Vegan Mac and Cheese Casserole with Peas and Bacon
Did you know that mac and cheese isn't actually an American invention, but an English one? Well, we think whoever had the brilliant idea of combining pasta with cheese sauce and a cheese topping deserves an award.
- For the casserole:
- 300 g Macaroni
- 200g smoked tofu, vegan sausage or vegan bacon cubes
- 150g frozen peas
- For the sauce:
- 400g potatoes
- 100g carrots
- 1 large onion
- 150 g Cashewnüsse
- 250 ml vegan cream
- 300 ml plant-based milk
- 300 ml water
- 5 tbsp yeast flakes
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- For the topping:
- 150g vegan shredded cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g panko (or breadcrumbs)
- Peel the potatoes, carrot, and onion, cut them into large chunks, and place them in a pot along with the cashew nuts. Cover with water, add plenty of salt, and cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Then drain.
- Return the cooked vegetables, vegan cream, plant-based milk, water, and nutritional yeast to the pot and blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika, and bring to a boil while stirring.
- Once the sauce is simmering, add the pasta directly to the sauce and mix. Simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly (otherwise the sauce will stick to the bottom), until the pasta is just before al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than indicated on the package. Finally, stir in the frozen peas and vegan ham. Season to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (convection). Place the pasta and sauce in a casserole dish. Mix the vegan shredded cheese with oil and panko breadcrumbs, then spread the topping over the casserole. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the vegan cheese layer is melted but slightly crispy and golden brown.
We've transformed basic mac and cheese into a delicious casserole that you can enjoy while snuggled up in a cozy blanket and watching an episode of Gossip Girl. It makes those cold, wet autumn days so much more bearable. The best thing about casseroles is that you can easily swap out or omit anything you don't like. For example, instead of vegan bacon, you could use smoked tofu, or replace the peas with spinach, broccoli, or zucchini.
And shhh… don't tell anyone: We even hide a little carrot, onion, and potato in our sauce – so it's perfect for all you picky eaters! Nutritional yeast flakes give the sauce that extra cheesy flavor. You can now find these in any well-stocked supermarket or health food store. And last but not least, we have a great tip for making your cheese layer extra crispy: Simply mix some panko breadcrumbs into the vegan shredded cheese. You can find these in Asian markets or substitute regular breadcrumbs. This creates an incredibly crispy and flavorful cheese layer that you'll never want to eat any other way again.
