Vegan Mac + Cheese Wontons w/ Dairy-Free Plantbased Macaroni + Cheese
Difficulty: 3/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 1/3 (3 being spiciest)
Prep & Cook Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 24
The Challenge: Mac + Cheese
This isn't the first vegan mac + cheese recipe to ever hit the block and won't be the last. BUT! It is the first time you've made into a bite-size appetizer called MAC AND CHEESE WONTONS. Booyah!
I try to up the vegan game as much as I can and take things to the next level. So for mac + cheese, I had many people request I make a batch. In reality, there are a lot of very good mac + cheese recipes on the intrawebs already. What I wasn't seeing was anyone trying to make mac/cheese into bite-size appetizers.
Challenge accepted.
I had bought wonton wrappers sometime ago thinking I'd on a whim make wontons LOL. And then I was looking at how to make mac + cheese into bites ... and it hit me that if they are folded up in a delicious wonton wrapper and then baked that it would cross off several challenges. Mac and cheese. Baked mac and cheese. Bites.
Yum!
This is a creamy yummy mac + cheese recipe that is then baked into a sea-salt topped wonton wrapper that crunches in your mouth with ooey gooey mac + cheese on the inside.
HELL YA, let's get into it.
Mac + Cheese Wontons
- 3.5 cups dry macaroni
- 1 tbl butter
- 1 cup gold new potato, diced
- 1/3 cup carrots, diced
- medium shallot, diced
- 1/4 cup jicama (optional), diced
- 1/4 cup raw brazil nuts
- 1/4 cup flax milk (or other unsweetened dairy-free milk)
- 3 tbl nutritional yeast
- 1 tbl diced jalapeno pickled + 2 tbl pickled jalapeno brine (from canned jalapenos)
- 1 tbl lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Spices: 1.5 tsp salt. 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, pinch of black pepper, pinch of ancho chili powder. 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbl butter + 1 tbl nonfat milk
- 25 wonton wrappers
Equipment You'll Need:
Mixing Bowls . Sharp Chopping Knife . Measuring Cups + Spoons . Cutting Board .
Before You Cook:
- Bring a large soup pot of water + medium saucepan with 6 cups of water to a boil on high heat.
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Wash + chop fresh ingredients
1. Add macaroni to a large soup pot of boiling water. Cook for 7 minutes until al dente. Strain and mix in 1 tbl of vegan butter. Set aside. Its okay for it to get cold as we'll reheat it in the oven.
2. In the medium saucepan with 6 cups of water boiling, throw in jicama, potatoes, carrots, and chopped shallots. Boil for 10 minutes. Strain and add to a high-speed blender (or food processor).
3. After you've added the veggies to the blender, add in all the other ingredients from brazil nuts up until wonton wrappers into the blender. Blend on high until the sauce is very well mixed.
4. Pour the cheese sauce onto the macaroni in a large mixing bowl. Mix it well until the macaroni is well coated. If it seems a little too saucy ... that's okay. It is better to have extra sauce than not enough.
5. Next, we will make the wontons. Take a wonton wrapper and dip a pastry brush or fingers into a small bowl of water. Brush the water onto the lower edge of the wonton and the right or left side (but just one side).
6. While the wrapper is still wetted, scoop one tablespoon of the mac + cheese into the middle of the wonton.
7. After the scoop is placed. Fold the wonton. I start by taking the opposite corner from the wet corner and pressing it down and working my way out to each side. You can do it quite gently and it will stick together. Its okay if some cheese sauce squirts out! Part of the fun.
8. Line up your folded wontons on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and put into the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes until the corners are golden brown and the skin has crisped.
9. After baking, serve on a platter. Eat while warm. They warm up well in the microwave as well as are great on the run. I store mine at room temperature for a up to 3 days.
