The One That Started It All…

Homemade macaroni and cheese has long been a Mockingbird favorite. The ultimate comfort food, it is often requested for family celebrations and has become a staple of our Christmas dinner.

With its creamy, cheesy goodness inside, baked to golden perfection outside, what’s not to love about mac and cheese? Well, for vegans—plenty.

When our fledgling made the leap from vegetarian to vegan, it saddened me that she could no longer partake of the dish she had enjoyed since childhood. At that time, the options for homemade vegan mac and cheese were more limited than they are today, so for a number of years at Christmas dinner she either had frozen vegan mac and cheese or skipped it altogether. Neither was entirely satisfying, but she was a trouper about it.

As the local availability of plant-based alternatives grew, so did my use of them—and one day, while stirring up a quick Alfredo sauce using Ripple half & half and Follow Your Heart Parmesan, it dawned on me that homemade vegan mac and cheese was not only possible, but could rival the dairy version. All of the planning took place in my head, but based on my long experience making the traditional dish and shorter (but successful) experience with the vegan alternatives, I knew it would work.

Our daughter didn’t share my confidence. Her reaction when she arrived on Christmas morning and I told her of my great experiment?

“I hope you have a backup plan.”

“Trust me,” I replied, “no backup plan will be necessary.” My assurance proved to be correct. After one taste, she proclaimed my homemade concoction the best vegan mac and cheese she’d ever tried. By the third bite, she declared it to be just as good as the dairy version she remembered. And by the end of the meal, she and my husband were both urging me to share the recipe online for others to enjoy.

And so, here it is: “The One That Started It All.”

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni or other small pasta¹
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard (or 1½ teaspoons prepared mustard)
• ½ teaspoon paprika (smoked or regular)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (such as Earth Balance)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour¹ (for stovetop preparation only – omit for Instant Pot)
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegan cream cheese
• 1-1½ cups² plant-based milk (Ripple pea protein milk preferred³)
• 4 ounces Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Parmesan⁴ Shredded or 5 ounces Grated – reserve 2 tablespoons if baking the macaroni & cheese
• ½ cup vegan breadcrumbs (homemade, Panko or another brand)¹ – optional, for baking
• ½ teaspoon olive oil – optional, for baking

Directions

Instant Pot preparation

• Add the macaroni, dry mustard, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot liner. Add water just to cover the pasta. Place buttery spread on top of pasta.
• Attach lid and set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook or Manual for 6 minutes on High Pressure.
• When finished cooking, let stand for 1 minute before doing a Quick Release of pressure. Use caution to avoid the steam!
• Stir the pasta to break up any clumps. Do not drain the remaining water.
• Add the cream cheese in 3-4 dollops and stir until melted. Stir in about half the milk.
• If using prepared mustard, add it now and stir until incorporated.
• Stir in the vegan parmesan, adding the remaining milk a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Stovetop preparation

• Cook the macaroni per package instructions.
• While the pasta cooks, melt the buttery spread in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, dry mustard, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper and stir until mixed.
• Add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until it begins to thicken.
• Remove milk from heat and stir in the vegan parmesan. If using prepared mustard, add it now and stir until incorporated into the cheese sauce.
• Drain the macaroni once it has finished cooking, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta and reserved water to the pot.
• Add the cream cheese in 3-4 dollops and stir until melted. Stir in the cheese sauce.

To bake (optional, but recommended)

• Transfer macaroni and cheese to an oven-safe casserole or Pyrex dish.
• Stir reserved Parmesan into breadcrumbs. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and stir until combined.
• Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the macaroni.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Notes

1. For a gluten-free variation, use Banza chickpea elbows or other GF pasta of your choice, GF flour (for stovetop preparation), and GF breadcrumbs or crushed GF crackers (for baking).
2. Start with 1 cup of plant-based milk and increase the amount if necessary.
3. You can use any plant-based milk, but we prefer the neutral flavor profile of Ripple.
4. This recipe was written taking a coconut allergy into consideration. Follow Your Heart Parmesan has an excellent flavor, melts well, and contains no coconut oil.

All content © 2023 by The Mockingbird Kitchen