Mac N Cheese

In this time of overwhelming uncertainty, there are some things that we turn to for some sense of security and stability. Some people cope by binge-watching tv shows, exercising or cleaning their house. Others bury themselves in work, in a book or in social media. Lots of people have developed new hobbies like bread-making or gardening.

While I don't have the luxury of time or boredom to start a new hobby as homeschooling keeps me pretty busy, my go-to coping mechanism is comfort foods!! And nothing screams comfort food quite like a generous helping of some good 'ol Mac N Cheese!!

And for people like me who tend to stress-eat, it is imperative to surround ourselves with foods that soothe and provide comfort without the high price tag of harming our health. When we eat so-called comfort foods that make us feel bloated and heavy 30 minutes later, it entirely defeats the purpose!! We want healthy comfort foods that thoroughly nourish our mind and body.

I mean is it really still 'comfort food' if it ends up causing us discomfort??? 😜

With my recipe for this classic comfort food, you get all the warm fuzzy feels without any of the acne, bloating, indigestion or regrets that is usually associated with the high-fat, high-calorie, high-cholesterol dairy version.

This recipe is easy, affordable, filling, healthy and delicious. It is a reliable crowd-pleaser and can win over the pickiest eaters!!! This is convenient for meal prepping or batch cooking and definitely lunch box friendly!

This recipe is very versatile. You can incorporate whatever veggies you like with your pasta or whatever you have available. You can make it as simple or as fancy as you want!

As evident from the pictures above, I clearly overestimated the capacity of my baking dish 🤦‍♀️ ...so before popping the dish into the oven, I scooped out some of the pasta, broccoli and kale onto a plate and sprinkled some toppings to 'taste test' ...I inhaled it!!

My point: baking is optional. If you're in a time crunch, feel free to eat right away! 😋😍🤤

Mac N Cheese

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30-50mins

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INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

• 1.5 cup unsweetened soy milk (may sub with almond) 

• 1.5 cups water

• 1/4 cup brown rice flour (may sub with other flour) 

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 1.5 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp each: onion powder, paprika, pink salt

• Small pinch of nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

• 1 medium sweet potato (steamed, then peeled and mashed)

Other Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta (cooked according to package instructions)

• Brocolli (blanched in pasta water; may sub with other veggies)

• Kale (lightly blanched in pasta water; may sub with other leafy greens)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Process sweet potato and milk in a blender.

2. Transfer mixture into a sauce pan and whisk with all the other sauce ingredients.

3. Heat until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 mins.

4. Pour over cooked pasta and blanched veggies; mix well.

5. Serve warm and sprinkle with bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes.

Optional Baking instructions:

1. Sprinkle the following toppings over the pasta: bread crumbs, almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rosemary, and nutritional yeast.

2. Bake at 350 x 30mins, covered. Broil, uncovered, for a couple of minutes to brown the bread crumbs. Make sure to keep a close eye on things when broiling to avoid burning your food.