Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Daiya Macaroni and Cheese, Please!

I grew up on boxed macaroni and cheese, only having the pleasure of tasting a homemade baked version once- courtesy of a coworker.   When I first went vegan I continued buying the boxed vegan variety of mac & cheese, but I've been meaning to make a baked version ever since Daiya came on the scene.  Of course I got a little caught up in the love affair and it never seemed to come to fruition...until now.


With Daiya at the ready I didn't want to use a recipe that involved nooch at all; so, I set my sights on this completely Daiya-fied version from To Live and Eat in L.A.  Never one to leave well enough alone, I made some Bean adjustments: mainly lots of extra cheese, spices, and cooking time.  My recipe appears below, but I won't be offended if you choose to go with the TL&EILA recipe as is.

Spicy Daiya Macaroni & Cheese
serves 6-8

16 oz variety of piece macaroni (i.e., not spaghetti)
6 cups shredded Daiya cheddar, divided
5 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp black pepper (yes really; don't be afraid)
3 tbsp AP flour
3 1/2 cups milk substitute
2 tbsp paprika, divided
2 tsp cayenne, divided
1 cup breadcrumbs
spray olive oil
Sriracha*

directions:
  • Preheat oven to 365 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  • Let pasta cook for half the time recommended (it will cook further when it bakes), drain, transfer to baking dish, and mix in 4 cups of Daiya.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic and white miso.  Add pepper, then whisk in flour and milk.  Stir until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour liquid over pasta, sprinkle on 1 tbsp paprika & 1 tsp cayenne; mix well.  
  • Sprinkle 2 cups of Daiya on top, then breadcrumbs.
  • Spray breadcrumbs liberally with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle remaining paprika and cayenne.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour


When serving, you will find that the macaroni might stick together in clumps.  So, if you happen to spoon out a serving that is the equivalent of 1/2 the pan, good on you; consider it a win!


*Special thanks to My Vegan Gut for the hot sauce suggestion; leftovers were made all the more awesome with the addition of loads of Sriracha.

13 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh that's a lot of Sriracha!

    Looks delicious!

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  2. Oh the magical goodness of daiya. Have you heard about the new pepperjack variety that is supposedly out (but yet to be spotted in my area)? So excited about that! Also, I need to get on this baked mac n cheese action. I've never had vegan baked mac n cheese!

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  3. Sarah, I've never had pepperjack cow cheese, but VM tells me to stalk the new Daiya flavor. So, naturally, that's what I'm doing: preferably in a 5 pound bag from Pangea vegan store!

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  4. Janessa,
    Sriracha doesn't last long in my house ;-)

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  5. mmm, I've just been adding daiya to my nutritional yeast mac and cheese, but now I want to try your recipe next time I make it!

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  6. Having serious meal envy... here's my friend's recipe that is pretty similar and out of this world... we call it "death row" b/c it is exactly what one would crave on their last meal if they were on death row. Now if that doesn't make you intrigued...

    http://queerveganrunner.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/labor-of-love-death-row-mac-n-cheeze/

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  7. Abby, hot sauce and cheese goes hand in hand.

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  8. Hey Abby Bean! We thought this was a great recipe to share with our fans for a little indulgence on Fat Tuesday! Check out your blog featured on our Facebook fan page: http://on.fb.me/ekfvIS.

    Thanks for blogging about our products, we hope you contine your "love affair" with Daiya products!

    Healthy Regards,
    Shnane Liem
    Daiya Foods

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  9. Thank you, Daiya; I'm thrilled & flattered! More spicy Daiya recipes to come.

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  10. wow, look at all that sriracha! I like my food spicy, too, and I love Daiya cheese. It wasn't love at first bite, but it slowly grew on me and now I really love it. I think I'll try sprinkling some on the top of my baked nooch mac and cheese and let it get brown and crispy under the broiler.

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  11. I'm getting the sense that I enjoy hot sauce a little more than the average bird...

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  12. This is the BEST mac & cheese recipe I've ever found. The breadcrumbs make it. By the way, I think that's just the right amount of sriracha!

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  13. Ah, Mage: you are a kindred spirit. I imagine you too have a pantry shelf dedicated to hot sauce and the like.

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