Mac N Cheese

This is an all-round traditional favourite, and a great dish to serve up for the kids. It is thought to have originated in France in the 14^th century, but it’s spread far and wide since then. In fact, The famous British Victorian cookbook Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management included two recipes for the dish. One recipe states that “The macaroni, (which should be “tender but perfectly firm, no part being allowed to melt, and the form entirely preserved” – lest one be tempted to cook it for so long it actually disintegrated) is then topped with more cheese, pepper and breadcrumbs, before receiving a final dose of melted butter for good measure and being placed before a “bright fire” to brown the crumbs, or grilled with a salamander.”

NOTE : Can also be made gluten-free by using all purpose GF flour (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)

Be sure to also check out my “Easy Cheesy Mac N Cheese” video on Mouthwatering Vegan TV (see video below)

INGREDIENTS

CHEESE SAUCE
2 cups (625 mL) soya milk, or other non-sweetened milk (I use Alpro)
2 Tbsp purpose plain flour (for a very thicker sauce, use 3 Tbsp) – see links above for gluten free flour
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp fine garlic granules
salt (don’t omit)
a knob of vegan butter
¼ tsp turmeric powder (available in the US from here, or in the UK from here)
1 tsp vegetable stock powder or granules (try Kallo – from here in the US, and here in the UK)
a little water if needed
OTHER
200g pasta – I used cavatappi (‘corkscrew’ in Italian) – short curly shapes
½ cup frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup (250 ml) soya milk, or other vegan milk
1 cup grated vegan ‘cheddar’ cheese
CRUMBLE
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
2 tsp nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp golden breadcrumbs

METHOD

First, place all the ‘cheese’ sauce ingredients in a ‘milk’ pan and whisk.
Heat the mixture up, mixing virtually non-stop, until you have a thickish consistency. Lower the heat, and continue cooking for a further minute or so.
Boil 200g pasta, ensuring not to overcook it. Rinse in cold water, and before you drain the pasta, add the thawed spinach to the pasta, just so that it mixes with it. We also added a cup of grated ‘cheddar’ (I used the mild cheddar from my Mouthwatering Vegan book, but you can use any brand you wish that will melt).
Then mix the pasta and spinach with the sauce in a large mixing bowl, add a cup of soya milk or similar milk, and spoon your mixture into a pre-greased soufflé dish.
Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
Meanwhile, process your crumble ingredients, and spread on top of your pasta, before placing in for around 30 minutes until golden on top. Remove from oven and indulge !

This Mac & Cheese from my Mouthwatering Vegan TV YouTube channel is similar to the recipe above, and is also proving to be a firm favourite :