the casserole:

10 to 12 oz. dry penne or macaroni pasta, partially pre-cooked* - see below; we like Tinkyada Brown Rice Penne or Spirals but you could use classic macaroni pasta

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons light olive oil
4 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups plain hemp, rice or nut milk
1 rounded tablespoon toasted sesame tahini or almond butter
2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons golden balsamic or rice vinegar, or lemon juice, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
A dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder
A dash or two of Simply Organic Minced Onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons white wine- Frey Organic wine is vegan and egg-free

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon turmeric for yellow, or paprika for orange color

For the topping:

1 cup Crunchy Gluten-Free "Bread" Crumbs (these crumbs have herbs and olive oil)
10-12 grape tomatoes, halved
A sprinkle of dried basil and parsley

*To pre-cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and pre-cook the penne just until it is slightly tender but firm to the bite. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it quickly under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the sweet rice flour (I like to use a whisk to do this). Cook and stir the flour for about 10 seconds, then slowly add in the hemp milk, whisking to blend the flour paste (called a roux) and hemp milk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low.

Add the toasted sesame tahini, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, golden balsamic vinegar, sea salt, a dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder and Simply Organic Minced Onion, nutmeg and white wine. Add turmeric or paprika for color, if desired. Mix well with a whisk.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the cooked penne into a 6-cup baking dish. Pour the cheesy uncheese sauce over the penne and gently combine. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the gluten-free bread crumbs and halved grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil. (For the sensory sensitive, omit the tomatoes, crumbs and basil.)

For individual gratin dishes, combine the pasta with the cheese sauce first; then spoon it into the gratin dishes. Top with crumbs and tomatoes and sprinkle with dried basil.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

Serves 4.

Cook's Notes::

• For those cooking gluten-free, the trick with baking gluten-free pasta in a casserole is: do not over-boil it. Keep it very al dente because it continues to cook in the sauce when you bake it.

• For quick and easy stove-top cookery, cook the pasta until done and add it to the hot cooked sauce; stir gently to combine. Serve.
  

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How to make fabulous savory crumbs for casseroles here.