Easy vegan mac and cheese

There is no greater comfort food than mac and cheese, and I find that so many of the pre-made options just aren’t on the same level. Either the sauce isn’t even cheesy, or it has this odd grainy texture to it which does take away from the ‘comfort’ side of the meal. I have been trying to experiment with a few new meals and recipes, and I think I have the mac and cheese sorted.

I am also a big fan of using silken tofu and am realising how easy it is to cook with, especially when it comes to making sauces. It does make me feel a bit better about a comfort meal when I know that the protein content is super high, because then it feels like I’m being super healthy.

Ingredients

• macaroni cheese
• one packet of silken tofu
• grated cheese
• nutritional yeast
• milk (I prefer oat as it is creamier but any would work)
• Optional: Paprika for colour and garlic powder for a little extra taste

Steps

1. Cook the pasta as required. This usually takes around 15 minmutes, if I include time to boil the water.
2. In a blender, blend the silken tofu, adding small amounts of milk to help create a smooth and creamy consistency.
3. Add in nutritional yeast and blend again until smooth. I use 3 tablespoons of the nutritional yeast, but you can do more or less depending on taste.
4. I liek to add in a teaspoon of paprika to give it a tiny bit of heat and a more ‘orange’ colour, along with a teaspoon of garlic powder for that subtle extra flavour to the mac and cheese.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and combine the pasta and the sauce into a saucepan. Heat over a low heat and mix in 3 generous handfuls of the grated cheese (or more or less depending on your taste preference). Mix the pasta to ensure that the cheese is mixed in and melts evenly. If the sauce begins to get too thick, add small amounts of milk until you have your desired consistency.
6. Once you are satisfied with the taste and consistency of the mac and cheese, serve up!

For the grated cheese, I tend to prefer Violife as it does melt best out of the options I have tried, however this is a personal preference and the same method can be used for any grated cheese. I am currently planning to try this recipe with cream cheese instead, in the hopes that it gives a far creamier ‘cheese’ flavour, so will let you know if this makes an real difference. But in any event, this recipe is a super easy go to and I fully intend to cook this throughout the winter when I need something quick, easy, and relatively healthy!

Any suggestions on how I can elevate this recipe further? I am always wanting to know new ways to cook and to experiment with food, so please do let me know!

T xxx