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Everything About Mac & Cheese Was Wrong — Until Now

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Everything About Mac & Cheese Was Wrong — Until Now

Dairy-Free Baked Mac & Cheese with Savory Crumb Topping

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce:

  • 4 cups (950ml) unsweetened neutral plant milk
  • 3 (200g) packs dairy-free shredded cheese (such as Daiya & FYH)
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 112g) dairy-free butter (such as Country Crock-Olive oil)
  • ½ cup (112g) Organic All-Purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon (such as Knorr veggie)
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper, pulverized (or ½ teaspoon powdered)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • Hot water (as needed to thin)

Pasta:

  • 1 lb pasta (short shape)
  • Salt

Topping:

  • 1 (7oz / 200g) plant-based sausage (such as Beyond or Impossible)
  • 1 (7oz / 200g) block chickpea tempeh, crumbled
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • Handful of parsley, chopped

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add flour and whisk for 2–3 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Be careful not to brown it.
  3. Slowly whisk in plant milk in stages until smooth and thick.
  4. Add bouillon, nutritional yeast, and white pepper.
  5. Stir in dairy-free cheese until melted.
  6. Season with smoked paprika and garlic. Thin with pasta water if needed.

Cook the Pasta:

  1. Boil pasta in salted water until slightly underdone (al dente).
  2. Reserve a little pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  3. Mix the pasta with enough cheese sauce to coat it well.

Make the Topping:

  1. Soften tempeh by boiling it for 1–2 minutes; drain.
  2. Sauté diced onion in a bit of oil in a cast iron pan (or the same pan used for the sauce).
  3. Add plant-based sausage and brown it.
  4. Season with smoked paprika, sage, garlic, onion, and poultry seasoning.
  5. Add softened tempeh and cook the mixture together for 2–3 minutes.
  6. Combine the sausage and tempeh mixture with panko breadcrumbs and chopped parsley in a bowl.

Assemble and Bake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C (convection fan preferred).
  2. Lightly oil a baking dish.
  3. Add sauced pasta, and optionally add a layer of dairy-free shredded cheese on top or in the middle.
  4. Cover evenly with the crumb topping.
  5. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

Video Description

Better than the classic, this savory dish tastes like comfort feels.

Simple, rich and silky smooth - delicious, dairy free, mac and cheese with a crispy, savory crumb topping that makes everything taste a little easier. Some days, comfort is high on the menu.

https://dereksarno.com/. Don't forget to sign up to that newsletter I'm gonna do :)

DIY Seasonings: https://youtu.be/MAF0WXkZnVU?si=FetAj08pKmLgCM-F

The Knives i use are from my friend https://www.foxyroks.com/

SIMPLE MAC & CHEESE RECIPE

Ridiculously Comforting Baked Dairy-Free Mac & Cheese

Serves: 6–8

Time: ~45 minutes

A silky dairy-free cheese sauce, layered pasta, and a crispy savory topping baked until golden. Simple, fast, and ridiculously comforting.

INGREDIENTS

Cheese Sauce

• 4 cups (950ml) unsweetened neutral plant milk

• 3 (200g) packs dairy-free shredded cheese (I used Daiya & FYH)

• ½ cup (1 stick / 112g) dairy-free butter (Country Crock-Olive oil)

• ½ cup (112g) Organic All-Purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon (i used knorr veggie)

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon white pepper, pulverized

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• Hot water (as needed to thin)

• 1 lb pasta (short shape)

• Salt

Topping

• 1 (7oz / 200g) plant-based sausage (I use beyond or Impossible for this one)

• 1 (7oz / 200g) block chickpea tempeh, crumbled

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon dried sage

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1 teaspoon granulated onion

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• Handful of parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the Sauce

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan (medium heat).

2. Add flour and whisk 2–3 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Don’t brown it.

3. Slowly whisk in oat milk in stages until smooth and thick.

4. Add bouillon, nutritional yeast, and white pepper.

5. Stir in dairy-free cheese until melted.

6. Season with smoked paprika and garlic. Thin with pasta water if needed.

2. Cook the Pasta

1. Boil pasta in salted water until slightly underdone.

2. Reserve a little pasta water, drain, mix with pasta with enough sauce to coat.

3. Make the Topping

1. Soften tempeh by boiling it for 1–2 minutes; drain.

2. Sauté onion in a bit of oil.

3. Add plant-based sausage and brown it.

4. Season with paprika, sage, garlic, onion, and poultry seasoning.

5. Add softened tempeh and cook all mixture together 2–3 minutes.

6. Combine mixture with panko and chopped parsley.

4. Assemble and Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180c (convection fan preferred).

2. Lightly oil a baking dish.

3. Add sauced pasta, layer of dairy-free shredded cheese on top or in the middle (EXTRA).

4. Cover evenly with the topping.

5. Bake 35 minutes or until bubbling and golden.