The Best Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese

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 casein, too, this is the recipe that just might make you- or your GF/CF angel- smile.

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 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, as it continues to cook in the sauce.

• For 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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