Recipes > Mac 'n' Cheese | Egg, Dairy & Gluten-Free
- Serves: 2 to 4
- Active Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Views: 51,350
- Success Rating: 98% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Gathering Your Mise en Place
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4-8 hours
- 1/3 cup coconut or grapeseed oil**
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 5 tbsp nutritional yeast*
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- nutmeg (optional, to taste)
Method
*Note: Nutritional yeast can be found at most health food stores. It is worth searching out, as this is what gives the sauce its “cheesy” flavor.
**Note: If using coconut oil, first melt it so it is pourable. You may or may not want to use an aroma-free coconut oil. Depending on how much you like the taste of coconut oil, as it will slightly alter the taste of the dish.
Gather the ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: Cooking the Pasta
- salt (1 tsp per L/qt of water)
- 8 oz pasta of choice*
Method
*Note: If you are looking to make a gluten-free dish, then use something like brown rice noodles.
To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. As the water comes to a boil, start to make the sauce.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the salt, followed by the pasta. Stir and then let cook according to instructions on the package.
If the pasta is done before you are finished making the sauce, drain and set it aside while you finish.
Step 3: Making the Cashew Béchamel
- lemon juice (optional)
Method
To make the sauce, first puree the cashews in a food processor. With the machine slowly running, drizzle in the oil and water.
Lastly, add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and nutmeg (if using) and continue to blend until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency. You can also add your own touch to the sauce. A bit of fresh lemon juice will go quite nicely.
Step 4: Finishing the Sauce
- 1/2 onion
- 1 to 2 tsp grapeseed oil
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
To finish the sauce, mince the onion. Heat a pot over medium heat and then add the oil, followed by the onions. Sauté the onions until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
To finish the sauce, add the cashew mix and bring to a simmer.
As the sauce heats up it will thicken. If it seems too thick, you may want to add a touch more water until you reach the desired consistency. Lastly, taste for seasoning.
Step 5: Finishing the Dish
Method
Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce and serve immediately. If you like, you can top with toasted panko (see next step).
Step 6: Panko Topping (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Method
To make the panko topping, heat a fry pan over medium heat, add the oil, panko and paprika. Stir constantly until golden brown.
Sprinkle over the pasta and serve.
22 Comments
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My gluten-free, dairy-free fiancee made this last night. Super simple, and amazingly delicious. We used gluten-free breadcrumbs that added a nice crunch. Shallots are also recommended. -
Can the bechamel be made ahead of time?
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This one is generally best when you are planning on using it as the sauce gets quite thick as it sits. That being said you could try making it ahead and see how it works for you...just be sure to reheat it slowly over low heat. You may also need to add a bit more water to thin it out. Hope this helps! -
I made this the other night and had left over sauce, decided to put the remainder sauce in the fridge to see if it can be made ahead of time. I added a bit of water and heated it slowly as you recommended and it worked. Thanks I did notice though, the recipe calls for garlic powder, but it's not mentioned in the steps, I added it in with the yeast and salt.
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Thanks for sharing your feedback Maureen, much appreciated. Also thanks for your sharp eye, I will fix the missing garlic powder in the text recipe. Cheers!
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is the nutritional yeast powder form or liquid form? I have never heard of nutritional yeast and very interested in making this dish. thanks -
Nutritional yeast comes in a powder-like form. Here is a link to some images of it. Cheers!
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You can buy nutritional yeast at the Bulk Barn. I am in Ontario not sure if Bulk Barn exists in other provinces.
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Good suggestion Maureen. As mentioned in the recipe, nutritional yeast is also available in most health food stores as well. It can also be ordered online. Cheers!
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Nutritional yeast also seems to be a key ingredient in miso gravy, which is fabulous over sweet-potato fries. -
Told my partner that we were having a vegan night and made Vegan meat patties and this mac and cheese. He questioned the mac and cheese until he took a bite. This is a marvelous dish. He is sold! -
Rouxbe Staff
That is great new Harry, good food speaks for itself right!? It is amazing how people enjoy a great variety of foods- especially new foods- if they are made with care and attention. Great work! -
I tried this side, plus the orange quinoa and sweet potato salad with fried chicken tonight. I don't know how the vegan mac and cheese stacks up to original versions in regard to calories, but the reduction in saturated animal fat just sounds healthier. I was a bit concerned about making this on the spot, because I had 2 other dishes going at the same time, but it came together very easily. After tasting the original with nutmeg, I decided to add a bit of liquid smoke, smoked paprika, a dash of cayenne and some chopped thyme. This worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It's easy to do and if I hadn't told my husband, I don't think he would have known the difference. He had seconds.
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Rouxbe Staff
Thank you for the positive feedback Rebecca - and nice work adding a few supporting flavoring elements. Keep up the good work!
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Do you soak the cashews? Thanks
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Karin- Yes, it is best to soak cashews and other nuts before blending for sauces or nut milks, etc. Soaking makes the cashews easier to blend and get creamy. ~Ken
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This was my favorite recipe I have made so far. It was creamy and delicious. I really enjoyed making it. -
Holy moly batman!! This is so delicious!!! It tastes nothing like cheese and it is so much better! The recipes on this site are just amazing so far!!! I didn't use the bread crumbs. We are a gluten free house due to celiac. Suppose I could use gf bread but I was too hungry and was only focused on the main dish. I found quinoa noodles at Costco which are really good and have a nice texture for this type of thing. -
Does anyone know if this will freeze well? -
HI Emily! My guess is that the whole casserole will freeze well and can be popped directly into the oven. In the past, I have frozen the béchamel and then made everything else fresh with great success. Let us know how it goes. Lauren -
Has anyone tried making this without the added oil? Any suggestions if I can just omit it or should I substitute with something else? -
Hi Jeannie. You can just skip the oil. Make the sauce 'as is' without it and then adjust with a tiny bit of water or vegetable broth if it ends up too thick as you heat it. Lauren
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