This roasted red pepper cheddar can be prepared in two ways: as a firm shreddable cheese or as a melty sauce. Either way, it creates a rich, cheese-like base to drench pasta in, and makes an addictive mac and cheese. This recipe is similar to this deep-fried version I made a few months ago, except I threw in a roasted red pepper for flavor and color, and then baked it. The end result was a crispy-topped mac and cheese, with a rich and gooey center, making it a perfect comfort food dish for fall.
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ROASTED RED PEPPER MAC AND CHEESE
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- one can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp coconut vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp agar powder
- a few dash of ground white pepper
- 1 TB tapioca flour, blended with 1 TB cold water
- 2 TB nutritional yeast
- 5 oz. prepared roasted red pepper
- 1 cup elbow macaroni
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup almond or rice milk
- panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
To make shreddable cheddar
- Combine the coconut milk, vinegar, salt, agar powder and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk briskly until it comes to a small boil, and continue to whisk for a minute or two more. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the tapioca/water mixture and nutritional yeast. Throw in the roasted red pepper and combine it by either using an immersion blender or quickly transferring to a blender to puree. Pour the contents into a glass pyrex, cover, then allow to set in the refrigerator overnight.
When you are ready to make the macaroni
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil, add in the dry macaroni and cook per the package instructions. Reduce the heat to low, then drain the pasta well and return it to the pot. Then, using a cheese grater, grate as much of the cheese as you want over the top. Stir well to combine. Add a little almond or rice milk to moisten. Bake for 15 minutes in a heat-resistant vessel. Add some panko breadcrumbs to the top and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until the panko is slightly golden brown. Serve immediately.
To make melty cheddar
- Follow the instructions in the first paragraph above, but reduce the agar amount from 2 tsp to 1/2 tsp and omit the addition of almond or rice milk. Pour the cheddar on top of cooked macaroni and bake at 400 per the instructions in the second paragraph above.
Kari says
I’ve made the shredded version and the quick version and I have to say that both are fantastic and easy. I find that adding a little more of the coconut vinegar, salt, and a little white miso helps give it that cheddar kick. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Kari says
I tried this tonight and it was a hit for both me and my dairy-eating husband. He claims it could pass at any potluck. I made a few adjustments to the sauce- I added turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, white miso, and lemon juice (all in small amounts but helped it round out the flavors). I also doubled the vinegar and nooch as, initially, it still had that lingering coconut taste. Originally, I set it in the fridge for about 4 hours and it set well and shredded great! When it came time to make the mac and cheese, I ended up re-melting the cheese separately with some Earth Balance to make it a sauce again, tossed it with the noodles, shredded about 2 tablespoons of the cheese on top, and popped it in the oven! It was the easiest and best-tasting vegan mac and cheese I have made (and I’ve trialed a LOT of recipes). Thanks so much!!!
Esen says
Hi there!
Just discovered your blog thanks to VegNews and gotta say, all the photos are insanely STUNNING! and all the recipes I've looked at thus far look incredible.
It's such a joy to discover a new vegan food blog!
Nice to 'meet' you:)
Esen
cookbooksandcake.blogspot.com
erinwyso says
Hi Esen, thank you and yes, I am incredibly lucky to have such an awesome photographer-husband! Nice to "meet" you too! : )
erinwyso says
Thanks Gloeckchenxvx — I hope you enjoy it! One can of coconut milk equals 403 ml.
Gloeckchenxvx says
Hey, this sounds soooo good!
How many ml is One can of full-fat coconut milk?