Vegan macaroni and cheese with tempeh bacon bits

Step 1

Make tempeh bacon bits: Crumble tempeh into tiny pieces. Place in two batches in a doubled piece of paper towel; squeeze tightly to remove excess moisture. Whisk maple syrup, smoked paprika and tamari in a small bowl. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat; cook tempeh, stirring, for 8 minutes, breaking it up further with a wooden spoon, or until lightly browned and very dry. Add smoked paprika mixture; cook for a further 10 minutes or until dark, dry and crumbly. Drain on paper towel; season. Cool.

Step 2

Cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Return macaroni to pan.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat margarine in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add flour, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic powder; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until smooth and combined. Gradually add macadamia milk, stirring continuously, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in vegan cheeses and nutritional yeast until cheeses melt; season to taste.

Step 4

Stir hot cheese sauce into hot macaroni until combined. Spoon macaroni mixture into bowls. Serve topped with tempeh bacon bits.