Easy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

I don’t know about y’all, but when I was a kid I ate probably 3 boxes of mac and cheese per week. Who could resist the simplicity of the bright yellow skinny tubes of pasta! But what about vegan macaroni and cheese, though?

Nowadays there are many convenient, boxed vegan options out there. I’ve tried quite a few and I can safely say that not a single variety is worth the $5+ price tag. For instance, my favorite would be daiya, but it only has three servings per box, the pasta is gluten free and therefore not my preference, and it costs over $5 unless it’s on sale, which I’ve rarely seen. 3 servings for that price just doesn’t cut it for my family. I’d have to make two boxes to get and adequate size portion for each of us. 

Thankfully my kids love the vegan macaroni and cheese we now make. We make it a few different ways, but this is the basic recipe. It’s more affordable than buying the packaged kind, and you can have control over the kind of pasta used. We like traditional elbows, the classic straight macaroni that brings my back to my childhood, ziti, bowtie, whatever you want really! It doesn’t take very long to prepare and we make big batches to keep on hand for lunches as well. If you do use them as leftovers, make sure to add a splash of water or more butter as you reheat to make sure it isn’t too dry. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!

Easy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

A fast vegan macaronia and cheese, able to be tweaked to your preferences. Great for kids and grown-ups alike! Recipe by The Friendly Feast

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 generous helpings

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 package uncooked macaroni pasta
• 1 large carrot, cut in half
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (optional)
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Lemon, juiced (around 3 T)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T vegan butter

Instructions

 

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, with the carrot cooking in the pot as well. When pasta is done, turn off heat and add the mixed frozen vegetables if desired, letting them sit with the boiled water for 1 minute.
• Whiles pasta is cooking, blend cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, and garlic powder on high speed in the blender. Keep it in the blender and set aside.
• Drain the pasta and veggies, and add the large carrot to blender with cashew cheese and blend again thoroughly.
• Melt butter in the same pot over medium heat, then return cooked pasta and veggies to the same pot and stir. Add cashew cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.

Notes

This basic cashew cheese sauce is a staple in our house. We like to add fresh herbs like dill or basil sometimes, or even toss it in the oven covered with cheese shreds and breadcrumbs if we have more time.

If you prefer not to add the carrot, you may omit and use a 1/2 tsp of turmeric for color.

 

Keyword mac and cheese, macaroni