vegetarian friendly apple mac & cheese
While sifting through my monthly subscription of Food Network Cooking magazine, I came across a recipe titled 'Apple-Sausage Mac-N-Cheese,' though the recipe seemed it would be perfect for my family.... I have my vegetarian who is also allergic to dairy, so some modifications were necessary to see if this would be a hit.my kids LOVE mac n cheese, so it was a must to come up with an alternative. And it was a hit. I'm posting this recipe using natural cheese in the ingrediants, but you can substitute dairy free products such as daiya brand cheese (a dairy free cheese)! Have fun with it!
prep time
30 Min
cook time
35 Min
method
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yield
6-8 serving(s)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted, plus some for dish
- - kosher salt
- 1 pound medium pasta shells, or a fun pasta of your choice
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder ( i omit due to allergy)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups apple juice
- 1 pound montery jack cheese, shredded (can use daiya brand)
- 1/2 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups total) (can use daiya brand)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, lite (or non-daity)
- 1 large granny smith apple, or more to add to your liking
- 1 - sleeve ritz crackers, or butter crackers, get creative here :)
- 1 pound meat of your choice to make a main dish! original recipe called for apple-sausage, sliced. i've used turkey kielbasi, but you can add whatever you like if you so choose!
How To Make vegetarian friendly apple mac & cheese
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Step 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta as directed, al dente. Drain and set aside. ( I add a small amount of EVOO, & mix through to keep pasta from clumping together). Prepare baking dish, cover inside dish with melted butter or pam spray, butter flavored.
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Step 2Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chopped apples, mustard powder, cayenne, and 1 tsp salt to cook, stirring until apples are half cooked. About 3 minutes.
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Step 3Stir in the flour and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apple juice and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened slightly. About 8 more minutes.
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Step 4Slowly stir in about 3/4 EACH of the cheeses into the sauce until smooth. **note, daiya cheese will take a little longer to melt. 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat. If adding meat, cook separately.... then add at this point to the sauce. Stir in the pasta and the sour cream.
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Step 5Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and the remaining cheese. Cover & bake until bubbly, 25 -30 minutes, uncover & bake additional 10 minutes. Remove From oven & allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
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