Vegan mac and cheese
Comfort food at its best, this creamy and indulgent vegan mac and cheese is a pure crowd pleaser. You could also use truffle oil instead of olive oil for a luxuriously fragrant sauce.
Each serving provides 490kcal, 10g protein, 58g carbohydrate (of which 2g sugars), 23g fat (of which 8g saturates), 5g fibre and 2.1g salt.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 400ml/14fl oz oat milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 120g/4oz vegan cheese, grated
For the topping (optional)
- ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 4 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely sliced
- pinch salt
Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook until just al dente.
To make the sauce, put all the ingredients apart from the vegan cheese into a bowl or blender and whisk or blend until smooth. Tip into a large pan over a low–medium heat. Add 100g/3½oz vegan cheese and cook until melted – but be careful not to bring it to a simmer.
Preheat the grill to medium–high. Drain the pasta, then add to the cheese sauce and mix until coated. Tip into a 30cm/12in oval baking dish and top with the remaining 20g/½oz vegan cheese. Grill for 5–10 minutes, or until golden.
If making the topping, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the garlic, sprouts and a pinch of salt and fry for 5 minutes. Scatter the topping over the mac and cheese before serving.
Recipe Tips
If you don't use it already, nutritional yeast is a "cheesy" substitute. It often comes in flakes, which makes it brilliant to stir into warm sauces like this one. It creates a luxurious, tangy, silky sauce. It is also a vegan source of Vitamin B12.