Name: Mac-nificent! Plant-Based Mac and Cheese
Ingredients: 1 medium-large yellow sweet potato (¾ lb; see tips); 2 small/medium carrots (about ¼ lb; see tips); 1 medium-large onion (see tips); ⅓ cup raw cashews (or another 2½ Tbsp tahini); ¼ cup nutritional yeast; 1 Tbsp tahini; 1 Tbsp tomato paste; ½ Tbsp arrowroot powder; ½ Tbsp mellow miso; 1 – 1¼ tsp sea salt; ½ tsp Dijon mustard; 1 medium-large clove garlic; 2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk, divided; 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; ¼ cup water; 4½ – 4¾ cups uncooked pasta; ½ cup bread crumbs of choice; ¼ – ⅓ cup almond meal (see tips for nut-free option); Couple pinches sea salt

Mac-nificant! Plant-Based Mac and Cheese

By Dreena Burton

(43)

This is one of our favorite baked mac and cheese recipes! The roasted veggies add concentrated flavors that combine so well in a creamy sauce base.

Yield: 4–6 servings

Low Sugar

Reprinted from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton (BenBellaBooks, 2015).

Ingredients

Vegetables

1 medium-large yellow sweet potato (¾ lb; see tips)
2 small/medium carrots (about ¼ lb; see tips)
1 medium-large onion (see tips)

Sauce

⅓ cup raw cashews (or another 2½ Tbsp tahini)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp tomato paste
½ Tbsp arrowroot powder
½ Tbsp mellow miso
1 – 1¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 medium-large clove garlic
2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk, divided
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water

Pasta

4½ – 4¾ cups uncooked pasta

Topping

½ cup bread crumbs of choice
¼ – ⅓ cup almond meal (see tips for nut-free option)
Couple pinches sea salt

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse/scrub the sweet potato, carrots, and onion, but do not peel! Place whole on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for about an hour, until softened and roasted (if using carrot, it won’t soften, but that’s okay because it will be pureed).
4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while preparing other ingredients. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F to bake pasta.

Make the sauce

1. In a blender (high-powered works best), add the cashews, nutritional yeast, tahini, tomato paste, arrowroot powder, miso, sea salt, mustard, garlic, 1 cup of the milk, and lemon juice. Blend until mixture starts to come together and is smooth.
2. Remove peels from sweet potato and onion (no need to peel carrot).
3. Add the roasted veggies and remaining 1 cup milk and water to blender. Puree until completely smooth.

Assemble

1. Pour the sauce into a baking dish (9" × 12", or 2 quart, roughly), scraping every bit from the blender!
2. Cook pasta until almost tender, then drain (don’t rinse). Transfer pasta to the baking dish, and gently mix through to coat.

Make the topping

1. Mix the bread crumbs, almond meal, and sea salt in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the casserole.
2. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 15–16 minutes (if you have chilled the casserole before baking, give it another few minutes).
3. Remove the foil and bake for another 5–6 minutes, or until the topping is golden. Don’t overbake, as the sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.
4. Remove from the oven, let sit for a few minutes, and serve!

Cooking Tips

1. Sweet Potato/Carrot Note: If using orange versus yellow sweet potato, the mixture will be slightly sweeter, so you can use the full 1¼ teaspoon of sea salt to balance. Also, if using an orange sweet potato, omit the carrot (not needed for color), and just use the full 1 pound of orange spud!
2. Onion Note: The onion will become very mellow with roasting, adding a beautiful flavor that is not sharp or pungent.
3. Nut-Free Note: Substitute another 2½ tablespoons tahini for the cashews in the sauce, and omit the almond meal in the topping.

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Mac-nificent! Plant-Based Mac and Cheese