Mac & Cheese Featuring Irene’s Gourmet

At Irene’s Gourmet, they are passionate about food… Wholesome, nutritious, delicious vegan food!!! Irene’s products are all hand crafted from the finest natural ingredients and their cultures are made from scratch, all vegan and healthy. They have a wide range of products, including a variety of vegan cheeses, butter, fermented veg, patties, coconut yogurt, pesto, sauces, etc.

Ingredients:

Pasta – 500g pasta (We used fusilli pasta, the spirals work well to really absorb up the sauce. You can use macaroni, penne or anything else you’d prefer).
1 tbsp Irene’s Butter (Medium Fat Spread)
2 Medium to large Onions – chopped roughly
Herb salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 block Irene’s Mozzarella Cheese
Approx. 800g Chopped mixed seasonal Veg – Garnish with garden greens
1 Litre Irene’s Cheese Sauce powder (Made with 1 Litre of plant milk of your choice + ½ cup of Irene’s Cheese Sauce Powder – Follow instructions on box)
Garnish: Sliced Fresh tomato and/or garden greens

Method:

Mix onions and veg together. Sprinkle mixed herbs, herb salt and pepper (add some fresh chopped garlic – 1-2 cloves – optional) add a TBSP of Irene’s Gourmet butter and a dash of oil (Olive oil works well). Roast mixed seasonal veggies in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes or use an airfryer at 180 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes or until cooked and golden. While veggies are roasting, boil pasta as per packet instructions. As soon as the pasta is Al dente, drain the pasta and rinse in cold water. (Do not overcook pasta as it will cook further when it goes into the oven). Make the cheese sauce powder as per box instructions using 1 litre of plant milk of your choice + a half cup of cheese sauce powder. Combine the cheese sauce and pasta

Assembly:

Mix the cheese sauce into the cooked pasta. In an oven proof dish add just enough pasta to cover the bottom. Spread half the veggies over it, then another layer of pasta, layer the other half of roast veggies, then top with final layer of pasta, add a layer of sliced tomatoes if you’d like and season with pepper and salt; Cover with a lid or tin foil and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove and take the lid / tin foil off, add the grated cheese (optional) and sprinkle with Paprika / Smoked Paprika and dried Thyme. Cover with lid / tin foil and put back into the oven for 10 minutes to grill. If you like your cheese a bit crispier, open the dish once the cheese is melted and grill for a further few minutes. Serve with a side of garden greens and fresh tomato wedges.

You can find out more about Irene’s Gourmet here: https://irenesgourmet.co.za/