Spicy Vegan Home-style Baked Mac & Cheese

Prep for 45 minutes

Bake for 35 minutes

Ready in 1 ½ hours

Serves 3-4 people

It’s Vegan! ✌🏻

Ingredients

Veggies:

Four or Five (4-5) Medium Russet Potatoes
Four (4) Large Carrots
One to Three (1-3) Jalapeños

Bulk:

Macaroni Noodles
Veggie Broth
Olive Oil
Panko Bread Crumbs

Seasonings/Extras:

Salt
Liquid Smoke
Minced Garlic
Nutritional Yeast
Paprika
Black Pepper
Chili Powder

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400F
Next, get your cheese sauce started by slicing up all of your potatoes and carrots into thirds & tossing ‘em into an Instant Pot*.
Include two (2) cups of veggie broth and one half (1/2) cup of water in the Instant Pot as well, along with a few dashes of minced garlic (or garlic powder) and some salt.
Place your Instant Pot onto the Pressure Cook setting and allow your carrots and potatoes to cook according to weight, which should be only about 20-22 minutes.
Now, place a large pot of water onto your stove top & allow it to boil.
While the water is reaching a boil, take a moment to small dice one to three (1-3) jalapeños (depending on how spicy you like it!) & set them aside.
Now your water will be boiling, so add a splash of olive oil & salt into the water, and then include your macaroni noodles and cook according to the box instructions (usually about 8 minutes).
You’ll probably have a few minutes left before your potatoes & carrots are ready, so you can get the breadcrumbs ready now.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, incorporate a cup or so of unseasoned Panko with salt, black pepper and paprika, to taste. The breadcrumb mix should taste just slightly seasoned.

When your noodles are ready, take a moment to strain the noodles using a colander, and then allow them to cool slightly while you get the cheese sauce ready. (Note: if you want it to be a little extra superb, put a spoonful of plant-based butter onto your noodles to let melt as they cool.)
Now, take your cooked potatoes & carrots and drain any remaining liquid from the pot, and then move them into a food processor while mashing them slightly.
Once you have all of your cooked carrots & potatoes in the food processor, include about half a cup of veggie broth along with enough olive oil for the liquids combined to fill your container half-way. Throw in your desired amount of diced jalapeño, and blend until it becomes a thick sauce.
Now, into your cheese sauce (which should already look amazing!) add a fair amount of: Salt, Nutritional Yeast, Garlic, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Paprika, & liquid smoke. (to taste)
Incorporate all the flavors into the sauce base evenly either manually by stirring or using your food processor’s pulse setting.
In a large mixing container, use a flat mixing spatula to incorporate your cheese sauce with the noodles you had set aside. Stir this mix for just a few moments, until the sauce has fully and evenly mixed into the noodles.
Prepare a casserole dish with nonstick spray, or another nonstick solution, and then pour your macaroni and cheese into the dish.
If you’d like to add any extra jalapeño slices to the top of the dish for extra kick, take a moment to throw those on.
Evenly coat the top with your Panko blend that you prepared earlier, and then cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes while covered, and then for another 10 minutes with the foil removed.
After removing the casserole from the oven, allow it to cool for about 5-7 minutes, and then serve.
Enjoy!

Thank you!

~ Jessica G.