Necessity is the mother of invention and it certainly rings true for this recipe! My mum’s nut allergy spurred me on to create a vegan, delicious and nutritious take on this staple comfort food so she wouldn’t be excluded. Mac n Cheese is such a ubiquitous meal that it was quite daunting coming up with a recipe that could match the dairy-rich Mac n Cheese we all know and love! As so many members of my family have their various allergies and intolerances, it became paramount to create a recipe that not only matched the creamy and cheesy taste and texture of Mac n Cheese but was also 100% free-from.
What can I expect from this Mac N Cheese?
After various trials, this recipe was the delightful outcome! This dish is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and free-from the 14 main allergens! You can, of course, choose to sub in and out certain ingredients. Gluten Free pasta for durum wheat pasta is one such instance. The nut-free ‘cheese’ sauce is definitely the crowning glory of this recipe. It’s velvety and rich from the starchiness of the potato and creamy from the cauliflower! I’ve carefully selected the seasoning to try and mimic the flavours of cheese. We’ll even use lemon juice to try and recreate that slightly acidic flavour component common in most cheeses.
I’ve included a couple of variations for this sauce too. If you like more of a sweet, Red Leicester-coloured sauce, feel free to swap potatoes and cauliflower for sweet potatoes and carrots. It’s equally delicious and is a nice option if you’ve run out of certain vegetables. As long as you roughly keep the quantities the same, this recipe should work quite well with most vegetables you have left in your fridge or cupboard. Ideally you should include a starchy vegetable to help thicken the sauce.
You can find this recipe, and all my other quarantine cooking here on our blog, or you can watch a step-by-step video guide over on our Instagram.
Let’s get cracking!
Mac n Cheese
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Vegetable Peeler
- Stick Blender of Food Processor
- Wooden Spoon
- Colander
- Oven-Proof Dish
Ingredients
- 160 g White Potatoes (or Sweet Potatoes) peeled and chopped
- 160 g Cauliflower Florets (or Carrots) Fresh or Frozen
- 160 g Dried GF Pasta
- Handful Sweetcorn Fresh or Frozen
- 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Onion Granules
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice Fresh or Bottled
- 250 ml Vegetable Stock
- Two Handfuls Gluten-Free Rice Crumbs (or breadcrumbs) optional
- Parsley Fresh, optional
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- To begin, bring two medium-sized saucepans of water to the boil.
- Drop in the potatoes and cauliflower into one saucepan. Pour the dry pasta into the other saucepan and cook according to packet instructions.
- Boil the vegetables for 8-10 minutes, or until soft. Drain and tip back into the saucepan. Add in the nutritional yeast, onion granules, garlic powder, vegetable oil, lemon juice, vegetable stock, salt & pepper.
- Using a stick blender or food processor, blend the sauce ingredients until completely smooth. If your sauce is too thick, add another 50ml water and blend again. You want a creamy, rich sauce.
- Add the pasta to your sauce and stir together well. Add in any other vegetables you like, such as sweetcorn or spinach.
- Pour the Mac N Cheese into an oven-proof dish. Top with gluten-free rice crumbs and fresh herbs, such as parsley, if using.
- If you’ve opted for the rice crumbs, place in the oven for 15 minutes at 220°C/425°F.
- To serve, top with vegan cheese and fresh herbs to taste. Enjoy!