• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
beautifulingredient.com
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • PORTFOLIO
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • PORTFOLIO
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » 30 minutes or less

    Easy Creamy Shells and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce

    The second of six recipes that create one epic seventh recipe, from Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and OveR-the-Top Plant-based Recipes.


    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce

    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce

    vegan | quick | easy | gluten-free option | 30 minutes or less* | year round

    *longer if baking

    This is the second of a seven-part post series for Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over the Top Plant-based Recipes. The idea behind this awesome book: Dustin takes a collection of tasty recipes and puts them together to make one epic creation - and it’s all vegan!

    The Epic Recipe I chose: Bacon Macaroni and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger. Today, we are focussing on the Macaroni and Cheese part, with actually two recipes from the book: Cheesiest Cheese Sauce and Easy Creamy Shells and Cheese. It is just what it sounds, super creamy and this recipe makes a nice big batch. I had never tried using sauerkraut in a cheese sauce until now, and while it might sound strange, it actually adds a little pleasant tanginess that helps balance the other ingredients - genius! There are a lot of veggies in this sauce, so it’s a nutritious winner for the whole family.


    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce

    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce





    Buy on Amazon


    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce

    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce


    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce

    Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce, from Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. Image by Kari of Beautiful Ingredient. #veganmacandcheese #vegankidrecipe #veganmacaroniandcheese #vegancheesesauce


    Easy Creamy shells and Cheese with The Cheesiest Cheese Sauce

    recipes
    from Epic Vegan by Dustin Harder

    vegan | quick | easy | gluten-free option | 30 minutes or less* | year round

    PREP TIME: 10 minutes | COOK TIME: 20 minutes, if baking 50 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes; *if baking, 60-70 minutes

    YIELDS 6 cups (1425 g) sauce (more than enough for a pound of pasta); 8 pasta servings

    Author’s note: I once was a close contender for a spot on the Food Network’s show The Great Food Truck Race. If chosen to compete, I knew I wouldn’t be able to rely on things like nutritional yeast and miso, which can be challenging to find sometimes. I set forth to create a cheese sauce with ingredients I knew I could find anywhere in the country so I could effectively compete in any given situation, and that’s when I got obsessive about creating this recipe. It’s so versatile; I hope you love it as much as I do!

    Tip: I prefer kabocha squash, as it is slightly richer in flavor and color, but if you can find only butternut squash, that works as well - and you can sometimes find it already peeled and cubed in the grocery store! Mac and Cheese: This recipe comes together in a cinch. While your pasta is cooking, whip up the cheese sauce. Crunch up potato chips for an extra-fun crust on top.

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 ½ cups (570 ml) water

    • 2 cups (10 ounces/340 g) peeled and cubed kabocha or butternut squash

    • 1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed

    • ⅓ cup (50 g) arborio rice

    • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

    • ½ cup (80g) chopped onion

    • ½ cup (75 g) chopped red bell pepper

    • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

    • ½ cup (71 g) sauerkraut

    • ¼ cup (60 g) tahini

    • 2 tablespoons (30 g) dijon mustard

    • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar

    • 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt

    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    • ½ teaspoon paprika

    • 1 box (1 lb./454 g) or 2 8-oz boxes pasta shells (gluten-free if desired)

    • Hemp Parmesan (optional)


    easy-creamy-vegan-mac-and-cheese-on-bacon-mac-and-cheese-bbq-blue-burger.jpg
    Print Recipe




    Buy on Amazon

    instructions

    1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, squash, potato, and rice. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender. Do not drain the water.

    2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.

    3. Meanwhile, get a pot boiling and cook your pasta shells according to the package instructions.

    4. In a high-speed blender, combine the sauerkraut, tahini, mustard, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Transfer the contents of the saucepan (including the water) and the contents of the skillet to the blender. Remove the plug from the lid of the blender and place a dish towel over the hole to allow steam to escape. Blend on low and increase the speed until the mixture is creamy and smooth, about two minutes.

    5. In the large pot that the shells were prepared in, combine the cheese sauce and the shells until the shells are entirely coated. Serve topped with the parmesan, if desired. Serve warm on recipes as needed or toss it with steamed broccoli or your favorite vegetables! Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat when needed.

    6. To bake: While the shells cook, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Transfer the finished mac and cheese to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges have started to brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with (vegan) parmesan, if desired.


    Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger recipes from Epic Vegan by Dustin Harder:

    Featured



    Bacon Macaroni and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger


    Jun 27, 2019

    Bacon Macaroni and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger


    Jun 27, 2019


    Jun 27, 2019


    All-American Burger


    Jun 25, 2019

    All-American Burger


    Jun 25, 2019


    Jun 25, 2019


    Blue Cheese Dressing


    Jun 20, 2019

    Blue Cheese Dressing


    Jun 20, 2019


    Jun 20, 2019



    Jun 18, 2019

    Red BBQ Sauce


    Jun 18, 2019


    Jun 18, 2019


    Quinoa Bacon Bits


    Jun 13, 2019

    Quinoa Bacon Bits


    Jun 13, 2019


    Jun 13, 2019


    Easy Creamy Shells and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce


    Jun 12, 2019

    Easy Creamy Shells and Cheese with the Cheesiest Cheese Sauce


    Jun 12, 2019


    Jun 12, 2019


    Hemp Parmesan


    Jun 6, 2019

    Hemp Parmesan


    Jun 6, 2019


    Jun 6, 2019

    « Hemp Parmesan
    Quinoa Bacon Bits »

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

    I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, oil-free, and mostly gluten-free.



    recent recipes

    • Sunshine Orange Blender Juice
    • Cherry Vanilla Flavored Water
    • Quick Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (vegan)
    • Air Fryer Potato Slices (oil-free)

    explore recipes

    • gluten-free
    • snack
    • 30 minutes or less
    • 5 ingredients or less

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    beautiful ingredient

    About
    Contact

    Subscribe

    eating more plants

    Recipe Index
    Vegan Travel


    food photography services

    Work with Me • Portfolio
    Photography/Recipe Request Form

    Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Copyright/Content Usage

    Copyright © 2021 Beautiful Ingredient