Single Serving Mac and Cashew Cheese

Eeeeeveryone has a vegan mac and cheese recipe. Some are better than others, but for the most part they're all pretty good. From the incredible VegNews Mac and Cheese to the Mac Daddy from Veganomicon, vegan mac and cheese comes in many noochie, buttery, vegetably forms. Isn't it an exciting time to be alive?

It's so creamy and comforting!

For my second post in the American Foods series leading up to the Fourth of July, I couldn't think of another food that deserved a mention more than good old macaroni and cheese. No one really knows where it originated, though evidence suggests it likely started its life as a gooey casserole of joy in Northern Europe. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Thomsas Jefferson became quite enamored with it after a trip to France and even served it at a state dinner in 1802. (Smithsonian Mag) 

It's remained an American staple ever since and vegans everywhere have been tweeking and perfecting their collective recipes to make the ultimate creamy, cheesy, gooey, noodley, cruelty-free version around. I love making up a big batch of it from time to time so that I have leftovers for later, but let's get real here for a second. I don't always have time to make a big batch of anything. I'm the only vegan in my house and my kids are 3 and 4. My options, as are the options of many omni/vegan households, are to dirty every single pan in the kitchen whilst making two meals or come up with a way to streamline the process so everyone is happy.

I choose streamlining. Doing dishes pisses me off.

My version of mac and cheese is easy and can be made right along with whatever non-vegan version you're making for the rest of the family. It's especially easy if you happen to have some leftover noodles in the fridge, becoming as close to a vegan Easy Mac as you're currently going to find.

It all starts with cashew cheese. I always have a basic recipe of this in my fridge because it's fantastic on it's own and also dressed up. I use this recipe and then dress it up however I like. A favorite that everyone in the house can agree on is a maple version slathered on cinnamon raisin bread, but that's for another post altogether.

 

You start with a couple tablespoons of cashew cheese for your base and mix a couple more tablespoons of nutritional yeast, some sea salt, pepper and a tablespoon of Earth Balance. I had my blender handy so I tossed all of the ingredients in there, but you really can mix this by hand.  

Obligatory blender shot

Once smooth, just scoop the sauce onto your cooked noodles, using a rubber spatula to get all of that cheesy, saucy wonder out of the blender (or bowl if you're hand mixing).

Velvety smooooooth

Mix the noodles and sauce gently and voila.

Poor Kraft. You just can't measure up

Single Serving Mac and Cashew Cheese

Ingredients

1 cup dry noodles (elbows, spirals, shells, etc.)

2 Tbsp prepared cashew cheese

1 Tbsp Earth Balance or Smart Balance Spread

1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (I use more or less depending on how noochie I want it. It comes out almost like a white cheddar mac when you go easier on the nooch.)

1/2 tsp sea salt

dash of pepper

1 tbsp water or plain plant based milk (I used almond)

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. 

While noodles are cooking, place all remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until sauce is smooth. Can also mix by hand in a bowl, but sauce might be a bit grainier.

Pour over hot noodles and mix. Enjoy

Variation

Put cashew cheese, salt, pepper and plant milk/water in a bowl and mix by hand. 

If using left over, cold noodles, add to bowl along with the Earth Balance.

Loosely cover bowl with a paper towel and microwave for about thirty seconds.

Carefully remove bowl and stir, incorporating ingredients.

Return to microwave and heat an additional 30-45 seconds. 

Stir again and enjoy.

I love this recipe just the way it is, but its simplicity makes it a perfect template for jazzing up. Some sauteed greens with a splash of sriracha, vegan hot dogs, peas or a dash of taco seasoning all make fantastic combos. Given that this post is part of a series of foods dedicated to our red, white and blue proclivities however, I decided to dress it up in a manner fit for the states.

Mac and cheese and bacon? I could run for president.

I sprinkled a little J&D's bacon salt over the top, giving it a wonderful smokiness and color. If you're unfamiliar with this product, I went into some details about it here. I have an update about it too. There were some questions about whether or not this was a vegan product. The company chose not to list it as vegan due to its shared space in the factory with items containing eggs and dairy and not because it contained any animal products, so I chose to use it instead of throwing it away. They now, however, have a product that they are labeling as vegan here. It's worth giving a try.

The lycopene makes this a health food now, right?

The finished product got a pretty little sprinkle of tomatoes and that was the last anyone ever saw of this bowl of mac and cheese. God Bless America.