Ok, stick with me for a sec….this is THE best Mac & Cheese recipe ever! I’m serious. The really amazing thing is that there’s zero dairy! Yep, there’s no cheese or butter in this Mac & Cheese. Believe me, I have tried every plant-based mac & cheese recipe out there but this is the first to meet my incredibly high standards. We have had numerous failed attempts, some were so bad, we couldn’t even eat them. But not this time!! I encourage you to go into this dish with an open mind. It’s not a replacement for your classic recipe, but maybe, over time, it will become an alternative. You may need to play around with the seasoning a bit to get it right for your family. That makes a big difference!

It’s super easy to make gluten-free. Just swap out the noodles and breadcrumbs for gluten-free versions. Also, if you need it to be super gluten-free, check your nutritional yeast. Some brands are produced in not-so-gluten-free ways.

Recipe from: The How Not to Die Cookbook

By Michael Greger

Makes: 4 servings

3 cups veggie broth

½ cup chopped red onion (optional)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 ½ cups chopped carrot or butternut squash

8 ounces whole-grain or bean-based bite-sized pasta

½ cup nutritional use

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 teaspoons blended peeled lemon

2 teaspoons white miso paste

1 teaspoon salt-free stone-ground mustard

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon fresh turmeric, grated (or ¼ teaspoon ground)

1 teaspoon savory spice blend

1 cup steamed chopped greens or small broccoli florets, liquid pressed out

¼ cup whole-grain bread crumbs

In a large saucepan, heat 1 cup of the broth over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot (or butternut squash). Cover and cook until the vegetables are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Drain well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a high-speed blender, combine the cooked vegetables, the remaining 2 cups of broth, and the nutritional yeast, almond butter, lemon, miso, mustard, ¼ teaspoon of the paprika, the turmeric, and the savory spice blend. Blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

Combine the sauce with the drained macaroni, stirring gently to combine. Stir in the cooked greens (or broccoli). Transfer to a 2 ½-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of paprika. Bake until hot and golden on the top, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Follow Dr. Greger at NutritionFacts.org and on social media at @nutrition_facts_org