Mac and Cheese in 2 Ways
Many people enjoy mac and cheese as a classic comfort dish. It blends delicate macaroni and creamy, melted cheese to create a filling and tasty dish. This time-tested favourite is versatile and customizable, making it a on-the-go option for a quick and delicious meal.
In this article we have a two varieties of mac and cheese for you. One is baked mac and cheese, and the other is vegan mac and cheese.
![mac and cheese](https://www.macbar.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/10-22.jpg)
Baked Mac and Cheese
So, let’s start with our first variant, baked mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- Elbow noodles
- Butter
- All-Purpose flour
- Prepared mustard
- Garlic Powder
- White pepper with salt
Procedure
Let’s see the steps to make baked mac and cheese.
- Start by shredding some cheese, probably 8 ounces, while a big pot of water is heating up. You can combine any cheese that melts nicely, although cheddar is the traditional choice. Thus, chop up the entire 8-ounce block. You may need a substantial cheese pile in the end. But, for now, we’ll put the cheese aside and go to the burner.
- Bring water to a boil in a pan to cook the pasta. It will take around 7 minutes to cook 1 pound of dry elbow noodles. Some recipes call for cooking the pasta right in the sauce. But I’m not a big fan of that method since the sauce tastes starchy and better when we cook the pasta separately.
- You should ensure the pan is good and large since this is where we will cook all of the pasta and add it to the sauce. Melt 1/2 cup of salted butter at first over low heat. Then, add half a cup of all-purpose flour. You will now use 1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion powder, one teaspoon of salt, and the last 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper.
- Next, cook the above combination, known as a roux, for one to two minutes. After that, we’ll add 3 cups of milk. I prefer to use 2% milk for this. Then we’ll boil this for a while. Simply wait until bubbles form; turn off the heat, add all of our cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese melts.
- We’ll now add the pasta into our cheese sauce, combine everything, and call it good! The whole family will like your quick, delectable, cheesy macaroni and cheese.
![baked mac and cheese](https://www.macbar.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/8-29.jpg)
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Below are the ingredients and steps to prepare vegan mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- Whole-grain elbow macaroni – 8 ounces
- 1 head of broccoli, roughly 1 ½ to 2 cups of finely chopped broccoli florets (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil – 1½ tablespoons
- Chopped yellow onion – 1 small or around 1 cup
- Peeled and shredded russet potato – 1 cup or 4 ounces (ideally organic)
- Minced or pressed garlic cloves – 3
- Garlic powder – ½ teaspoon
- Onion powder – ½ teaspoon
- Dry mustard powder – ½ teaspoon
- Fine sea salt – ½ teaspoon or more as desired
- Red pepper flakes – a small pinch
- Raw cashews – ⅔ cup
- Water – 1 cup or more if needed
- Nutritional yeast – ¼ cup
- Distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (to taste) – 2-3 teaspoons
Instructions
Let’s see the steps to make a vegan mac and cheese recipe.
- Take a big pot and boil the pasta in salted water. Cook the pasta as directed on the package. When there are only 2 to 3 minutes left, mix in the broccoli if using. After draining the liquid, transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a medium to large-sized saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat. Now, add the chopped onions and a little salt, and simmer, frequently stirring, for about 5-6 minutes or maybe until the onions become soft and translucent.
- Add the shredded potatoes together with the garlic, onion, mustard, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. To bring out their flavors, combine everything and simmer for about a minute while constantly stirring.
- Add the water and cashews and mix well after adding them. Simmer the mixture for a while. You should simmer the potatoes for another 5 to 8 minutes or until they are thoroughly soft and cooked through. Stir constantly and reduce the heat as required to avoid a quick boil.
- Put the mixture into the blender carefully. Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar and the nutritional yeast. Blend till the mixture is perfectly smooth for around 2 minutes, frequently stopping to wipe down the sides if required. If the mixture is difficult to blend or you would like a thinner texture, add water in increments of 1/4 cup, blending after each addition.
- Taste and add more salt as needed till the sauce is completely seductive. You can add the extra teaspoon of vinegar if you think it needs a bit extra zing. Blend it again.
- Spoon the sauce over the pasta. Mix thoroughly, then serve right away.
Leftovers keep nicely, cold, and covered for 3-4 days. Reheat gently, loosening the sauce if necessary with a little splash of water.
![vegan mac and cheese](https://www.macbar.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/9-24.jpg)
Final Words
We hope you loved both the varieties of mac and cheese. Make these recipe now and share them with your loved ones.