How to Make Baked Vegan Cajun Mac and Cheese
This baked vegan Cajun mac and cheese has sauteed bell peppers, onions, and sausage tossed into an ultra-cheesy and creamy sauce with noodles. Then it's topped with cheesy panko breadcrumbs for a nice crunch. This dish is so full of flavor with a kick of heat!
Ingredients
Cashew Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews (These need to soak in water for at least 3 hours to soften)
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened cashew milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp sweet white miso paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
Sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 vegan sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch round slices (I use Field Roast's chipotle sausage)
- 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
Panko Topping
- 3/4 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1/2 cup shredded vegan parmesan
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
Macaroni Base
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta (I always use corkscrews)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup bell peppers, small diced (I use a combination of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
- 1 tbsp garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 tsp favorite cajun seasoning (I use Slap Ya Mama's)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened cashew milk
- 3 tbsp TABASCO original red hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 1/2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cashew Cheese Sauce
- Drain the cashews from the water and rinse them well. Add them into a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until extremely smooth. Set aside and move on to the next step.
Sausage
- Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in the olive oil followed by the sausage. Cook them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season the sausage with the cajun seasoning, stir well, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Do NOT overcook, as they will continue cooking in the oven later on. Set aside and move on to the next step.
Panko Topping
- Add all of the ingredients into a small bowl and toss until evenly combined. Set aside and move on to the next step.
Macaroni Base + How to Bake the Mac and Cheese
- Cook your choice of pasta al-dente in salted water. I always use corkscrew pasta, and I cook it for 6 minutes in rapid boiling water. You do NOT want to overcook the pasta, as it will continue cooking in the oven later on. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the pasta and toss it to keep them from sticking together.
- Place a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add in the olive oil, followed by the diced peppers and onions. Saute them for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add in the cajun seasoning and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
- Add in the butter, and once melted, add in the flour. Stir constantly for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in half of the milk and stir until smooth. Add in the rest of the milk and stir until smooth.
- Add in the Tabasco, liquid smoke, and the cashew cheese sauce you made earlier. Stir to evenly combine everything and cook until the mixture is slowly bubbling.
- Add in 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- Turn the heat off and add in the pasta and sausage. Stir until evenly combined.
- Grease a 9-inch round or square baking dish with butter. Scrape the mac and cheese into the dish and spread it around evenly.
- Top the mac and cheese with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the panko topping.
- To bake the mac and cheese, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, wrap the top of the dish with a piece of tin foil. Place the dish on the middle oven rack and bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the dish for another 10 minutes. Lastly, turn the broiler on and broil it for 1 to 2 minutes or until evenly golden brown on top.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!