Vegan Gnocchi Mac & Cheese
Vegan Gnocchi Mac n Cheese.
That’s right; we went there. ๐
If you visited this blog today to find yourself something light and healthy to make for dinner tonight, you’ve come to the wrong place (although, I can confidently direct you here and here). Today, we are aaaaalllll about that comfort food and feeling zero shame about it.
And gorgeous pillow-y potato gnocchi drenched in a thick, creamy cheddar-y sauce pretty much takes the cake in the realm of somewhat ridiculous (but also awesome) comfort food creations.
This vegan gnocchi mac n cheese is the recipe you’ll want to make for a Friday night date with your sweatpants and Netflix, glass of wine in hand because you work hard, and damnit you deserve it!
And yes, this recipe is every bit as delicious as it sounds.
The first time I saw the concept of gnocchi mac n cheese was on the food blog Gimme Some Oven. Her recipe wasn’t vegan, but the decadent idea was calling my name; I knew I had to re-make it in the name of vegans everywhere. And I’m so glad I did.
If you have a favorite store-bought vegan gnocchi (I hear Aldi may have this?!), feel free to use it to speed up the process of this recipe, but if you have some time on your hands and want to have some fun in the kitchen, I highly reccomend trying to make them yourself. As with most things, it’s easier than we think it is.
I’ve been making homemade gnocchi for a while now, and I’ve picked up some tricks along the way. Here’s how to make the best gnocchi for this vegan gnocchi mac n cheese:
- Flour is your friend. This is a huuuge one. If you don’t want your gnocchi to end up like chewy, weird clumps of potato and flour, be sure the dough is on the dryer side, aka – not sticking to your hands like crazy.
- Cut small pieces. This recipe works best with small gnocchi, so keep in mind when you’re cutting them they will double in size when cooked.
- Eat ’em right away. Gnocchi are best when fresh outta the pot. I suggest boiling only what you think you’ll eat and freezing the remainder.
And are you ready for this cheese sauce? I gotta say; it’s one of my favorite cheese sauces we’ve ever made. And you allll know my love affair with coming up with vegan cheese sauces (Exhibits Aย &ย Bย ). The idea originated from our good friend Eric from Philly Vegan Guy. He made a cheese sauce super similar to this for the Philly Vegan Mac-Down last year, and OMG, it tasted so freaking good. I have been wanting to try my hand at it ever since.
I love it because it tastes INCREDIBLE but takes very little time to make; all you need is a high-powered blender or food processor! According to Eric, the trick is the white miso paste that gives the sauce that super cheddar-y flavor, and I have to agree it’s quite an awesome addition. We found our miso paste at our local Mom’s Organic Market, but you can order it on Amazon as well. It comes refrigerated but lasts for a long time!
Extra bonus: It’s also kickass sprinkled with some Coconut Bac’n Salt and herbs. *heart-eye emojis*
My suggestion to you is to carve out a little “me” time this week to make this vegan gnocchi mac n cheese. And when you do, tag us in your awesome photos on Instagram (weโre @theplantpowercouple, with the โtheโ) or Facebook (justย Plant Power Coupleย there). We hope you enjoy every ooey, gooey, delicious bite!
Vegan Gnocchi Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
For the gnocchi:
- 2 cups mashed or riced potatoes
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
For the cheese sauce:
- 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water 20 minutes
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 block Daiya cheddar farmhouse block shredded
- 1 tsp white miso
- 1/2 cup cooked red lentils
- 2 cups warm water + 2 Tbsp Chicken less Noodle Soup Powder (homemade or ready-made)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the potato, 1 3/4 cups of the flour, salt, and nutritional yeast. Stir until roughly combined. Then get in there and knead it a few times until it comes together in a ball. If it's still super sticky, knead in some more flour. You don't want the dough to be sticky at all.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, sprinkle with more flour, and cut the dough into 4 equal sections. Take the first section and roll it out into a long snake-like shape.
- Cut the dough "snake" into small 1/2-inch sections. These will be your gnocchi! To get a traditional look, you can roll each gnocchi against a fork before moving on to the next step.
- Then, get a large pot of water boiling! Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top. That means they're ready!
- While the gnocchi is boiling, make your sauce by adding all the ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor.
- Drain the gnocchi and return it to the pot. Alternatively, you can lightly pan fry the gnocchi before tossing it with the sauce. This gives it a little bit of a crispy edge, but it's delicious either way!
- Pour the cheese sauce over the gnocchi and stir until they are all thoroughly coated.
- We love this mac and cheese right off the stove, but feel free to bake it in a casserole dish with some vegan-friendly bread crumbs on top. Enjoy!
One Comment