When you need that comfort food kick, there’s nothing better than a hot, creamy bowl of plant-based macaroni and cheese. Made with All-American elbow macaroni and tons of vegan cheddar and shreds, there’s no denying that this vegan “Smackaroni And Cheese” will fulfill all your cravings. You can thank Toriano Gordon at Vegan Mob for this recipe.

It comes from his new cookbook Vegan Mob: Vegan BBQ & Soul Food, which was put together with the help of Korsha Wilson. This dish is full of flavor, made with green onions and minced garlic for an extra layer of tastiness. It’s also super easy to make. You only really need to cook your elbow mac, and the rest of the work is done by making the sauce and baking your vegan Smackaroni And Cheese in the oven to get it nice and bubbly.

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This recipe uses pea milk to create a rich, almost heavy cream-like consistency. Gordon recommends using Daiya vegan cheese alongside the pea milk for the creamiest result. However, you can use whatever vegan cheese you prefer. It’s also recommended that you dice up your vegan cheddar and use plant-based cheddar shreds to get pockets of cheese throughout your macaroni for extra indulgence.

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Vegan smackaroni and cheese

There's nothing complicated about comfort food. Make this Smackaroni and Cheese from Vegan Mob if you want the creamiest vegan mac out there.

a picture of vegan macaroni and cheese by Vegan Mob

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Ingredients

1 16-ounce box elbow macaroni
1 stick 8 tablespoons vegan butter, preferably Earth Balance
1 cup chopped green onions white and green parts
2 tbsp minced garlic
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 to 4½ cups pea milk preferably Ripple
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 7-ounce packs sliced vegan cheddar, preferably Daiya cheddar-style slices, coarsely chopped
1 7-ounce bag vegan cheddar shreds, preferably Daiya cheddar-style shreds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the macaroni in the boiling salted water according to the package instructions, until soft. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the green onions and garlic and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook until flour is slightly toasted with a slightly nutty aroma, stirring with a whisk, about 3 minutes.
While whisking, pour in 4 cups of the pea milk and continue to stir until the sauce is thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Make sure to run the whisk along the edges of the pot to get all of the flour.
Turn the heat down to low and add the salt, vegan chopped cheddar, and vegan cheddar shreds. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the shredded cheese is melted. If the sauce is lumpy, add an additional ½ cup of pea milk and whisk until smooth.
Add the cooked macaroni and stir well to coat.
Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly.
Let it cool for a few minutes and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Mob: Vegan BBQ and Soul Food by Toriano Gordon with Korsha Wilson copyright © 2024. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ed Anderson. Illustrations copyright © 2024 by Photo Doctor Graphics. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

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