Well, I can’t say if this is the “best ever vegan mac & cheese” or not, because this is the only vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever had.
I really wanted to stay away from these types of recipes this week. I just figured if I were a vegan, I wouldn’t eat things like mac & cheese. But after reading that the “cheese” is made with cashews and almond milk, it sounded nutty enough that I wanted to try it.
This dish also involved a new ingredient I’d never heard of or had before: nutritional yeast, or nooch, as it is sometimes called. It’s a deactivated yeast that’s supposed to be packed with megatons of nutrients. I think it provides a lot of the “cheese” flavor in this sauce too.
So, how was this vegan mac and cheese? Well, if you’re comparing this to regular mac and cheese, I’d give it a zero. It’s that whole mac & cheese expectation in my head. It’s hard to ignore. However, if this was called cashew cream noodle dish, my rating goes up to a 5 out of 10. I didn’t love, I didn’t hate it. It wasn’t gross. It was good. It was just different, and I think better suited as a side dish.
Based on this dish, if I were vegan I think I would avoid mac & cheese altogether. There are so many other great vegan recipes out there I think I’d better off eating those instead. But after not having cheese for awhile, maybe this satisfies the cheese craving?
Ellie devoured this, and Aya really like it too. She agreed though that if you didn’t compare it to mac & cheese it would be better.
The sauce was very smooth and creamy. It was not chunky, crunchy, or nutty. I was definitely glad we tried it.
RECIPES:
I really liked this. But I think half of it was based on the amusement factor; 1) A “vegan” Mac & Cheese?! And 2) Hmmmm…cashews and miso?! Interesting… I would agree and say you’re better off thinking of this as a noodle dish with a creamy sauce. You just can’t compare it with a “regular” Mac & cheese. I liked sprinkling over the left over garlic panko from Tuesday too. Yum. If anything, this is a “Mac & Cheese” that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy,
What an adventurous family! 🙂
Hi there! Good on you for trying Vegan Mac and Cheese – a lot of people would run in fear. I agree that it doesn’t taste like the “real” thing, but after began vegan for a few years, it comes close enough! Thanks for the link back to my blog. Take care!
I’m glad we tried it for sure! And my 3 year old daughter loved it. 🙂 I’ll definitely be back to your site for more recipes. I have my eye on your oven-baked mexican quinoa casserole for next week!