My favorite irresistible, creamy baked favorite! The flavor is rich, nutty, and cheesy. Just a few simple steps to pop this dish in the oven and enjoy freshly baked!
One of the keys to this recipe is the cheese sauce! The flavor and consistency is everything. It starts with soaked cashews and plant based milk in a blender. The cheese sauce should be creamy and thin before it goes in the oven. It will be perfectly gooey and delicious when it comes out.
And as for the flavor, the mustard, vinegar, seasonings, and nutritional yeast all come together wonderfully. The nutmeg (which is sort of the secret ingriedient here!) gives it a little more richness and depth to the flavor. And I like flavors on the salty side, so add salt and pepper until you are completely satisfied. Then we are almost ready to make this baked mac 'n cheese.
The very last step before popping in the oven is the fried breadcrumb topping. Combine butter, breadcrumbs, and fresh parsely in a small skillet and cook until brown. This step brings the whole dish up a knotch! I've tried both with and without frying the breadcrumbs. Although sprinkling the breadcrumbs and parsely over the pasta is an option.
Once the breadcrumbs are on, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop this mac in the oven to bake! One of the most important things in this step- do not overbake. We want to keep the sauce...saucey! Overbaking it will cause it to dry out, and who wants a dry mac 'n cheese?!
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, and serve while warm. Enjoy freshly baked and even for leftovers if you have them! This baked Mac will heat up easily with a splash of milk. Great for the main meal or a side dish!
The Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
· 14-16 ounces pasta -elbows, cellentani, shells, etc.
· 1 medium head broccoli chopped into small bite-sized pieces
· 1 ½ cup cashews
· 3 cups plant based milk (I used oat milk)
· ½ cup nutritional yeast
· 2-3 cloves fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
· 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
· 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
· 1 teaspoon onion powder
· ½ teaspoon nutmeg
· ½ teaspoon paprika
· Salt & Pepper to taste
Breadcrumb Topping
· ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
· 1 Tablespoon vegan butter
· 1 teaspoon dried parsley
· ½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Soak cashews in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain when finished.
While cashews are soaking, begin to cook pasta al dente according to package directions. In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to the boiling pasta pot. Rinse with cold water and return to pot along with some oil or butter to keep from sticking.
In a high-speed blender, add cashews, milk, nutritional yeast, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic cloves, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, nutmeg, and paprika. Blend 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. It should look thin. Add S+P to taste.
In a small skillet, heat butter over medium heat and add breadcrumbs, parsley, and salt. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Grease a 9" x13" baking dish and set aside.
Pour ½ the cheese sauce over broccoli noodles in pot and mix well. Transfer noodles to prepared baking dish and spread evenly, gently patting down to make an even surface. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over top of the noodles.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over noodles, then bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake.
Allow to cool for at least minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
- Reheats easily with a splash of milk
- Stays good in the fridge for up to 5 days