The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese

The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese:

Serves 4:

4 servings of your favorite organic mac and cheese pasta. The more places for the cheese to get stuck the better. I like fun shapes and pinwheels the most!

1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil

1 organic yellow onion, minced

2 organic garlic cloves, minced

4 cups organic cauliflower florets

1 1/3 cups of organic unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon organic tomato paste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 teaspoon onion powder (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon organic nutmeg

2 teaspoons organic paprika 

3-4 twists of organic ground pepper (to taste)

spinkle of organic cayenne pepper (optional and to taste)

1 cup or more of organic vegan mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil 

1-2 cups organic bread crumbs

Chop the cauliflower into small florets, then steam for 8-10 minutes or until soft. 

While the cauliflower is steaming, begin to sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat until onions are tender, making sure they don't brown or become crispy. Once the cauliflower is complete, add it to the pan with the onion and garlic and continue sautéing for about 3-5 minutes. 

Begin cooking the pasta according to instructions. 

Add cauliflower, onions, and garlic to a blender, Vitamix, or food processor and blend until completely smooth then return to the sauce pan. Add the almond milk, onion and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, lemon juice, nutmeg, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine everything fully. Allow to simmer on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes. 

While sauce is cooking, heat a small fry pan over low-medium heat and add in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the breadcrumbs. Stir continuously until they become golden brown, then remove from heat and set aside.

Once the pasta is done, strain it and add it to the cheese sauce (or vice versa if your pasta pan is bigger). While you are combining the pasta and cheese sauce, stir in the vegan mozzarella. Continue stirring while over low heat for another 2 minutes to combine the sauce and pasta nicely. 

Add mac & cheese to bowl, top with breadcrumb toping and enjoy! To add some extra spice, serve with a side of this Healthy Homemade Hot Sauce. 

Healthy Life Tip: To add some veggies or variations to the recipe, sauté or steam your veggies of choice while the pasta and sauce are cooking. Then add them to the pasta when you add in the mozzarella at the end. Some of my favorite combinations are peppers, mushrooms, and onions; spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes; and corn, peas, and black beans. Enjoy!