Seven Cheese Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese

Seven Cheese Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese

Oh, that's rich! It's been a minute since I've made a proper baked mac and cheese! I've been having fun trying out all the different vegan cheeses available these days and I had quite the collection building up in the fridge. So I threw together this Seven Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese!

This is a little different than most of the recipes I post, because it really depends on a lot of store-bought cheeses. I listed the brands thst I used below, but feel free to sub any of them with your favorites! (...and you don't need seven. Lol.) 

Yield: 12 servings 

1 pound elbow macaroni, prepared according to package instructions 

For the Seven Cheese Sauce:

1/3 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups vegan milk, more as needed (I used Silk Whole Next Milk)

2 cups vegan shredded cheddar, divided (I used Violife)

1 cup vegan shredded mozzarella (I used 365 brand)

1 cup vegan shredded colby jack (I used Violife)

1/2 cup vegan ricotta (I used Kite Hill)

1/2 cup vegan feta cubes or crumbles, (I used Violife)

1/4 cup vegan bleu cheese crumbles (I used Follow Your Heart)

1/4 cup vegan parmesan (I used 365 brand)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper, to taste

For the Cracker Crumb Topping:

14 Ritz-style crackers, crushed*

1/4 cup vegan parmesan

1/4 cup vegan bleu cheese crumbles

*I've also had great results with corn flakes, panko, crusged potato chips, club and/or saltine crackers!

Prepare your noodles according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. (Tip: reserve some pasta water to use to thin out the sauce if needed!)

In a separate pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flower and stir contstantly. Cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly stir in milk and continue to stir until roux has completely dissolved in the milk.

Raise temperature to medium-high and add 1 cup of the cheddar, the rest of the cheeses, and spices to the pot. Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted and sauce is silky smooth. Add additional milk, or pasta water, as needed.

Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven safe casserole dish. (I used a 9x12-inch pyrex baking dish, but you don't have to use that size. Use whatever you have on hand.) Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar evenly over the top. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425F. 

In a small mixing bwl, add crushed crackers, shredded parmesan, and bleu cheese crumbles. Sprinkle topping evenly all over the top of the mac and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is browned and bubbly. Remove from oven, and allow to rest for ten minutes before serving.

Enjoy!