As young boys, their Nanny would sneak broccoli onto their plate and did what she could to trick them into “eating their greens”, according to the former Royal Chef. Their nanny used to make them eat every piece of broccoli before they were allowed to dive into their entree, “So, the boys had to have the broccoli if they wanted to have the chicken,” McGrady recalls. As a chef, McGrady worked for Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and the palace for fifteen years.

Vegan mac and cheese fit for a prince, or two

McGrady has his own YouTube channel, where he teaches you how to make the meals and dishes that Price William and Harry enjoyed as children. The royal princes always had a big appetite, McGrady says, so he cooked their favorite comfort foods like cottage pie, roast chicken, and hearty side dishes. William and Harry enjoyed potatoes with gravy and loved his creamy and comforting mac and cheese.

Luckily, the royal chef now reveals how to make that mac and cheese dish the royal boys loved growing up, but since it’s not vegan we decided to add a plant-based twist.

The Beet created a vegan version of the mac and cheese that all plant-based mac and cheese lovers can enjoy, and feel like royalty. The secret to making the favorite gooey side dish is using three different types of cheeses. McGrady adds mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar then creates a creamy thick roux using flour and butter. We made the same recipe using our favorite plant-based ingredients. McGrady explains how to make his recipe healthier than the store-bought kind, adding, “Don’t tell me, you still use the packing mixes at home. Look at the ingredients on the side! They have too many additives and preservatives.”

Royal Mac and Cheese Made Vegan

Now for how to make the royal plant-based mac and cheese. First, boil the pasta and keep it slightly al dente, so that it doesn’t get too mushy by the time you add the cheese topping. Use medium-sized elbow macaroni (William and Harry’s favorite). Once the pasta is mostly cooked, drain and set it aside while you prepare your cheese sauce. On medium heat in a saucepan, combine the following ingredients:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour (use rice flour to make it gluten-free)
• 1 cup of cashew milk (if you prefer you can use oat milk or almond milk)
• 1/2 cup of coconut cream (this is essential for thickness

Mix as you heat, until the sauce starts to thicken and then add three types of plant-based cheese, cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella in equal measurements, about a half-cup each.

• For cheddar, we like Violife cheddar shreds
• For parmesan, we like Follow Your Heart Parmesan cheese
• For mozzarella, we like Parmela Creamery Mozzarella Cheese
• Add a half stick of Miyoko’s Classic Butter
• Add a pinch of salt.

Chef says, “let the sauce cook out for about 10-15 minutes so it opens the starch granules and then I’ve got my elbow macaroni that I just cooked a little earlier but I just put into the sauce.” And, voila you have yourself a delicious plant-based version of William and Harry’s favorite mac and cheese, and we’re making traditions healthier!

To get a nice crispy grown on top texture, add another coating of the vegan parmesan cheese and throw the whole thing into the over for five minutes on 425. Let it cool and serve.

The post Royal Chef Reveals Princes’ Favorite Mac and Cheese Recipe, We Made it Vegan appeared first on The Beet.

Cheese is one of the main things that keeps people from going all the way vegan. In fact, research from The Vegan Society found that dairy (especially cheese) was one of the top “barriers to veganism related to habit or taste.” Fortunately, years of innovation within the plant-based cheese space have led to a ton of great products, and a category growing double digits year over year and is expected to reach $7 billion in sales globally by 2030.

Why You Should Avoid Eating Dairy

Milk is the top source of saturated fat in the traditional American diet, according to Lee Crosby, R.D., nutrition education program manager at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Traditional boxed mac and cheese is prepared with powdered dairy cheese mixes and dairy milk, making your typical box of macaroni damaging to your health.

One study published in BMC Medicine found that dairy is associated with a significantly higher risk of breast cancers. Those who drink a quarter cup of milk per day show a 17 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Another study found that milk consumption is even more dangerous for men. Loma Linda researchers found that drinking milk increases the risk of prostate cancer by 60 percent.

The dairy industry often encourages consumers to keep eating cheese and milk products, claiming milk is necessary for good athletic performance. However, consuming dairy is linked to increased inflammation, making it harder to breathe, delaying recovery times, and causing joint and muscle pains.

“Dairy is an inflammatory food, and athletes are constantly fighting inflammation to repair broken-down muscles and get back to training,” Dotsie Bausch, Olympic medalist in cycling and executive director of Switch4Good, said, adding that once she abandoned dairy, her recovery time dramatically shortened, so she was able to train at the same high-intensity level more often. “If you’re inflamed, you’re not at your best, and until you ditch dairy, you don’t know your true limit.”

The Best Vegan Boxed Mac and Cheeses

Now, you can choose a healthier option for lunch. There are plenty of boxed mac and cheeses available, so we taste-tested the top brands to let you find what brand is best for you.

Annie’s Organic Vegan Cheddar Mac

Annie’s has a couple of vegan flavors and since this was the only one available at Whole Foods I went for it. The preparation method was classic boxed mac – cook the noodles in boiling water, as they draining, heat up some non-dairy milk and stir in the sauce powder. The powder clumps up but nothing a little vigorous stirring can’t fix. All reviewers agreed that while not a super-powerful taste, this cheddar mac could definitely pass for the real thing. Where Annie’s lost points in our book were for the noodles, which were a little thin and slippery.

Calories 250

Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1.5g

Protein 8g

Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac

As a plant-based cheese innovator, we had to try Daiya’s mac and cheese. It got points for having a gluten-free noodle made from brown rice. The cheese sauce came in a pouch that makes for easy prep. Once the noodles are done cooking and drained, simply add in the cheese sauce, mix and enjoy. The noodle was great but the sauce had an overpowering flavor. For future iterations, we would definitely add some pasta water or non-dairy milk to thin out the sauce a bit.

Calories 290

Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 3.5g

Protein 4g

Goodles Vegan is Believin’

Goodles’ Vegan is Believin’ instantly transports you back to your childhood. This easy-to-prepare, creamy Mac and Cheese reminds us of Kraft Classics but because it’s made with cashew nut cheese, it’s a whole lot healthier. Just one serving of the Vegan is Believin’ contains 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. As far as taste goes, the cheesy sauce does have a subtle nutty taste but if you like cashews you may actually enjoy that. However, the vegan “cheese” mix needs a little more spice, in our opinion, so add your favorite hot sauce to give this lunchtime favorite a little kick.

Calories 260

Total Fat 3.5g, Saturated Fat 0g

Protein 12g

Howl Deluxe Spicy Chipotle Kashoo Mac and Chef

Never being one to turn my nose up at the addition of a little heat, I expected to like Howl Deluxe’s Spicy Chipotle Mac, but overall this one was a disappointment. While the chipotle spice gave it a nice touch of heat, it wasn’t enough to overcome the tart taste of the sauce. Even when we thinned it out slightly with almond milk there was still a funky taste that not everyone will love.

Calories 250

Total Fat 4.5g, Saturated Fat 0.5g

Protein 10g

Modern Table Vegan Mac

And the winner is Modern Table! For starters, Modern Table’s Vegan Mac Classic Cheddar Style was one of few gluten-free options available. They use a very cool spiral noodle made from lentils, rice, and peas that would be hard to guess were gluten-free. It highest protein of any of the macs we tried at 16g per serving. These noodles also cook slightly faster than typical wheat noodles, only requiring about 6 minutes for a nice al dente bite. The flavor was very tasty but not too powerful and is as good as the real thing.

Calories 300

Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 15g

Pastabilities Organic Vegan Under the Sea Mac n Cheese

When I see mac and cheese with fun shapes on the shelf, chances are I’m going to get it. The under-the-sea shapes like starfish and seahorses, make it perfect for young children (or a big kid like myself). Flavor-wise, Pastabilities scored in the top half of all products tested. It was on the lighter side, but definitely very tasty. The shapes were not a favorite of one of our (Grinch-like) testers, but the others found them fun and with a satisfying texture.

Calories 300

Total Fat 2.5g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Upton’s Naturals Original Ch’eesy Mac

Upton’s wins for the most innovative cooking methods. I was skeptical when I saw that the noodles were pre-cooked since a shelf-stable pre-cooked noodle just didn’t seem right. But both taste and convenience turned me into a fan. You can cook these in either the microwave in only a minute, though I chose the stovetop. Simply add the noodles to a lightly greased frying pan, with the packet of liquid cheese sauce, and mix it all together. Pro tip: break up the noodles in the package to save yourself any rogue noodles flying out of the pan. It took only 5-6 minutes to cook and it came out with a wonderful golden brown crisp on the noodles. The cheese sauce was pretty solid overall, with a good cheesy flavor. It had a bit of a smoky flavor and aftertaste.

Calories 270

Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Upton’s Naturals Ch’eesy Bacon Mac

Now I know you’re thinking it’s unfair that I tried two products from one brand and not any others. But the fact of the matter is, I saw Upton had an option with “bacon” in it and I was curious. All reviewers agreed it tasted like the real thing. Everyone loved the crispy cheesy texture and wish there was more of the cheese sauce. The seitan bacon adds a nice extra smoky touch and additional texture.

Calories 270

Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 1g

Protein 10g

Final Thoughts on Vegan Mac Taste Test

So in sum, the clear winner for me was Modern Table. Despite having to follow the more time-intensive “traditional” method, it had the best combination of texture, flavor, and nutrition. In a close second was Upton’s Naturals product with their crispy cheesiness, followed by Pastabilities and the fun-shaped organic pasta. With all this said, this is but the first step in my lifelong journey to find the greatest vegan mac and cheese. And a tasty first step it was.

For all the Beet Meters, check out the best vegan products.

The post We Tried All of the Best Vegan and Dairy-Free Boxed Mac and Cheeses appeared first on The Beet.

The American classic dish made vegan is also one of Fantasia Taylor‘s favorite meals to enjoy since the American Idol alum went vegan over a year ago and continues to explore the lifestyle for health purposes. The star recently gave birth to her daughter Keziah on May 23rd and threw an all-vegan baby shower a week prior to the delivery, serving up soul food including her favorite mac and cheese dish made by Chef Joya, and we have the recipe.

Chef Joya calls herself the “Queen of Transitioning Meat Eaters,” and has cooked for Taylor on special occasions, including Valentine’s Day, and kindly shared five recipes she served at the baby shower, including this gooey vegan mac and cheese, served in a skillet.

To celebrate the national holiday, convince yourself, non-vegans, and your loved ones that ditching dairy can be as delicious as it is healthy, and add this recipe to your personal cookbook.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Recipe Developer: Chef Joya, author of Cooking With Joya: It’s Soul Mahmazing

Baked Mac & Cheez

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb. elbow noodles
• ½ cup vegan butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup arrowroot flour
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 24 oz. unsweetened cashew milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 container vegan cream cheese
• 4 cups vegan shredded cheese, your preferred brand
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp sugar, raw
• 2 dashes of hot sauce
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Boil noodles, in vegetable stock, until al dente (follow directions on the package)
3. Drain the pasta, and set it aside.
4. Melt butter, in a saucepan, and add both flours. Whisk, until incorporated.
5. Slowly pour in half of the milk, whisking constantly to prevent clumps.
6. Mix in cream cheese and half of the vegan cheese.
7. Stir in the remaining milk, and add nutritional yeast.
8. Once the mixture is smooth and the cheese has melted, add in the remaining ingredients, except for the remaining cheese.
9. Bring mixture to a boil, and remove from heat.
10. Spray an 11” x 13” pan with non-stick cooking spray.
11. Add pasta noodles to the pan (optional: season with salt and black pepper).
12. Pour vegan cheez mixture onto the pasta. Stir until pasta is covered in sauce.
13. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese, and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place the covered pan, in the oven, for 20 minutes.
14. Remove the aluminum foil, and cook for another 13 minutes.
15. Allow the mac and cheez to sit, for 10 minutes, before serving.

Calories 540 | Total Fat 30.7g | Saturated Fat 14.1g | Cholesterol 31mg | Sodium 645mg | Total Carbohydrate 52.8g | Dietary Fiber 8.5g | Total Sugars 3.6g | Protein 14.5g | Vitamin D 8mcg | Calcium 250mg | Iron 5mg | Potassium 164mg |

The post Love Mac and Cheese? How to Make Fantasia’s Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe appeared first on The Beet.

The baby shower spread also included this vegan mac and cheese dish, which will convince even non-vegan friends and family that ditching dairy can be as delicious as it is healthy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Recipe Developer: Chef Joya, author of Cooking With Joya: It’s Soul Mahmazing

Baked Mac & Cheez

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb. elbow noodles
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup arrowroot flour
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 24 oz. unsweetened cashew milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 container vegan cream cheese
• 4 cups vegan shredded cheese, your preferred brand
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp sugar, raw
• 2 dashes of hot sauce
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Boil noodles, in vegetable stock, until al dente (follow directions on the package)
3. Drain the pasta, and set it aside.
4. Melt butter, in a saucepan, and add both flours. Whisk, until incorporated.
5. Slowly pour in half of the milk, whisking constantly to prevent clumps.
6. Mix in cream cheese and half of the vegan cheese.
7. Stir in the remaining milk, and add nutritional yeast.
8. Once the mixture is smooth and the cheese has melted, add in the remaining ingredients, except for the remaining cheese.
9. Bring mixture to a boil, and remove from heat.
10. Spray an 11” x 13” pan with non-stick cooking spray.
11. Add pasta noodles to the pan (optional: season with salt and black pepper).
12. Pour vegan cheez mixture onto the pasta. Stir until pasta is covered in sauce.
13. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese, and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place the covered pan, in the oven, for 20 minutes.
14. Remove the aluminum foil, and cook for another 13 minutes.
15. Allow the mac and cheez to sit, for 10 minutes, before serving.

The post Fantasia Taylor’s Favorite Vegan Baked Mac & Cheez Recipe by Chef Joya appeared first on The Beet.

Her daughter Choyce joins her in the kitchen as they cook an easy, hearty mac and cheese. The ingredients include potatoes, butternut squash, vegan butter, vegan cheese, vegetable broth, cashew yogurt, and noodles. The cashew yogurt is unique to Brown’s recipe and used to make that thick cheesy sauce everyone loves. Brown is known for packing her dishes with tons of flavor and the same goes for this recipe. To season, she uses garlic powder, garlic and herb seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast for extra cheesiness. Brown reveals her mom’s secret to adding heat to this mac and cheese is a hint of paprika.

The mac and cheese was the star of this episode, but Brown also offered some encouraging advice for anyone stressing about eating plant-based with their family this Thanksgiving. Think about everything you can’t have because that list is small. You can have every vegetable,  fruit, grain, seed, and nut but the most important thing [is to take it] one day at a time and don’t be hard on yourself,” said Brown.

Brown shared how she balances her vegan and nonvegan meal, “If they are going to still eat meat, it’s going to be one meat but every side will be vegan. That way we can all still eat together.”

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Brown quickly rose to fame after displaying with her soothing voice and creative cooking skills through bite-sized TikTok videos. Ellen Digital Network teamed up with Brown for a series, All Love With Tabitha Brown, on the online video steaming “Ellentube.”Ellen Digital Network is providing Brown a platform for fans “to get a dose of the social media sweetheart’s unique voice, innate kindness, and uplifting nature.”  The series features Brown answering video messages from fans asking questions about cooking, parenting, relationships, and self-care.

Brown’s rise to fame was all thanks to her daughter pushing her to make a Tik Tok.

Fans quickly fell in love with Brown’s personality and impressive cooking skills. Brown went vegan in 2017 after experiencing chronic back pain. She first became famous when she tasted her first vegan version of a BLT, which had tempeh, lettuce, tomato and avocado from Whole Foods. She posted her amazed, joyful reaction on Facebook, which ended up having 50,000 views after one day. This led to her daughter convincing her to make a Tik Tok and one month later, Brown had already reached one million followers. Now she has 4.5 million followers.  

All Love With Tabitha Brown is only three episodes on, but it seems everything Brown makes turns to gold. Upcoming episodes are set to feature comedians Tiffany Haddish, Ellie Kemper, and YouTube star Bretman Rock. The EDN, as the network is known, will focus on content that has the core values of kindness, humanity, and optimism.

The post This Vegan Mac and Cheese Will Make Everyone at Your Table Happy, From Tabitha Brown appeared first on The Beet.

Let’s chase down all this good news with a nourishing bowl of comfort food: Mac and cheese. But vegan culinary wizard Chef Chloe Coscarelli being the star that she is, has jazzed things up to make a classic colder weather comfort dish even better. Her secret? Canned pumpkin and curry paste, as the celebrity plant-based chef revealed in a recent Instagram post.

By giving the traditional supper an Asian-inspired flair, Coscarelli breathes new life into a standard mac and cheese recipe, along with plenty of nutrition thanks to wholesome ingredients like pumpkin, garlic, red curry paste, and fresh cilantro. We also love the touch of sweetness the recipe gets from coconut milk and some brown sugar. To make it for yourself, check out the full recipe in her IG caption below.

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As a fellow graduate of Coscarelli’s culinary school, the Natural Gourmet Institute, now part of the Institute of Culinary Education, I can personally attest to the power of curry. On one particularly grueling, hot day in the steamy kitchen, we made a curry sauce from scratch with roasted and ground cumin, ground cumin, cloves, peppercorns, curry powder, the works, and the reward of that homemade labor hitting your tongue was well worth it. Which is to say, it was delicious, but took quite the effort to make from scratch.

These days, when half our days seem to be dominated by reading up on the ever-evolving coronavirus situation, post-election news, and going stir-crazy from the whole not seeing our friends thing, picking up a jar of red curry paste is a decision we strongly back. With that reclaimed 30 minutes of your life, go ahead and treat yourself some more—we hear that leftover pumpkin purée fares pretty well in these Vegan Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies.

P.S. Love plant-based mac and cheese? Try this vegan sweet potato mac and cheese and host a little vegan mac and cheese contest.

The post Chef Chloe’s Pumpkin Mac and “Cheese” Recipe Is an Instant Fall Classic appeared first on The Beet.

“People often ask vegan children if they miss macaroni and cheese,” she says. “With this recipe, your kids don’t have to miss out on the creamy comfort food many kids think comes from a box. It’s an exceptionally yummy and satisfying dish you’ll find yourself making when you crave comfort food in a jiffy.”

The post Mayim Bialik’s Mouth-Watering Vegan Macaroni and Cheese appeared first on The Beet.

This recipe only takes 15 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook and you can enjoy the leftovers for up to a week. I personally like to add a little hot sauce to this recipe for a dash of spice. Or, you can sprinkle bread crumbs on top and let them cook for about 5 extra minutes for a crunchy mac & cheese dish. Make this for dinner or a side dish to go with your entree. Kids will love the taste of this creamy-yet-light mac and cheese too!

Recipe Developer: Lenny, @vegamelon

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 3 people
Why we love it: This dish is incredibly easy to make and is ‘healthier’ than traditional mac and cheese dishes because this one uses plant-based ingredients. You can use any pasta shell or noodle you like or a gluten-free option.
Make it for: Lunch or dinner and refrigerate the leftovers for the rest of the week. This dish is comforting without the ‘stuffed’ feeling of overeating.

The post The Best and ‘Creamiest’ Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe appeared first on The Beet.

Creamy and decadent, these cheezy shells even impressed my non-vegan boyfriend, which means they’re not just delicious to someone who hasn’t tasted “real” cheese in years, they’ll be a crowd-pleaser all around.

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During an office taste test, one sampler remarked that Trader Joes’ mac is “actually better than the original kind since it tastes cleaner, lighter and actually healthier.” Another said that “If you gave this to a toddler they would have no idea it wasn’t cheese. For that matter, if you gave it to my husband or any adult who loves Mac n’ cheese, they would be satisfied. This is a winner.”

Priced at $4.49, This 20-ounce container holds around three meals worth and is the perfect lunch, dinner or side dish for vegans and non-vegans alike. We’re crossing our fingers for a gluten-free version so that everyone can enjoy the creamy, cheezy goodness of these shells. For other great treats from TJ’s, check out our list of the 15 Best Plant-Based Items to Buy at Trader Joe’s, which definitely needs to be updated to 16 after sampling this mac ‘n’ cheese.

The post I Got My Hands on the Last Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese at My Trader Joe’s and the Hype Is Real appeared first on The Beet.