Homemade Instant Mac & Cheese
This isn't the 'we hid cauliflower in the sauce' version of healthy mac & cheese. It's just instant mac & cheese. The 'cheese' is a real-ingredient powder you blended yourself, that somehow tastes like what the boxed version is attempting. The dairy eaters in our house love this more than the box.
Method
- Make the cheese powder: Add all cheese powder ingredients to your Vitamix and blend on high until you have a fine, uniform powder, about 30–45 seconds. Store in a jar — this makes enough for several batches.
- Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out about 1/2 cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta.
- In the same pot over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Add the plant milk and cheese powder, whisk together, and let it bubble for about 1 minute until it thickens slightly.
- Add the drained pasta back in and stir to coat. Splash in pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats the noodles the way you like it.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Lenny & Shalva’s note: The cheese powder is the move here — make a big batch and keep it in your pantry. Once it’s done, this mac takes about as long as the boxed stuff. The smoked almonds add a subtle depth that’s hard to place but definitely there. If your sauce looks too thick, pasta water is your friend. If it looks too thin, give it another 30 seconds on the heat — the tapioca starch will do its thing. Leftovers reheat well with a small splash of plant milk stirred in.
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