I have a few friends who own a macaroni and cheese restaurant in Oakland, CA called Homeroom. Now that I live in Seattle, I miss it dearly. While everything is delicious there, what stays with me is the memory of how creamy and delicious their vegan mac and cheese was. I couldn't believe it was dairy-free! I've been looking to duplicate the recipe at home and started searching online for some tips and tricks on achieving a creamy, cheesy dish without ... the cream. Or cheese.
Many folks drawn to making vegan dishes might already know some of the tricks as they're certainly far from secret. When I was telling my boyfriend Sam about what I'd discovered, his response was: "You clearly never lived in a co-op." This is true. For the record, Sam has.
But for these tips, I turned to Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews of the beautiful blog Love and Lemons. Recently they put up a post on vegan Mac and Cheese and discussed the method they use to get a dish that seems extra creamy, cheesy and tasty without the dairy. Here's what I learned:
3 Tips for Great Vegan Mac and Cheese
1. Nutritional Yeast is Key: Sam was appalled I didn't already know this, but nutritional yeast is key in a vegan mac and cheese because it's what gives it that cheesy flavor. A lot of different vegan dishes rely on it. Jeanine and Matt spoon in a little Dijon as well to boost the flavor even more.
2. Coconut Milk: If you're not using milk, you've got to get liquid and a creamy texture in there somehow. I've heard of a lot of folks using almond milk but I love the idea of using coconut milk for more of a decadent, silky bite.
3. Turmeric Adds Color: If you've ever made a tofu scramble or an Indian recipe, you already know that turmeric brings on the yellow color and many folks add it to their vegan mac and cheese to emulate cheese's bright hues.
Find the Recipe: Vegan Mac and Cheese with Peas | Love and Lemons
Related: Hold the Cheese, Please! 8 Indulgent Vegan Pasta Dishes
(Image: Love and Lemons)
You might also like
-
The Secret To Grilling The Perfect Sausage
-
Can You Suggest Vegan-Friendly Recipes for a Vacation Dinner for a Crowd?
-
Home-Cooked Recipes for Two, Guide to Ingredient Substitutions, All About Sharp Knives & the Best Way to Store Bread
-
Do You Use American Cheese Slices? If Not, Try Making Them At Home!
A Work Week Menu Plan That You Can Do
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Floral Drink Dispen...
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Any tips on a good nutritional yeast? I've tried a couple and gave up early on because none of them had any flavor even resembling cheese. More bitter, B-vitamin flavor, and they made the food taste that way too. I keep seeing so many recipes like this where the yeast would be the dominant flavor, so I think I must be missing something.
HannahS- it sounds like you may have picked up brewer's yeast by mistake!
Yes, make sure it is nutritional yeast and NOT brewer's. I have so much fun with vegan "cheeses". Soaking nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts) for a few hours and putting them in a food processor with rice milk (almond, soy, coconut, whatever your preference), nutritional yeast, coconut oil, turmeric, salt and a bit of truffle oil is what I have fallen in love with. You can take the same stuff and tomatoes, cilantro, and hot peppers for a KILLER "queso" dip!
Also, adding cauliflower ground up in the food processer is another healthy thing to add to your "cheese".
I've had great success with this recipe here: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/03/10/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze-two-ways/ I roast several squashes at once and make a whole bunch of batches of the sauce and then freeze the sauce so that I can pull it out and mix with macaroni anytime for a quick meal. And my picky eaters love it!
i second that ohsheglows recipe. it is divine! you can go a little crazy with the squash to up the creaminess. so good!
I also used to live in Oakland and have since moved to Seattle. Homeroom was right down the street and was one of my absolute FAVORITE restaurants in Oakland. I miss it so much!!
Veganomicon has an excellent pumpkin baked ziti with caramelized onions (similar to mac n'cheese)...I'm itching to make my own version of it soon!
My go to vegan mac and cheeze recipe is based on a recipe from VeganYumYum: http://veganyumyum.com/2009/01/mac-cheeze-take-2/
A non-vegan friend of mine made a spicy buffalo chicken mac and cheese...and after everyone's rave reviews, I had to make my own vegan version to enjoy. Following the recipe from VeganYumYum, I add some hot and spicy tofu from HMart, and I sub out 1/2 a cup of the water for Cholula hot sauce. I've also started leaving out the earth balance in the cheeze, to cut down on fat, and it still comes out creamy and cheezy tasting. At first glance, it seems like a lot of work, but it really isn't too bad, and if you have a partner in crime to help, it goes so quickly! Also, if you make it enough, you'll end up having the recipe memorized.
I have some in the fridge that I enjoyed for lunch earlier. So good.
Hi all,
I've tried this recipe from Vegangela and love it!
http://www.vegangela.com/2011/04/27/best-vegan-mac-and-cheese/
The only change I did was using less salt (I like salt but it was a bit too salty for me). I also recommend baking them. Enjoy!
I definitely picked up nutritional yeast, not brewers. Maybe the batch was bad?
I'm all for making your own, but if you live in Seattle, you have to go to Plum and have their Mac 'n' Yease (and forgive them for the terrible name).
Cashew cream! Soaked and then blended cashews are always a part of my vegan mac. There are two recipes I love and return to often. One from VegNews and one from Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
VegNews Mac and Cheese - http://www.food.com/recipe/vegnews-vegan-macaroni-and-cheese-459749
Isa's Mac & Shews (it has sauerkraut in it and it's delicious!) - http://www.theppk.com/2011/02/mac-shews/
Be still my vegan heart!
Does anyone have some tips for vegan m&c without nutritional yeast? It's nothing to do with the taste, just the idea of nutritional yeast creeps out my SO
I love Homeroom!