Vegan ‘Mac ‘n Cheese’

Most people like Macaroni and Cheese.  Maybe not KD style, but at least the ’from scratch’ version.  Dr. T is lactose intolerant, (and I’m allergic to milk, but I don’t avoid it as much as I should — oops!) so I at least try to make lactose reduced meals.  This is completely dairy free.  

I have to warn you, the roux smells kinda funny when it’s cooking.  It must be the soy boiling, but that’s normal and when it’s all together it smells and tastes great!

Use pimentos (bought in most grocery stores, in a tiny little jar) if you don’t like spice.  If you don’t mind spice, save some money and just use spice banana pepper rings.  You can chop them or toss them in whole. 

I’ve used other mac ‘n cheese recipes that use real cheddar, and I didn’t like them nearly as much as this recipe.  Actually, I thought they were kinda gross and heavy.  It could just be that I didn’t feel well from the dairy…well, this is a much tastier recipe, either way!

You can add veggies or whatever, to change things up.  I’ve never tried it.  Let me know if you find a winning combination!

The best part is the crunchy topping!  And make sure you don’t forget the mustard.  It’s the most important part to making the dish! 

Mac ‘n Cheese 

1 and a half boxes of GF macaroni

4 tbs margarine

2 tbs cornstarch

2 tbs sweet rice flour

2 cups soy milk/beverage

1 package soy cheese

1/3 cup pimentos or banana peppers

1 tsp French’s mustard

salt and pepper

Topping:

1/3 cup GF crumbs

paprika, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 °f.  Cook macaroni, al dente so they don’t get too mushy when they are baked.

Melt margarine, add flour and cornstarch.  Stir to make a roux.  Slowly add soy liquid.  Stir until mixture thickens and begins to boil.  Remove from heat and add the ‘cheese’, peppers, mustard, salt and pepper.  Drain the pasta and mix well.

Turn into a lightly greased casserole dish.  Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top.  Bake for about half an hour.  The cheese should be bubbly around the edges and the top should be crispy.

When I last made it, I used 2 boxes of potato macaroni.  That’s a bit too much pasta, which doesn’t leave it as ’saucy’.  GF pasta packaging is small and inconsistent.  About 2.5 – 3 cups of dry pasta should be adequate, depending on how much the pasta expands.  It’s something you have to play around with. 

Before I was GF I always used one regular box of whole wheat macaroni.  It didn’t matter the brand, since the sizes are really close.  Oh well, live, learn and eat!