I am pretty sure that if you look up comfort food, you will see a picture of Mac and cheese. Just the bright yellow orange color makes you happy! A bowl of hot macaroni noodles coated with a cheesy sauce does the trick whether you are teen or a senior! You can make a quick bowl on the stove, take it to the next level by pouring it in a baking dish, top it with some seasoned breadcrumbs and vegan shredded cheese and bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes.
Fast forward a few decades, when I first tried to make a vegan version, I used shredded vegan cheese but the result varied with each brand of plant-based cheese. I have to say that it was a bit disappointing. Some cheese melted, other not so much. It rarely produced the rich orange yellow I was looking for. Back to the drawing board!
Making vegan Mac & Cheez Mix
So I decided to ditch store bought vegan cheese and make my own dry mix. Nutritional yeast obviously had to be the first and most important ingredient because it acts just like powder cheese! Don’t worry, this yeast is inactive and is grown from blackstrap molasses or sugar beets. It is high in vitamin B12, boosts the immune system, and reduces inflammation. It tastes like a mild nutty parmesan. We use it every day on salad, popcorn, sauces, roasted vegies and more.
Tip: If you are on a budget, buy nutritional yeast in the bulk section and refill your store bought container. It is worth it and you won’t have to throw away so many containers!
The key with this cheesy sauce is to have not only a good base (nutritional yeast is just that), but also some starch, seasonings and a little fat. It is that combination that makes this dish so comforting.
Starch
You can use cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca starch or even potato starch. They all work.
Seasonings
The base is salt, onion and garlic powder. For the color add some turmeric.
To thicken the cheesy sauce
Save a few tablespoons of the water that cooked the noodles. The starch in the liquid will help binding the powder to the noodles. You can also add some non-dairy milk. Both work.
Why use a dry mix
I always make at least 2 cups (that’s what the recipe yields), enough to fill a small mason jar. This way it is always there to use it not only on macaroni, but on tofu scramble, scalloped potatoes… Just keep it refrigerated for a few weeks but honestly, I don’t think that it will last that long!
A dry mix also allows you to add more, a few tablespoons at a time to make a thicker and richer sauce.
It is great to take with you when you travel to places that aren’t very vegan friendly! A little dusting goes a long way.
I wanted to add a French touch so I used some black truffle salt. It came out so good! This brand is amazing and quite affordable too! A pinch is all you need!
Bon appetit!
Vegan Black Truffle mac and cheez
Equipment
- food processor or grinder
Ingredients
Powder vegan cheese mix
- 1.5 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsp starch (corn, arrow root, tapioca, potato)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp mustard powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1-2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black truffle salt
- pepper
Macaroni
- 2 cup dry macaroni
- 4-6 cups water
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
Prepare the macaroni
- Boil 4-6 cups of water and cook the macaroni for 10-12 minutes until tender.
- Save 1/4 cup of the water and drain the rest.
Prepare the cheese powder
- Grind half a cup of raw cashews first to a thin powder. Add 1.5 cups of nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp of starch, 2 tbsp flour, mustard powder, onion and garlic powder and truffle salt.
- Pulse a few times just to mix well. Pour into a glass jar with a lid.
Put it together
- If the noodles have just been cook, use the same pan after draining the water.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon of cheese powder for every cup of cooked macaroni. Stir to blend.
- Add a tablespoon of vegan butter and a few tablespoons of pasta water, just enough to blend the powder and coat the noodles. Heat up the macaroni and stir until it starts to thicken.
- Taste an adjust the seasoning or add more powder.
- Serve immediately!
