Baked Mac No Cheese

Tonight I went to a party with the lovely Wicked Pissahs and had to make something absolutely yummy.  Let me just say that these ladies amaze me!  Everything at this potluck was really healthy and there were actually several vegan options.  So awesome.

I decided to make vegan baked macaroni and cheese.  I know, I know it can't be like the real thing, right?  WRONG?  In fact, a few people said that they didn't even know it was vegan.  I originally saw this recipe on Amy's Gourmet Blog, but have adapted it a little over time to give it more flavor and better texture.  Each time I make it, it gets a little better better!

Baked Mac No Cheese


Ingredients


Pasta of your choice
1 shallot
1 cup of cauliflower (Amy uses potatoes, but I think the cauliflower gives it a better texture)
3/4 cup of peeled and cut carrots
3/4 cup of peeled and cut parsnips (These aren't in the original recipe)
1/2 cup of raw, chopped cashews
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon of red pepper
11/2 cup of Rice Chex
1/3 cup of Earth Balance
A little Italian seasoning (I use a combination of thyme, oregano, basil and marjoram)
Some salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

First things first, get the water bowling and your pasta cooking (I add a little salt and EVOO to mine).  While the pasta is cooking, chop up all of your veggies and put them in a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups of water and your garlic.  Bring them to a boil and cover.

In your food processor, make your breadcrumbs by combining the Rice Chex, a splash of EVOO and some Italian seasoning.  These are your breadcrumbs. Process well and set aside.  Next process the raw cashews until they are really fine, almost powdery.

Once your your veggies have softened (you want them pretty soft) poor them into the food processor with the cooking water.  Add the cashews, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, red pepper, black pepper, smoked paprika, some Italian seasoning and the Earth Balance.  I add a little salt here, but not much.  Process this until you have a smooth, cheesy like substance.  Do a little quality control here and take a taste to see if you need more salt or any other flavors.

After you have drained your pasta, place it back into the the pot and add the cheesy mixture and about 1/2 a cup of the bread crumbs.  Mix well and make sure that the pasta is coated well.  Spread the pasta and mixture into baking pan and spread the remaining breadcrumbs over the top.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the top brown.