Baked Mac & Cheese

Baked Mac & Cheese

| BAKED MAC & CHEESE |

But with no cheese...

This healthy, creamy, mac & cheese is actually made without the use of vegan cheese at all. While I do love (some) vegan cheeses it's not always the healthiest alternative. So this baked mac is lighter than you might expect, but still equally delicious and will definitely give you a boost rather than a dip in energy post meal. 

The recipe actually comes from my first ever ebook "High Protein Vegan Dinner" which is a part of the Bundle if you have that! It's near the end of the ebook and I haven't revisited this recipe in forever so it was fun to utilize one of my cookbooks and just follow along rather then create from scratch today. Though I do love that :) 

If you want to add some cheese make this extra decadent you could definitely do that! I would suggest adding it when you add the soy milk and spices to the roux. If you try this you'll probably need more milk as well so add in 1/4 cup extra as needed to get a smooth cheese sauce.

Recipe makes 4-6 servings

Macros per serving (if dividing in 4):

614 cals - 14g fat - 87g carbs - 35g protein

Macros per serving (if dividing in 6):

405 cals - 9g fat - 58g carbs - 23g protein

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups chickpea pasta, dry
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1/3 cup GF flour or regular all purpose flour 
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 cup pasta boiling liquids
  • 4 cups fresh spinach (I actually skipped it this time, but it's a great addition!)

    • 2 slices (80g) gluten free or regular bread (sourdough would also be amazing!)
    • 2 tbsp walnut
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
    • 1 tbsp onion powder 
    • 1/2 tsp salt

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    Recipe:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper or use a non-stick pan.

    2. Bring 6 cups water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions, just prior to draining - reserve 1 cup boiling liquids, set aside.

    3. While your pasta is boiling make the “cheese” sauce:

    4. Over the stove bring a small pot to medium heat and add the butter, allowing to melt completely.

    5. Add flour and mix well with the butter, it will be clumpy!

    6. Immediately add: soy milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and turmeric powder, whisking to combine.

    7. Gently bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook, whisking constantly until reduced by half, it will be thick and creamy. Remove from heat.

    8. Add the drained pasta back to the pot with cheese sauce, boiling liquids and spinach. Mixing well to combine.

    9. Pour prepared mac into the baking dish and smooth the top. Set aside.

    10. Bread crumbs: To a food processor add - roughly chopped bread slices, onion powder, nutritional yeast, walnuts, and salt, and pulse until desired breadcrumb consistency.

    11. Top the mac evenly with the bread crumb mixture.

    12. Bake in the oven for 15- 20 minutes or until bread crumbs are browned and crispy. 

    13. Enjoy!

     

     

     

    Interested in more high protein vegan dinner recipes from the ebook? Check it out here!

    Please note:

    All macros have been calculated to the best of my ability but may vary slightly.

    Some links provided are affiliate links and I do make a small commission when they are used.

     

     

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