Here’s the thing. Unless I’m following a recipe, I don’t really measure things. I also have a bad habit of not writing down any sort of notes. I only have a vague memory of what I used and what I did to create a dish. Beyond some of the main ingredients, I couldn’t really tell you with any certainty enough for you to recreate it exactly. Hell, I sometimes don’t recreate a dish exactly! It’s usually never exactly the same. Not really a good thing when sharing recipes. Like Julia Child, I enjoy cooking with wine – perhaps a little too much!

There is one exception to this rule. And that’s the base for the cheese sauce, which is one of the French “mother sauces”. Béchamel sauce to be specific and it’s super simple to veganize. I always use equal amounts of flour and fat (vegan butter, I’ve not tried using olive oil or another vegan-friendly cooking fat as of yet). My preference is for unsweetened soy milk as it doesn’t have any flavor on its own, but use what you like.

Right then. Here’s the ingredients – and I actually remembered to write them down this time!

  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk of your choice (I use soy)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • Up to 1 package vegan cheese or a mix of what you have on hand, however cheesy or not for your taste.
  • 1 cup macaroni (or any shape you prefer), cooked
  • About 1/2 – 1 package beefless ground of your choice (seitan works too, use your preference for the ground “beef”). I mostly eyeball it to be roughly equal the amount of cooked pasta.
  • Pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste, although the vegan cheese you use can add to the overall saltiness so be careful on the salt.
  1. Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside. Save about a cup of the pasta water, it’s useful if you want to thin the sauce out a bit.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a heated frying pan with about a tablespoon of oil, such as avocado, that doesn’t add any strong flavor. Cook until just softened, a couple of minutes or so and add your beefless crumble of choice. Cook through and keep warm as you prepare the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and stir to evenly distribute the pasta and your “beef”.
  3. In the same pot you used for the pasta, melt the butter over low-medium low heat. Keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to turn brown or burn.
  4. Whisk in the flour and nutritional yeast and cook for a few minutes.
  5. Slowly whisk in the plant-based milk. I usually pour in enough to make a smooth paste and gradually add more as I whisk to keep it from being all lumpy and weird.
  6. Once the sauce comes together, add your vegan cheese(s). Stir regularly so it doesn’t burn. Once the cheese is melted to your liking, add it to the pan with the beefless crumbles and pasta. Heat through. If you prefer some crunchy topping and crispy edges, you can add it to a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and place it in a 350ºF oven for about half an hour.

With the exception of the béchamel sauce that is the base for the cheese sauce, this is by no means a recipe in the traditional sense. Think of it as more of a suggestion or outline. Experiment and put your own spin on it, use it for inspiration or whatever suits your fancy!

Oh, I did use a couple of new products in this batch that I think are worth mentioning. Lightlife came out with its version of vegan “ground beef” and Whole Foods now has vegan cheese under their 365 store brand. I’ve been pretty impressed with both! I’ve already made a meatloaf with the ground beef more reminiscent of my childhood in the ’70’s and ’80’s than any other version of “meatloaf” I’ve made (or in some cases, attempted to make) in the years since I’ve been vegan. I’ve only made it once so far, so sharing that one may be for another time. For the cheese, I used the new Whole Foods cheddar style shreds (they also have mozzarella) and I have to say I am very impressed! It’s got a mellow flavor out of the package that doesn’t have the vague plastic-like flavor of some of the other brands out there. It also melts the best of those I’ve tried. Seriously.  Daiya, So Delicious, Follow Your Heart, Violife and Parmela Creamery all melt fine, but this Whole Foods stuff takes it that little bit further. The most interesting thing about it is the shreds themselves are absurdly long. Like, as long as my fingers long. It’s not a knock on it. Just something I find kind of weird.

There you have it. My spin on cheeseburger mac. Just remember one thing – I am not at all a proficient recipe writer and far from a chef, but I hope you get inspired to experiment in the kitchen all the same!