This ain't that boxed mac n' cheese you serve your kids...
This is ADULT MAC N' CHEESE WITH WHITE WINE & TRUFFLE OIL because we're grown-ups here. Wait... are we?!
You know you love mac n' cheese. I mean, who doesn't?
But, have you ever tried upgrading your mac n' cheese? I call it "Adult Mac N' Cheese" not just because there's a bit of alcohol in there. But also because I use ingredients with big, bold flavors that combine to create a feast for your palate.
The bigger and bolder, the better!
Now, cheese is the star of the show here (vegan cheese, of course!).
We're not using just any cheese for this recipe. We're going with Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavor Block because it's... well... epic! It's perfect to eat straight out of the package. It's got a smooth and creamy cheddar taste that is the best tasting vegan cheddar in my book. It shreds, it melts, it cooks just like cheddar made from milk, but without all the fat and cholesterol... win!
We'll also be using Violife Just Like Parmesan to add more cheese flavor to our sauce.
We will be combining our cheese sauce with other big, bold flavors like leeks, shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil. How can you go wrong?!
The leeks and mushrooms are sautéed first and flavored with truffle oil.
For the cheese sauce, we will be preparing a roux using vegan butter and flour and then adding both white wine and non-dairy milk to it before adding our cheeses.
What you get is a thick, creamy, cheesy sauce to drown your macaroni in.
You can adjust the thickness of the cheese sauce to your liking by adding more non-dairy milk to thin it out.
Then, finally, we top the mac n' cheese with breadcrumbs and stick it in an oven set to broil so we get that breadcrumb topping toasted and crispy. It gives a delicious crunch on top!
Serve this baby with a crisp green salad and a glass of wine... make it a date night!
Or enjoy it all on your own... which means more food for you
Let's get cooking!
ADULT MAC N’ CHEESE WITH WHITE WINE & TRUFFLE OIL
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
7 Tbsp butter, divided
2 leeks, finely sliced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp truffle oil
16 oz uncooked macaroni
1/2 Cup plain flour
1/4 Cup white wine
3 Cups non-dairy milk, plus more if needed
1/2 Cup Violife Just Like Parmesan
1 block Violife Epic Mature Cheddar
2 Tbsp fresh chives, roughly chopped
1 Cup breadcrumbs
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the leeks and mushrooms until softened. Stir in the truffle oil and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, melt the remaining butter in a large pan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Lower the heat and, using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the wine and the milk until combined. Stir continuously until it thickens (it will need to gently boil to do this).
Add in the Violife Just Like Parmesan, the grated Violife Epic Mature Cheddar and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add in the the leek and mushrooms as well as the macaroni and mix everything together. If sauce is too thick, add in a little milk (keep in mind that sauce will thicken a bit while baking).
Mix the breadcrumbs with a bit of melted butter in a small pan to season.
Transfer the pasta and cheese sauce to oven-proof serving dishes and cover with the breadcrumbs.
Broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are toasted.
Serve and enjoy!
Let me know if you make this! Tag me by using @mindfulgrub or the hashtag #mindfulgrub when you share your creations on social media. I‘d love to hear how it went for you!
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Recipe adapted from goodhousekeeping.com