Hilary’s Vegan Mac & “Cheese”
Of all the recipes I’ve given out, this one has been shared the most. So much so that it made a full circle and we bumped into it applying for preschool. Let me explain…
One of my best friends, Hilary, became vegan in college and her Mac and “cheese” became a staple in all of our non-vegan houses because it’s so good. She adapted the recipe from the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. One Christmas she made “cookbooks” bound with velvet ribbon called Hilary and Casey’s Humboldt Loving. I was working in a famous SF Caribbean restaurant at the time and my co-worker decided to quit the dairy so I passed along this recipe.
Fast forward a decade and here we are trying to figure out a preschool in San Francisco which necessitates putting your baby on a waitlist while still in utero. My friend Kelly, from my days at said Caribbean joint (which will not be named due to shitty new ownership) introduced us to a rare and wonderful co-op preschool. This diamond of a school sits in a park with a geological wonder, has a vibrant community and her daughters have flourished at this gem for the last four years. In conversation I find out that Kelly makes the best Vegan Mac for snack and potluck and that she is secretive about the recipe. With a sneaking suspicion and minimal questioning we figure out she acquired the recipe from our mutual friend, who got it from me! Perhaps our willingness to share the recipe may have nudged a couple of opinions on the co-op board.
Surprisingly I love to make it for non-vegan folks and it’s perfect for a party where there may be many dietary restrictions. You can make it Gluten Free, add veggies or even top it with those crispy onions you have left over from that green bean casserole. I squirrel away broccoli, cauliflower or mushrooms in it all the time just so the baby squirrels can pick them out. It’s always worth a shot. You can make the “cheese” sauce and serve it over chips for vegan nachos. This is an especially great dish for the kiddos because they can build their own nachos, topping them with whatever you put out. Just to be clear : Cheese is my #1 food group. But sometimes you just don’t need it.
My famous, Hilary’s Humboldt lovin, Kelly’s secret, Rocky Mountain Nursery School favorite : Vegan Mac & “Cheese”
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time : 20 minutes Servings : 8
3 1/2 cups of boiling water *
1/2 cup of Earth Balance ( or other non dairy butter of choice)
1/2 cup of flour **
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
dash of tumeric
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1/4 cup of vegetable oil - I like avocado oil but canola works fine
1 lb of your favorite pasta ** - I like ones with ridges to hold the sauce like Rigatoni or Fusilli
sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika
*I have used nut milk and it is a bit creamier but I don’t find it’s a big enough difference to account for the cost so I usually still use water
** Sub Gluten free All Purpose or Rice flour and Brown Rice pasta to make the dish GF friendly
Boil a pot of water for your pasta and cook as directed. Boil a separate pot of water for your sauce. I measure it out in our water kettle for an easy step. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the Earth Balance in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook until smooth and bubbly. Whisk the roux so it becomes a bit toasty and cooks off the flour flavor, around 5 minutes. Add the hot water slowly while whisking. It will clump up, thicken and then thin out as you add all of the water. Cook a few minutes until thick and smooth. Add garlic, salt, tumeric and soy sauce. Remove from heat and beat in the nutritional yeast and oil.
Reserve about 1/2 cup of cheese sauce and combine the rest with your pasta in a baking dish. This is where you can add in lightly steamed veggies or sauteed mushrooms. Once the gooey goodness is all mixed together and settled, add the 1/2 cup to the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with a bit of Cayenne pepper for adults or Paprika for the kiddos. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and then broil for a crispy “cheese” top (5-10 minutes). Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
