TIW Eats: No Cheese Mac n Cheese

The number of times my siblings and I begged our mom to make us Mac n Cheese as kids was astounding. Mac n Cheese was one dish we could never get enough of. I honestly cannot recall a time in my youth when I've uttered the words "No, I'm not feeling like Mac n Cheese." However, for the 33% of people who are lactose intolerant, Mac n Cheese is not an enjoyable meal, it's a day ruiner.

No Cheese Mac n Cheese Recipe | Photo by Natalie Goldfinger @sheinspiresme

This month, when I took on the task of updating another childhood classic meal, I really wanted to challenge myself and make it dairy free. That's right, a cheese-less Mac n Cheese. Sacrilege! This was no easy feat. I mean, "cheese" is in the name. The hardest part was figuring out how to replicate one of the main ingredients without compromising the flavour. Cashew milk to the rescue! And the result was nothing short of magic. A creamy delicious Mac n Cheese without dairy. Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese | Photo by Natalie Goldfinger @sheinspiresme

No Cheese Mac n Cheese

By Michelle Goldfinger @michellegoldfingereats

Yield: 4 portions

Ingredients:

4 cups pasta

3 cups cashew milk

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp all purpose flour

¾ cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 small onion, diced

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1 roasted garlic, smashed into a pasta

2 sprigs fresh basil, finely chopped

Salt, to taste

Let them eat cheese! No Cheese Mac n Cheese Recipe | Photo by Natalie Goldfinger @sheinspiresme

Directions:

Roast garlic: preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the head of the garlic, drizzle the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Loosely wrap in tin foil. Place in oven for 45 minutes. Once golden brown and fragrant remove from heat and let cool. Once cool smash garlic into a paste.
On a pan with olive oil, lightly saute the broccoli, onions and mushrooms on a medium heat until soft. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and place back in pot, set aside.
In a small/medium pot, heat olive oil on medium heat, add flour and whisk to incorporate (about 2 minutes). Add milk slowly, as you constantly whisk. Turn heat to low and cook until sauce thickens, stir frequently. Remove from heat.
Add in nutritional yeast, garlic and fresh basil. Add salt to taste.
Stir in broccoli, onion and mushrooms to the pasta.
Add the sauce to the pasta and veggies.