Yummy Mac and "Cheese"

In making the decision to become vegan, there were (and still are) some foods that I assumed I'd never be able to eat again. One of the staples in our house before we went veg was mac and cheese; it's a nummy comfort food and one of the few things I made that Taylor would eat willingly.

Well I was very VERY pleasantly surprised to find this vegan version of macaroni and cheese on VegWeb.com. I made it last week and it was so delicious and gooey and garlic-y and TASTY! I honestly think if anyone tasted it without knowing it was vegan they'd have no clue.

Try it. It's good. I promise.


Vegan Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups plain vegan creamer
2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
2 tablespoons onion powder, divided
2 tablespoons paprika, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, divided
2 (8 ounce) packages vegan shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil macaroni until cooked very al dente; the pasta will cook more in the oven. Drain, place back in the pot, and drizzle some olive oil on it to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In a medium size saucepan, add garlic and creamer on medium heat. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika, salt, pepper and 1/2 tablespoon parsley.
- Slowly stir in 8 ounces vegan cheese and turn up heat slightly until it turns into a gooey confection of garlic, cheesy yumminess. Stir cheese mixture in the pot with the macaroni and toss well.
- In a lasagna pan, start making layers by scooping 1/3 of the macaroni into the pan, sprinkle 1/3 of each remaining spice, sprinkle with 1/3 of remaining vegan cheese, and repeat to make three layers.
- Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and cover with nonstick aluminum foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then dig in!