This creamy vegan mac and cheese is comfort food heaven

This may sound cheesy, but we think this recipe is grate!

HOUSTON – Mac and cheese is not only a kid- favorite dish, it’s comfort food at its finest!

To serve it to your family in a healthier way, Shakti Baum, executive chef at Etta’s Kitchen in Third Ward, shares her vegan mac and cheese recipe, which is perfect for our current cold weather.

Baum will teach more recipes as part of the cooking classes she is doing at the Holiday Chef Series at Etta’s Kitchen.

To see Baum’s complete interview, watch the video above.

Vegan mac ‘n’ cheese

Ingredients:

• 1-pound pasta

• 1/4 cup minced onion

• 1/4 cup minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 2 cups cashew milk

• 2 cups coconut milk

• 2 cups nutritional yeast

• 10 ounces vegan cheese Chao

• 1 cup toasted panko bread crumbs

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Cook pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, sautéed onion and garlic until translucent in vegan butter and olive oil. Salt and white pepper to taste.

4. Add 2 cups of cashew milk unsweetened add 2 cups of coconut milk unsweetened. Add 2 cups of nutritional yeast. Stir to combine thoroughly.

5. Add 10 ounces of vegan cheese stir until melted and creamy.

6. Transfer creamy mac and cheese to a vegan buttered casserole dish and top with panko bread crumbs. Evenly durable olive oil over panko bread crumbs.

7. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and panko is let nicely toasted.

8. Let macaroni and cheese rest for 10 minutes.

Recipe provided by Shakti Baum.