Ultra Cheesy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Mmmm mac and cheese! So wonderfully cheesy and hearty and comforting. The perfect comfort food really! And if you thought you had to give that up with a vegan lifestyle then never fear, vegan mac and cheese is here! (Couldn’t resist!)

This vegan mac and cheese is everything you want a mac and cheese to be! Super cheesy, saucy, creamy, rich and satisfying!

Roasted butternut squash is blended with a fabulously spiced cashew cream cheese sauce and some cooked onion and garlic and this is how the magic happens.

And you will seriously not believe how cheesy this is! But oh my – it is!

The whole meal comes together in less than an hour and really, it only takes that long because you roast that butternut for around 35 minutes until it is beautifully roasted perfection.

If you prefer to eat gluten-free then this recipe is super easy to adapt to gluten-free. All you have to do is use gluten-free pasta and you’re done! The cheese part of this macaroni and cheese is already gluten-free.

Serve it with some grated vegan cheese (optional) and some vegan parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, a few leaves of cilantro for color and you have a totally beautiful dish.

You will love this fabulous vegan mac and cheese! It is:

• Wonderfully cheesy
• Saucy
• Ideal comfort food
• Fabulously flavored
• Everything a mac and cheese should be!

Leftovers keep wonderfully in the fridge and can either be reheated the next day for lunch or enjoyed cold (it’s super good!). So definitely make the full recipe even if you’re not serving many people, you’ll be grinning to yourself over the next few days as you enjoy the leftovers!

So what do you think of this vegan mac and cheese? I hope you’re very very tempted! Don’t be tempted, just go ahead and make it! And when you make it, please pop back and rate the recipe, as that is so helpful.

And if you take any pics, tag us #lovingitvegan on instagram! We love nothing more than seeing what you’re cooking up out there!

For more delicious vegan dinners, check out these fabulous meals:

1. Cheesy Garlic Vegan Alfredo
2. Thin-Crust Hawaiian Vegan Pizza
3. Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
4. Green Curry Fried Rice with Crispy Baked Tofu
5. Linguine with Garlic Chili Peanut Sauce
6. Vegan Lasagna
7. Tahini Mushroom Sauce Over Penne

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Vegan Mac and Cheese

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Loving It Vegan
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6
• Category: Entree, Dinner
• Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free Optional

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Description

Fabulously cheesy Vegan Mac and Cheese. Perfect comfort food, this saucy and deliciously flavored dish is better than the ‘real thing’!

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Ingredients

For the Pasta:

• 18oz (500g) Macaroni or Pasta Shells

For the Butternut:

• 1 Large Butternut
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Sprinkle Salt and Pepper

For the Onion/Garlic:

• 1 Onion
• 3 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

For the Cashew Cheese Sauce:

• 1 cup (150g) Cashew Nuts (Raw)
• 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup (240ml) Water
• 1 tsp Paprika

For Topping:

• Grated Vegan Cheese
• Black Pepper
• Vegan Parmesan
• Fresh Cilantro

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
2. Peel and chop the butternut and then add to a bowl with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss so that all the pieces are lightly coated with the oil.
3. Transfer to a parchment lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until soft and cooked.
4. While the butternut is baking, prepare the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, cover (to stop it from drying out) and set aside.
5. Prepare your cashew cheese sauce by adding the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, water and paprika to a blender jug and blending until smooth.
6. Chop up the onion and crush the garlic and add to a pot with the olive oil. Sauté until softened.
7. Add the cooked butternut to the onion and garlic and mix in.  Pour over the cashew cheese sauce. Use an immersion blender to create a smooth sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender then add to your blender jug in stages until perfectly blended.
8. Add the cooked pasta and mix in.
9. Serve with some grated vegan cheese, black pepper, vegan parmesan and fresh cilantro.

Notes

*Keeps very well in the fridge and can be served cold the next day or reheated as you prefer.

*You can easily adapt this recipe for gluten-free, just use a gluten-free pasta.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Serve (of 6)
• Calories: 555
• Sugar: 7.8g
• Sodium: 233mg
• Fat: 17.1g
• Saturated Fat: 2.6g
• Carbohydrates: 86.3g
• Fiber: 8.6g
• Protein: 16.8g