Healthy Mac and Cheese
Healthy mac and cheese is made with a vegetable cheese sauce, sauteed vegetables, and healthy noodles. Comfort food can be healthy and satisfying.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 436kcal
Ingredients
2 cups Healthy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 3 small baking potatoes washed, scrubbed and skins left on; cut into chunks
- 3 large carrots peeled, cut into similar size as potatoes
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
- ½ cup water
Sauteed Vegetables
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 white onion sliced thin
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 6 baby bell peppers sliced thin
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- ½ cup grape tomatoes Cut in half
Noodles
- 16 ounces noodles of choice
Garnish
- ⅛ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
Vegan cheese sauce
- Wash three averaged-sized potatoes; cut them into large chunks (leave skins on potatoes or peel them).
- Clean and cut three large carrots and chop them the same size as potatoes.
- Place in a pot and cover with water.
- Add a few sprinkles of salt to the water.
- Boil for 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are boiling, put the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and soy sauce in a blender.
- Drain potatoes and carrots.
- Put potatoes and carrots into a blender; blend until smooth.
- The mixture will be thick; add water.
- Transfer ‘the cheese’ mixture to a medium-sized saucepan.
Noodles
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets.
- Drain the pasta and the broccoli together in a colander.
- Return the pasta and broccoli to a pan.
Sauteed Vegetables
- In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion until translucent.
- Add mushrooms and cook until browned.
- Add a little vegetable broth or water if the vegetables are sticking.
- Add the baby bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes.
- Add the whole tomatoes to last, as they are more delicate and cook quickly.
- Cook for a few more minutes.
Combine the Ingredients
- Add the noodles and broccoli to the pan you cooked the noodles in.
- Now, add the sauteed vegetables.
- Pour 2 cups of cheese sauce over noodles and vegetables.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Serve in individual bowls, and add a little parsley.
Notes
- Peel the carrots and potatoes before boiling them, or leave the peels on for added nutrients.
- Cut the potatoes and carrots into equal-sized pieces so they boil evenly.
- Choose any vegetables to add to vegan healthy mac and cheese.
- If using gluten-free noodles, I suggest rinsing them before adding them back to the pan, as they often have a thick film on them after cooking.
- If you don't like nutritional yeast, use cashews, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds instead.
- For a lower sodium option, choose low-sodium soy sauce.
- Replace unflavored, unsweetened plant milk with water for a creamier sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 1220mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6837IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg