Ultimate Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have been tweaking this recipe for awhile, and I know I have hit the mark now because we keep eating the whole pan before I can snap a picture! This vegan macaroni and cheese hits every note I am looking for. It is rich and creamy and gooey (thanks to tapioca flour) it even gets the crisped golden edges when you bake it. It is so freaking good!

Ultimate Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound noodles (shells are great, and I really like the brown rice ones because they don't absorb all of the sauce. If you use a wheat noodle, add another cup of water to keep it nice and creamy)

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (sounds weird but adds a richness that you can't get with other oils)
2 tbsp vegan margarine (Earth Balance is very good)
1/4 cup flour

3 cups soy milk plain unsweetened
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 cup of cold water

4 tbsp bread crumbs
salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a large rectangle casserole dish with cooking spray.

Prepare the noodles according to the package directions, taking care that they are al dente. Drain and reserve the noodles.

Heat 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp vegan margarine in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup of flour and stir to combine and make a roux. Stir and cook this for about 5 minutes, to cook the flour a bit.

Next, slowly pour in the soy milk while continuing to stir to avoid any clumps forming. If you do get clumps, simply press them against the side of the pan and keep stirring. Once the soy milk has been added stir in the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and vinegar.

Whisk the tapioca flour into the cold water (mix until there are no lumps), and slowly add that into the soy milk mix in the pan. Lower the heat and let this simmer for about 10 minutes until it has thickened up and become a bit gooey. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.

Put the noodles in the prepared casserole dish, and pour the sauce over the top. Stir gently to combine and then sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Finally, add a sprinkling of salt and pepper over the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven and enjoy!