As we get closer to the holidays, it means that it’s cooking season! I wanted to start testing out some classic comfort dishes that you would see during Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Mac and cheese is a classic american dish that most children grow up with. Pasta and cheese, how can you go wrong with that?
I decided to add a bit of my own flair with some kimchi. The kimchi gives the dish some spice and tang. I also used panko instead of the traditional breadcrumbs because I like the texture and crunch you get from panko.
Picking the perfect pasta is always important. Most mac and cheese recipes use elbow pasta or penne. However, I like using fusili because the cheese sauce gets trapped in the spirals of the pasta for an extra cheesy dish.
If you don’t have fusili, penne or elbow pasta will also work just fine!
Keep your kimchi in your pasta, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Vegan Kimchi Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
Cashew Cheese
- 2 cups cashews soaked for at least 2 hours in water
- 1 cup plant based milk
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup kimchi liquid
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
12 oz gluten free fusili pasta, cooked per package’s directions
1 cup kimchi, chopped
½ cup gluten free panko
2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Drain the water from the cashews and add to a blender with the remaining cashew cheese ingredients. Blend until mixture becomes a creamy cheese sauce.
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In a casserole dish, mix together pasta and chopped kimchi. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and kimchi. Mix until all the pasta is coated in the cheese mixture.
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In a small bowl, combine melted butter and panko. Sprinkle panko mixture over the top of the pasta in an even layer.
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Bake for 15 minutes and then broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes until panko becomes golden brown.