Vegan Horseradish Macaroni and Cheese!

Good morning from a very cuddle-y , sleepy Dylan! This is a rare moment when he doesn't have someone else curling up with him! As he's gotten older, he has to be in the mood for cuddles. And he only tolerates cuddles from certain cats. Others he just has no patience for! He's given me a few scares, but he's been really hanging in there.The hardest thing is that he's gotten really picky about food. As soon as he decides he likes one kind, he doesn't like it anymore. So I'm constantly worried about that. Even with daiya, one day he likes it, the next he doesn't. But, for awhile he was not really into eating, and now if I find the right thing that he wants, he will chow down. My best friend!

I had success with my horseradish macaroni and cheese too! It was super easy, and turned out rich and creamy with that nice horseradish zip. I decided to make a baked mac and cheese, and I wanted it to be on the creamier side, like Amy's. Side note, I wish Amy's vegan mac and cheese weren't so hard to find, and also so dang expensive! I think this would make a great side for all of the upcoming festivities! I am so proud of myself, because I wrote everything down! It's so hard for me to be good about measuring and writing down, because I am much more of a pinch of this, a bit of that type of cook!
                                          Vegan Horseradish Macaroni and Cheese

• 2 T Earth  Balance
• 2 T Flour 
• 2 1/2 C. Unsweetened plant milk( I used cashew)
• S&P to taste
• 1/2 C. Nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 T. Horseradish
• 3-4 slices Chao creamy original 
• 8 oz. pasta of choice( I used whole wheat Fusilli)         

Start the water boiling for your pasta. While that's happening, melt your earth balance in a saucepan, and add your flour. Whisk around for about a minute, and slowly start whisking in your milk. Add the milk in shifts or it will get lumpy. Keep whisking and adding until all of the milk is added, and you have no lumps. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, and turn heat down to low. Add salt and pepper to your liking, and start adding your Chao. I just break it up into small pieces and add it piece by piece. Allow the Chao to mostly melt, and turn off heat. Add the Dijon and horseradish and mix it all up. I also added the smallest pinch of turmeric to bump up the color. When your pasta is done cooking, drain and add to a casserole dish, and then add your delicious cheese sauce. Mix it all up, top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, cover with lid or foil, and bake at 350 for twenty to twenty five minutes.
Next time I make this I will probably go three full tablespoons of horseradish. Other than that it was perfect. The Chao is richer and thicker when it melts, and it makes a very nice mac and cheese. I feel like a horseradish cheese sauce needs that richness to balance to zip of the horseradish. I really loved this and will be making it often this dreary winter.

My full plate yum!

      I was going to make a vegan thousand island dressing for a salad, but I decided to have some cabbage with a vinegar-y dressing would go well with the creaminess. I had to have some pickles with the meal because PICKLES! The perfect bite was a little of all three on the fork.  
Happy Tuesday!