Recipe: Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”

This is probably the unhealthiest meal I have ever prepared. I got the original (non-vegan) recipe from an old boss of mine. I honestly don’t know if the original was better or worse, but he even went as far as to top it with crushed Cheese-Its! I often bring this dish to parties with omnivores. No one ever knows that it’s vegan unless they know that I brought it. It’s always a huge hit!

There isn’t a picture with this recipe because I didn’t want to be tempted to eat it. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I have to face the dreaded scale! Next time we make this, we'll be sure to update this post, though!

Ingredients:

1 lb macaroni
1 stick Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/4 - 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper (depending on your taste)
3-6 Tbsp flour
1 pint of soy creamer
1 bag of Daiya cheddar or mozzarella style shreds
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the macaroni al dente and transfer to a greased 9" x 13" casserole dish.

Melt the Earth Balance in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.

Add salt, thyme, and crushed red pepper. This may seem like a large amount of salt, but it is needed to counter the sweetness of the soy creamer. Taste the sauce while putting it together and add more salt or crushed pepper if needed.

Add the flour and cook until thickened and bubbling – about 4-5 minutes. Stir constantly under low flame. Don’t let it brown or burn.

Add slowly, but stir voraciously at first, the soy creamer. Keep stirring until all of the creamer is in. Increase the heat to medium flame and bring to a simmer.

Add the Daiya to the sauce and continue to stir over heat until it has melted. The sauce will separate easily at this point, so stirring constantly is important.

Pour into the casserole dish over the cooked macaroni and stir until the sauce covers the pasta evenly.

Cover the casserole with bread crumbs. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy! (But in moderation, Hahaha.)