I love mac and cheese. My whole family loves mac and cheese. But on a plant-based diet we had been missing our fix. Enter Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac.
- Vegan Macaroni And Cheese Daiya
- Daiya Vegan Mac And Cheese
- Daiya Mac And Cheese Recipe
- Mac And Cheese Recipe Paula Deen
Vegan Macaroni And Cheese Daiya
- It's a favorite comfort food, rich and creamy mac and cheese - and now Daiya offers you a quick and delicious way to enjoy it any time you'd like! Not only is it vegan and dairy-free, it's gluten-free and soy-free as well, giving those with allergies a new way to enjoy one of their favorite meals. Melty, smooth, cheesy goodness in every bite, Daiya Deluxe Cheddar Cheezy Mac is.
- Whisk in dairy-free milk product. Add Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds and cook over low/medium heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently. Stir in the macaroni and mix together. Place macaroni and cheese sauce into an 8x8 casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, or until the cheese.
- Free 2-day shipping. Buy Daiya Meatless Bac'n and Cheddar Style Deluxe Cheezy Mac - Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Mac and Cheese - 10.9 oz at Walmart.com.
My kids LOVE macaroni and cheese. When my family became dairy free and my daughter became gluten free on top of that, I knew I needed to come-up with a yummy dairy and gluten free version. Thank goodness for Daiya brand cheese! It melts so well and provides my mac and cheese with such a great flavor.
I’m not sure what we were expecting when we started with this but we were pleasantly surprised by what we had in store for us. This box of Daiya’s Deluxe Cheezy Mac is advertised as dairy, soy and gluten free. Non-GMO verified and of course plant-based.
First I should mention that we got our box from Whole Foods and during quarantine the Amazon delivery worked great. Here’s a link to Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac directly on Amazon.
Nutritional Facts
I can’t say enough about reading the nutritional facts and how important that is. Regardless of how healthy you think you are keeping your family, even if you’re eating mac and cheese :). I started to do some digging.
So what stuck out to me was the amount of sodium per serving. Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac shows 580mg per serving! This of course seems quite high but let’s compare it to other non-dairy mac and cheese.
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese shows 530mg per serving.
- Happy Belly Original Macaroni & Cheese shows 500mg per serving.
- Annies Home Grown Organic Mac & Cheese shows between 520mg to 570mg per serving. Difference mostly being on the type of cheese being used.
- Velveeta Shells & Cheese shows 910mg per serving!
So while Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac doesn’t compare to the Velveeta version it still is inline with the other non-dairy mac & cheeses. I should mention, if the sodium topic is of interest to you then make sure to check out this article posted from healthline about other foods high in sodium. I learned that this is inline with what a hotdog or bratwurst of sodium per serving.
Unboxing
No surprises here. Standard bag of macaroni and bag of the secret sauce.
Time to Cook
Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac comes with really tasty gluten free macaroni. It uses brown rice pasta to avoid the gluten and we really loved it.
Once we added the cheese things started really coming together. A little secret: I NEVER use the whole packet of cheese. It always seemed too much and this case was no different. I think we ended up using about a quarter of the whole bag. Now you could argue that you don’t get the full effect of the dish but on the positive side you also don’t get the full sodium effect.
Final Verdict
The box says that it’s good for 3 servings. Which in my house usually means good for 1.5 people. This was no different. Overall we really enjoyed Daiya’s take on mac & cheese. The mac was great the non-dairy cheese was also not too over-powering. It definitely scratched an itch that we had. So if you’re looking for a wonderful alternative to a dairy based mac & cheese make sure to check out Daiya Deluxe Cheezy Mac.
When I think of mac and cheese, I’m not thinking of those 99 cent boxes of wacky mac sitting on the shelves of Walmart or Pricechopper. I dream of a mac and cheese that is a decadent and elegant dish with a variation to excite every palate. Living a dairy free of gluten free lifestyle doesn’t mean living without, and using this dairy free mac and cheese recipe as a base, you can recreate your favorite version of this traditional casserole. Image Credit: esimrapim
My all-time favorite variety is a chipotle mac and cheese topped with garlic bread crumbs. The creaminess of Gruyère and Cheddar make this dish, and it’s become my benchmark for measuring the success of any dairy free mac and cheese dish. When I reviewed Kathy Hester’sThe Vegan Slow Cooker last year I fell in love with the idea of making mac and cheese with a home made cashew based cheese, but never did as it seemed complicated. Let me share a little secret. It is not complicated at all.
Most of my “cheese” dishes use daiya cheese, and as much as I love this ingredient, the cashew based cheese I share with you today is simple to make at home and reminds me of the self-indulgent, rich cheesy flavor that my daiya cheese sauce has often lacked.
Cashew cheese really delivers makes the dairy free mac and cheese experience as authentic as possible. This recipe does need you to plan ahead a little, soaking cashews for the best part of a day before you make the cheese, but if you are the plan-ahead type of cook, or can soak the cashews before leaving for work and complete the prep when you return home, this dish is worth the effort. My wife is the one that took the plunge and made this cashew cheese – and as we begin a shift that will cut our meat consumption I expect this dish will become one we share often. You can serve it as a main dish, or smaller portions in mini ramekins will make excellent side dishes.
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cashews
- 1 diced bell pepper
- Juice of 1-2 limes (to taste)
- 3 cloves garlic
- Teaspoon salt
- Dash of red chili flakes
- Dash of chipotle hot sauce
- Teaspoon olive oil
- 1 package of pasta – elbow, or spirals work best.
Begin by soaking 1 1/2 cups of cashews in water for seven to nine hours. Once they have soaked, discard the water and rinse. Put the cashews in to a blender, vitamix or food processor along with all of the other ingredients except for one lime and olive oil. Blend the ingredients until smooth, pulse if you prefer. Taste, and add the juice of the second lime if you’d like to add a deeper citrus tone. It’s a subtle addition, but I think it makes the dish. Add a teaspoon of olive oil if your cheese is too thick.
Daiya Vegan Mac And Cheese
Allow your cashew cheese to sit while you boil your pasta in salted water. Drain and rinse your pasta, then put it back in the pot and return over a low light. Gently stir in the cashew cheese, folding to make all the pasta gets coated. Resist the urge to this straight from the bowl – this dish doesn’t need any upgrade, but if you desire peas, tuna or tempeh bacon, I’d add it at this point. Mix again.
Daiya Mac And Cheese Recipe
Spoon your mac and cheese into ramekins, or a large oven-safe dish and sprinkle with garlic breadcrumbs. Toast of a few minutes in the toaster oven, or under the broiler. It won’t take more than five minutes before there is a golden brown glow atop your vegan deliciousness.