Thanksgiving Continued: Dijon Mac and Cheese

I was so unbelievably stoked to go to my parents' house for Thanksgiving this year. My tragically kitchenless dorm room makes me want to cook and bake incessantly every time I trek South during breaks from school. So I supplied mac and cheese and pumpkin chocolate chip cake for my family's Thanksgiving feast.

I've always wanted to make vegan macaroni and cheese and never got around to it until my Thanksgiving mac n' cheese debut -- this recipe was heavy on the nutritional yeast and dijon mustard, which was a departure from the standard cheese sauce the majority of such recipes produce. It definitely wasn't your familiar mac n' cheese and it was a little strange because of the mustard flavor, I'm not going to lie. But it was delicious nonetheless, and my family loved it (they're hard to please when it comes to vegan cooking --  skepticism all around).
I adapted my recipe from Healthy. Happy. Life.'s recipe, because I firmly believe this blog can do no wrong.

Dijon and Sun-Dried Tomato Macaroni and Cheese


6 cups cooked pasta -- I used whole wheat shell pasta, but really any variety will work.
2 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 cups cheese sauce (described below)
1/2 cup Panko bread-crumbs
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook and drain pasta, then toss in the parsley, nooch, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Add the cheese sauce and distribute evenly. Transfer to an oven-safe serving dish and sprinkle the bread-crumbs over the top, followed by a small drizzle of olive oil. Bake until the top is browned -- it should be about 7-8 minutes.

To make the cheese sauce, you'll need:


3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 can Great Northern beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fine pepper
1/2 cup instant mashed potato + 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance
1-2 Tbsp agave syrup
2 Tbsp tahini


Blend all ingredients in a food processor or VitaMix (which I don't have, but desire desperately) until completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add the necessary amount of soymilk/soy creamer or water to achieve desired creaminess. Fold into the cooked pasta and continue directions above. 


I thought it turned out great. So addicting. 

Dijon and Sun-Dried Tomato Macaroni and Cheese