Mom’s Outrageously Good Gluten-Free Vegan Mac & Cheese

To me, Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate American comfort food. My gluten-free and dairy-free version of this classic, similar to the original 1794 recipe by Elizabeth Raffald, is based on a creamy white mornay sauce. The secret is in the roux so don’t let it burn.  I recommend you spice the dish up a notch because Vegan cheese can be bland. We love it with sweet peas.   

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 -8

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package of Gluten-free ELBOW MACARONI
2 cups Vegan CHEDDAR CHEESE (I use Daiya brand)
1 cup Vegan MOZZARELLA CHEESE (I use Daiya brand)
3 tablespoons Vegan BUTTER (I use Earth Balance brand soy-free sticks)
3 tablespoon Gluten-free FLOUR
2 cups CASHEW MILK (my favorite) or any milk alternative (Rice/Almond)
1/4 teaspoon BLACK PEPPER
1 teaspoon of GARLIC POWDER
1 teaspoon of ONION SALT
SALT to taste (warning Daiya cheese tastes salty to me so salt sparingly)
Gluten-free ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS to cover the top
1/4 teaspoon PAPRIKA

Directions

• PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
• COOK the macaroni a few minutes less than the instructions on the package tells you to (like 5 minutes instead of 8). The pasta will continue to cook when you bake it.
• GREASE an 8X10 baking dish. I use a smaller baking dish then I think I need so that the recipe sets up nicely. 
• DRAIN the pasta and place it in the greased baking dish.
• MIX 1 cup of the Vegan cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of the Vegan mozzarella cheese into the pasta.
• In a medium saucepan, MELT the butter over low heat. 
• ADD the flour and WHISK continuously until gooey.
• STIR in the milk*, pepper, garlic powder, and onion salt until mixture starts to boil and then stir another 1-2 minutes until it gets thick and bubbly. (*NOTE: Don’t let the sauce turn into a paste. You just want a thick liquid. Add more milk as needed.)
• POUR the milk mixture over the cheese/pasta in the baking dish and mix thoroughly.
• TOP the dish with the remaining cheeses, SPRINKLE with plenty of bread crumbs, and then DUST with paprika.
• BAKE for 30 minutes. The top should be nicely browned and the cheese should be bubbly.