Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese with Golden Breadcrumbs

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Elbow macaroni stays creamy beneath a generous golden breadcrumb topping in this baked vegan mac and cheese. The pale orange-yellow sauce comes from tender potato, carrots, and onion blended with softened cashews; nutritional yeast adds savory, cheese-like flavor.

Cook the pasta just to al dente and keep the sauce thick but pourable before baking. That way, the macaroni holds its shape and stays moist while the crumbs brown.

Ingredients for Vegan Mac and Cheese

• 12 ounces dry elbow macaroni (340g)
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced, about 5 ounces (140g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced, about 4 ounces (115g)
• ½ small yellow onion, chopped, about 2 ounces (55g)
• ½ cup raw unsalted cashews (70g)
• ½ cup unsweetened canned coconut milk (120g)
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast (20g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste and for the pasta water
• ½ to ¾ cup reserved vegetable cooking water, as needed
• ¾ cup fine plain dry breadcrumbs (80g), checked for non-vegan ingredients
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil

Optional: Add ¼ teaspoon paprika to the sauce for a subtle warm seasoning note. Use unsweetened canned coconut milk, not sweetened coconut milk or a coconut beverage. This recipe contains cashews.

How to Make Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese

1. Soak the cashews: Cover with hot water and let stand for about 20 minutes while you prepare the vegetables. Drain before blending.
2. Cook the vegetables: Put the potato, carrots, and onion in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. A fork should pass easily through both the potato and carrots. Reserve at least ¾ cup cooking water, then drain.
3. Cook the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Boil the macaroni in salted water according to the package directions, stirring occasionally. Drain when al dente, with a slight bite; it will heat again in the oven.
4. Blend the sauce: Add the drained vegetables and cashews to a blender with the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup reserved cooking water. Let steam subside briefly and vent the lid as directed by your blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more reserved water a splash at a time if needed. The sauce should coat a spoon but still flow from it. Taste and adjust the salt.
5. Assemble: Coat the macaroni thoroughly with the sauce and spread it in an approximately 2½-quart baking dish. Toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and scatter them generously over the pasta.
6. Bake: Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. Remove when the crumbs are golden and the pasta beneath is hot and moist. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then spoon out loose portions with both topping and creamy macaroni.

How to Keep the Sauce Creamy

The potato and carrots must be completely fork-tender before blending; firm pieces can leave the sauce grainy. Soaked cashews also blend more readily, though a less powerful blender may need extra time. If the sauce looks pasty before baking, blend in a little more reserved cooking water until it pours easily.

Getting a Golden Breadcrumb Top

Fine breadcrumbs make a substantial, crisp topping, and coating them with oil helps them brown evenly. Go by their color rather than baking for the full time if the crumbs are already golden and the pasta is hot. A deeper layer in a smaller dish may take longer to heat through.

Serving and Variations

Spoon the mac and cheese onto plates rather than cutting it into squares. Simply dressed mixed greens make a contrasting side.

For a stovetop version, serve the macaroni as soon as it is coated with sauce, omitting the breadcrumbs and baking. It will be creamy throughout but will not have the crisp crust. Small shells can replace the elbows at the same weight, though they will give the finished dish a different shape.

For another plant-based meal idea, try Mediterranean lentils and rice.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 6 servings: 440 calories, 14g protein, 14g fat, and 65g carbohydrates. Approximate values per 100g of finished dish: 165 calories, 5g protein, 5g fat, and 24g carbohydrates. Values vary with the pasta, coconut milk, breadcrumbs, and finished weight of the dish.