I Tried Tabitha Brown’s VEGAN Mac ’N’ Cheese after watching Merle O’Neal

cashews

🥗Healthier: silken tofu

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Silken tofu provides creaminess with lower fat.

nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: parmesan cheese

Parmesan cheese adds flavor but is not vegan.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is a more budget-friendly cooking oil.

breadcrumbs

🥗Healthier: ground oats

💰Cheaper: crushed crackers

Crushed crackers provide a similar texture for topping.

Poke holes in the squash with a fork and microwave for 3 minutes to make peeling easier.

Peel the potato and cube it, then place it in a pot with cold water.

After microwaving, peel the squash, cut it in half, and remove the seeds, saving them for later.

Cube the squash and add it to the pot with the cubed potato, then add salt and herbs/spices (cayenne, nutmeg, black pepper, Dijon mustard, oregano, and basil).

Bring the pot to a boil and let the vegetables cook for about 15 minutes.

Boil the medium shells pasta in a separate pot for about 13 minutes.

Save about 1/2 cup of starchy water from both the pasta and the root vegetables before straining them.

Add the starchy water and half of the potato and squash mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the remaining potato and squash mixture and 1/4 cup of vegetable stock to the blender and blend until even smoother.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 stick of vegan butter over low heat, then add the blended squash mixture and 1/2 cup of vegan yogurt.

Stir in 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and the vegan cheese (3/4 cup each of cheddar and mozzarella).

Mix in the cooked pasta until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and broil in the oven to brown the top and dry it out a bit, adding more mozzarella cheese for color variation if desired.

After a few minutes under the broiler, remove and serve topped with smoked paprika.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens