Veganize It: Mac Un-Cheeze

Ladies and Gentleman.  I am proud to present to you a recipe.  A vegan recipe.  The holy grail of comfort food:  Mac Un-Cheeze.

In all its vegan, gooey, cheesy glory!

Your mouth is probably watering after viewing that photo, so I’ll save you the written oozy goodness about this recipe and cut right to the chase.  I just want to say that this recipe is ENTIRELY original, not an improvisation on another recipe, but one that Melissa came up with all her own.  I’m insanely proud of her!

Melissa’s Mac Un-Cheeze (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)

1/4 cup flour

2 cups non-dairy milk of your choice (we used plain soy milk)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheddar shreds

1/2 cup Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds

salt and pepper to taste

More Daiya shreds for topping

Panko bread crumbs

16 oz package pasta of your choice (we used whole wheat shells)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 425F
2. Cook and drain pasta, set aside.
3. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan on low heat.  Add the flour, quickly whisk together with the butter.  Add soy milk, turn heat up to medium.  Add nutritional yeast, whisk together.
4. Add the Daiya vegan shreds, stir.  Cook on low/medium until the shreds melt and forms a somewhat thick sauce, but not too thick. Watch the heat so it doesn’t burn or boil.
5. Once the sauce is ready (forming a melted and thickened sauce), remove from heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix the pasta and sauce together in a 9×9 baking dish and add some more shreds as you go along.  Use a generous amount of cheddar shreds on top, as well as a generous amount of panko bread crumbs.  No real measurements on this part, depends on how much melty and crunchy goodness you like!  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top.
7. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden.  Let cool and enjoy!

Tonight the Mac Un-Cheeze was served with some yummy crispy tofu cutlets and collard greens.  Talk about comfort food to the extreme!  Perfect for the sub-zero temperatures we have been experiencing here in Jersey City!

I mean, really now. I just can’t.

Vegan-ize It: Grilled Cheese

Did you know that today is National Grilled Cheese Day?!  Well it is!  And guess what?  Vegans can celebrate!!!

There are so many great cheese substitutes available nowadays.  Follow Your Heart produces several varieties of cheese wedges and cream cheeses. I love their cheddar for use in cheese and crackers or grilled cheese.  But my absolute fave lately is Daiya — they produce cheese shreds and their new wedges which I have not been able to find yet!  However, their cheddar shreds are PERFECT for making some vegan grilled cheese.  

I know pretty much everyone knows how to make grilled cheese, but I’m going to include a recipe anyway.  After all, its further proof that being vegan does not mean you miss out on some of the best comfort food!  Best part about vegan grilled cheese?  NO Cholesterol or Trans Fat!

Vegan Grilled Cheese (serves two)

Ingredients

• Your favorite vegan bread
• Daiya cheddar shreds
• Sliced tomato, if desired
• Earth Balance butter

Directions

1. Warm a pan or skillet over medium heat.  Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan.
2. Butter one side of four slices of bread.  Place two bread slices, butter side down in pan and portion out some Daiya cheddar on to each slice.
3. If desired, warm some tomato slices in the skillet.  (I prefer no tomato, but Melissa loves it!)
4. Take the other two slices of bread, and place them butter side up on top of the cheese, like a sandwich.
5. Cover pan with a lid to help the cheese melt, for a minute or two.  Be careful not to burn the bread.
6. Flip sandwiches to let the other side crisp.
7. Remove from pan and serve!

We had our grilled cheese with a nice kale salad tonight, but sometimes we’ll have it with tomato soup.  It’s the perfect comfort food!  Do you have a favorite vegan comfort food?