Vegan Cheesy Cauliflower

Let’s make cheeseless cheese the new thing.

Step aside, meatless meat.

Consider this the next installment of the epic saga that is my love for almond milk. Want proof of my unabashed adoration? Please enjoy all 178 recipes that I have made with almond milk. If I bothered to use an ingredient in a blog recipe 178 times, it’s got to be good.

If you don’t have any creamy almondicious (the cool adjective I just came up with) goodness on hand, then I highly recommend getting some.

We have a lot of almond milk-stuffed deliciousness in our future.

I have been *cough* gently nudging *cough* my lovely mother towards a plant-based lifestyle, and while we don’t exactly have any newly minted vegan in our house, this recipe was definitely one for the books. My mom and I agree that cheese is like sunshine, so I accepted my challenge: cheesy goodness that’s vegan-friendly.

Basically dairy free dairy. Good luck with that.

After several alchemy attempts, I settled on the perfect combination.

My magic formula for vegan cheese sauce is almond milk, nutritional yeast, and canned pumpkin. Maybe a little absurd sounding, I know! But hear me out.

Nutritional yeast is a rockstar in the vegan community and beyond for its fabulously cheesy flavor, so it’s a natural choice for a recipe like this. Pumpkin is a powerhouse (although would I be a real food blogger if I didn’t openly love canned pumpkin?) and its texture and subtle flavor are actually perfect in this sauce.

Plus the creaminess of almond milk? Sold.

Real talk, Silk is by far the coolest kid on the almond milk block. My mom and I agree that it is much creamier than all the other brands we’ve tried. I’ll actually go out of my way to pick a grocery store that I know carries Silk. True story.

Also do you like coupons? I like coupons. Silk will give you a coupon while keeping you in the loop about future coupons. Music to my frugal ears.

I was thinking of doing mac n cheese, but while I’m throwing the traditional version out the window, why don’t I pair my cheesy creation with my favorite way to make my favorite vegetable?

So this is basically cauliflower baked in cheese doused in more cheese all without any real cheese.

We’re walking in a vegan wonderland.

Nutritional Breakdown

Calories

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (80) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (68) + 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk (30) + 1 pound cauliflower (115) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (68) / 3 = 120 calories per serving

Net Carbs

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (8g) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (3g) + 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk (1g) + 1 pound cauliflower (11g) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (3g) / 3 = 9g net carbs per serving

Protein

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (4g) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (12g) + 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk (1g) + 1 pound cauliflower (11g) + 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast (12g) / 3 = 13g protein per serving

4.0 from 1 reviews

Low Carb Vegan "Mac n Cheese"

 

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Author: Kelly Morrison

Ingredients

For roasted cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty you like things)

For vegan cheese sauce:

• 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almondmilk
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• salt + pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt and toss until evenly coated. Transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet, and spread it around to make sure the coating is evenly distributed. Lightly pray the cauliflower with olive oil cooking spray (this is to help the cauliflower crisp up without adding extra fat). Bake in the oven at 450ºF for 50 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden and crispy.
3. Meanwhile, bring the Almondmilk to a boil in a pot over medium high heat. Whisk in nutritional yeast, minced garlic, and Dijon mustard, and continue to cook for two minutes, or until slightly thickened.
4. Whisk in pumpkin puree until completely smooth and cook until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cooked pasta until the sauce is evenly distributed throughout. Transfer to plates and serve!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅓ recipe Calories: 120 Net Carbs: 9g Protein: 13g

3.5.3226

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.