Vegan recipe

Tofu Mac 'n' Cheese

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins
Serves 4

3 words – Cheesy pasta goodness!
Presenting Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese made extra creamy and indulgent with blended tofu and crispy tofu pieces on the top.

Authentic Tofu Block Find out more

Ingredients

350g macaroni pasta
Optional additions: broccoli, mushrooms, peas
Fresh parsley to garnish

For the Vegan Cheese Sauce:
½ pack Cauldron Authentic Tofu, drained (200g)
125g raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour
400ml unsweetened plant milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp pickle brine, or lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Tofu ‘Bacon’ Bits:
½ pack Cauldron Authentic Tofu (200g), drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

Method

  1. First, let’s prepare the vegan cheese sauce! In a blender, combine half a block of tofu, cashews, plant milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, smoked paprika, turmeric, pickle brine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, adding water if needed to adjust the texture.
  2. For the tofu ‘bacon’ bits, cut the rest of the tofu block into small cubes. In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the tofu cubes. Stir regularly and fry until lightly crispy on all sides. Sprinkle with smoked paprika powder and drizzle with maple syrup and tamari soy sauce. Stir to coat the tofu cubes and cook until they become crispy and caramelised. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. To assemble, first preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the uncooked macaroni pasta to a lightly greased oven dish and pour the cheesy sauce on top. If desired, add any veggies you like, such as broccoli, mushrooms, or peas and give it a stir to evenly distribute. Finally, sprinkle the tofu ‘bacon’ bits on top and cover the dish with a lid or oven safe foil.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes, or until the dish is wonderfully golden on top. 5. Serve the vegan mac & cheese hot, sprinkled with some fresh parsley and feel free to sneakily enjoy it straight from the dish. Who wants to share when something this delicious is at stake? ;)

Chef's tip

For an extra flavour boost, sprinkle a little smoked paprika powder on top of the baked dish – and if you like it extra cheesy, top with vegan cheese before baking! For best results, use vegan cheese from a freshly grated block instead of store-bought, this will melt much better! You can store any leftovers covered in the fridge overnight and enjoy them reheated for 2 more days.