Keyword: gluten-free, Low FODMAP, no garlic, no onions, nut free, plant-based, soy free, vegan
Calories: 310kcal
Ingredients
12-14ozMacaroni noodesuncooked
2tbspnon-dairy buttery spread
4tbsps gluten-free flour blend
2cupsnon-dairy milk
1/4tspground dry mustard seeds
1.25cupsnon-dairy cheese shreds
1tsplemon juice
1/2tspsalt
1/4cupnon-dairy cream cheese
Instructions
Melt the buttery spread (or heat the oil) in your sauce pan at medium heat
Add the flour. Whisk the mixture for ~1 min being careful not to let the flour burn. It may look clumpy. That is fine.
Add milk and bring to a boil. Whisk as needed to remove any clumps. I usually give it a quick 10 second whisk at the beginning and then revisit it periodically as it comes to a boil. At this point the sauce should be like a creamy yet easy to stir (like a medium-heavy gravy)
Add the dry ground mustard seeds and cheese shreds. Whisk and continue to cook at medium-low heat for another 3-5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt properly and incorporate with the sauce. Mix occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.**
Add the lemon juice, salt and cream cheese and simmer for another 3-5 minutes at low heat. Continue mixing as needed to allow the cream cheese to incorporate into the sauce.
At this point the sauce is ready to serve! Add the plant-based-cheese sauce to your noodles and serve with a side of steamed or roasted veggies. Yum!
Notes
Depending on the type of gluten-free flour you choose, more flour may be needed to achieve the desired thickness. This is because each flour blend will have different types of flours (i.e. rice, sorghum, legumes) and varying levels of starch content.To achieve the desired thickness of your plant-based cheese sauce, start the recipe with 3 tbsp of flour. If, after completing ALL of the steps, you feel the sauce is too runny, add 1.5 tsp of flour to the sauce and bring to a boil. Continue this process of incrementally adding flour until you achieve the desired thickness. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken as it cools so I don't recommend adding any more than a total of 2 additional tbsp of flour (totaling in 5 tbsp). At this point you may need to add another ½ tsp of lemon juice and additional salt to taste to balance the flavor.
**To boost the nutritional profile of this recipe, add up to 2 tbsp of your favorite, fresh pureed vegetable of choice during step 4 of this recipe without making other adjustments to the ingredients.