I must confess something to you guys. I am….dare I say it…lactose intolerant. Severally! However, I do still indulge in diary products I just make sure I take a Lactaid pill before hand. Anyway, that’s my problem not yours. Those who also suffer from this intolerance that spawns from the depths of hell, suffer from various symptoms. I suffer from nausea upset stomach, gas, and bloating. Some people get extreme cases of diarrhea ……(Nicole, this is a food blog), you get the point. I get gas, bloating, and stomach cramps badly, especially if I dare to have a diary product without my handy-dandy Lactaid pill.
The first time I found out about this was about 4 years ago. I couldn’t keep anything down and I noticed I was getting very very nauseous after I ate certain foods. I went to an allergist (yes it was that bad) and had an allergy test done and that is when he gave me the devastating news, “Nicole, you are lactose intolerant”…DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! I switched to Lactaid milk but after a while that made me sick, so I finally wung myself on Soy Milk. I like ice cream but its not something I crave, so that wasn’t the issue. The problem that I was having was with cheese. I couldn’t walk away from it. I loved…excuse me…love it. But one thing that the doctor told me was that my intolerance for lactose will only get worse. Why? Because the human body doesn’t need cows milk. We are the only species that consume milk from another species, did you know that? So after years of experimenting and trying different “lactose free” cheeses that were gross, I found Diya. Awesome vegan cheese! Then one of my closest friends told me about nutritional yeast and how it mimics a cheesy flavor. Anyway, I put both of them together with the traditional way I make normal mac-n-cheese and there you have it, Vegan Mac-N-Cheese.
Let me tell you about this dish! IT——IS—–AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I kid you not! It is fantastic!!!!!! Absolutely wonderful! I can eat it all day. The best part, is that I didn’t have gas! My stomach never felt so good. I can honestly say, not because I made this, I won’t go back to making normal mac-n-cheese for myself. I’m sold! You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy this dish. If you suffer from lactose intolerance as I do, I PROMISE you, you won’t miss normal mac-n-cheese. I mean it doesn’t have the ooey gooey cheese crust like regular baked mac-n-cheese but it will do the trick! Also, it is so much healthier for you. There is 8 grams of protein in a serving of nutritional yeast and only 90 calories in a serving of the Diya cheese! Please, please, please try this and let me know what you think. Ill be eating a bowl until I hear from you :-).
Vegan Mac-N-Cheese
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 12
Description
You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy this alternative to Mac-N-Cheese. It is delicious!
Ingredients
- • 14.5 oz. box Barilla whole wheat elbow macaroni
- • 3/4 c. nutritional yeast
- • 2 1/2 c. soy milk
- • 1/8 c. flour
- • 8 oz. bag of Diya Cheddar Cheese
- • 2 tbsp. vegan butter
- • 1/3 c. chives, chopped
- • 1/3 c. bread crumbs
- • 1 tbsp. onion powder
- • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and place on medium-high heat. Once the water begins to get hot add a generous amount of salt to the water, pour in the pasta, and cook until al dente.
- In a medium saucer, heat 2 cups of the milk on medium high heat and add the nutritional yeast. Stir for 5 minutes. The milk should just get hot but you don’t want it to reach a boil. Now, whisk in the flour so make sure no clumps form. The mixture should get thick.
- Add the onion and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Go ahead and taste the mixture to make sure its seasoned to your liking. Tastes like cheese a little bit doesn’t it?!
- Preheat oven to 325 Degrees
- Once you have drained your noodles, return them back to the pot and place on the counter. Pour in the thick milk mixture in the pot with the noodles. Stir to make sure that every noodle is covered with the mixture. Add the 2 tsp. of butter and about 3/4 bag of Diya Cheese into the mixture. Stir until the cheese melts. Pour the macaroni into a 2 quart casserole dish. Take the other half of soy milk and pour around the edges so the dish doesn’t dry out; Sprinkle with
- breadcrumbs, chives, and the rest of the Diya Cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve!
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Vegan/ Side Dish
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