Vegan Cajun Macaroni and Cheese

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If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I love this macaroni and cheese but I really need it to be spicier,” look no further than this vegan Cajun macaroni and cheese. Not only is it nice and spicy (but not too spicy), but that creaminess is out of control. You would never, ever know this was plant-based. Using your favorite vegan sausage, and adding to it andouille sausage flavors, we easily transform your sausage of choice. Sautéed garlic, onions and peppers. The creamiest vegan Cajun cheese sauce ever! This dish is absolute perfection. 

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What You Need For This Macaroni and Cheese:

• Olive Oil: To sauté the sausage and the veggies.
• Vegan Sausages: I used Field Roast brand.
• Garlic: For the sausages and to sauté with the veggies.
• Cayenne, Paprika, Thyme, Sage and Liquid Smoke: These are used to season the vegan sausages so they have an andouille flavor. 
• Pasta: I used spiral, but shells or elbows are a good choice too!
• Sweet Onion and Sweet Peppers: You can also use bell peppers if you prefer.
• Vegan Butter: I used Earth Balance.
• All Purpose Flour: Mixed with the butter to make a roux.
• Oat Milk: Or other non-dairy unsweetened milk. I like the oat milk because it is very creamy.
• Vegan Cheese: I used Violife cheddar style shreds.
• Cajun Seasoning: This gives it so much flavor and a nice bit of spice.

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This vegan Cajun macaroni and cheese is satisfying and comforting (which is totally our thing). Plus, you only have to wait for 20-30 minutes to get to chow down on this magical vegan dish. The smell alone will have your mouth watering and once you taste it, you’ll be very interested in seconds. You can up the spice or lower it, depending on how spicy you want it. The cayenne and Cajun seasoning provide the heat so add a little less or a little more if you want!

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Why Should You Make This Cheesy Magic?

1. This vegan mac and cheese is so cheesy and creamy, you’ll think witchcraft was involved.
2. Super quick and easy.
3. Spicy and cozy.
4. You can definitely fool non-vegans into thinking this has real cheese in it.
5. Macaroni and cheese is a must make in the fall and this is the best of the season!

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Vegan Cajun Macaroni and Cheese

Print Recipe

Vegan sausage flavored like andouille, lots of garlic, onion and peppers, with the creamiest Cajun vegan cheese sauce.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6

Calories 502

Author Lauren Boehme Hartmann

Ingredients

For the Sausages

• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 2-3 Vegan sausages, I used field roast(sliced)
• 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Smoked paprika
• Pinch of Thyme, dried
• Pinch of Sage, dried
• 1 teaspoon Liquid smoke(optional)

For the Rest

• 16 ounces Short pasta, I used fusilli
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 an Sweet onion, diced
• 1 Cup Sweet or bell peppers, diced
• 1/4 Cup Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
• 1/4 Cup All purpose flour
• 3 Cups Oat milk or non-dairy milk of choice
• 1 3/4 Cup Vegan cheddar style shreds, I used Violife
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning*
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the sausages first. Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large non-stick skillet or pot. One that you can make the cheese sauce in and it is large enough to toss the pasta in.
• Add the sliced sausages and garlic, and sauté for a 1-2 minutes, reducing heat as needed until the sausages are starting to brown.
• Then add the cayenne, paprika, thyme and sage to the pan and toss to coat the sausages, then pour in the liquid smoke. Toss again and continue to sauté until the sausages are nice and brown. Just another 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the sausages and garlic from the pan and set aside.
• Now, start cooking the pasta according to package directions in a separate pot. Drain when the pasta is cooked.
• In the meantime, using the pan you made the sausage in, make the cheese sauce. Heat the 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on medium high. Then add the garlic, onions and peppers.
• Sauté, reducing heat as needed for about 5-6 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the peppers are soft and starting to brown. Season with a pinch of salt.
• Then add the vegan butter to the pan, and let it melt. Reduce heat to medium low.
• Now whisk in the flour completely so you have a roux(paste). Let simmer for a minute.
• Next, pour in the non-dairy milk and whisk vigorously until the roux has been completely incorporated and there are no lumps.
• Bring to a simmer, and let simmer until the non-dairy milk mixture is thick. It should coat the back of a spoon and you should be able to swipe a finger through it on the spoon and it will stay in place. It make take a few minutes.
• Add the vegan cheese and Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Whisk to fully combine and make sure the cheese has melted completely.
• Taste and adjust seasonings, you may need more salt, depending on your Cajun seasoning blend.
• Now add the cooked pasta to the pan with the cheese sauce and add the sausage back to the pan as well. Toss to combine the pasta and sausage with the cheese sauce.
• Serve immediately with chives if desired.

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Notes

*If you want it a little less spicy, start with 1 -1 1/2 tsp of the Cajun seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1788IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 9mg

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