Easy, creamy, vegan mac and cheese made in one pot.
This is the dish with which my adventures in ackee began. Here I’m revisiting it but this time around I’ve added coconut milk to the original (Mac ‘n Kees). This makes it extra creamy and I’ve used the one pot pasta method so there’s less mess to clean up.
One pot pastas are a life saver! Especially when you’re busy and know you should eat but the thought of cleaning more than one pot makes water look like a full course meal 😆. As much as I love cooking I will admit that there have been times that I’ve decided against going to the kitchen. Not because the recipe was complicated or because I didn’t have time but because I could not be bothered to have to wash anything once the meal was done.
As easy as Mac ‘n Kees is to prepare I wanted to see if it could be even easier to do and I believe that this method is successful in doing that. If you don’t have a stick blender and don’t mind the ackee being on the chunkier side; you could mash the ackees in the pot then add the liquids and continue as shown.
It still amazes how delicious this dish is for being so simple! If you wanted to dress it up and had some cooked veggies left over you would simply add them closer to the end of your cooking time and have a hearty main course. As a side dish it pairs well with barbecue or stews, even curries, the possibilities are endless, let your imagination be your guide.
What do you think? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you make this or any of the recipes from this site be sure to #amazingackee and @amazingackee so I can see your posts across social media.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by 😊
Creamy Mac ‘n Kees – One Pot Method
Easy, creamy, vegan mac and cheese, ready in 20 minutes or less
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Water* (alternately you could use vegetable stock)
- 1 cup Coconut milk (use coconut cream for an even richer dish)
- 2 cups Parboiled Ackee
- 2 cups Dry pasta (I used tricolor rotini but you could us any type you like)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Nutritional yeast, to taste optional
Optional herbs and spices
- 2 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Oregano/Basil/Italian Herb Mix
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
To finish
- Crispy herbed panko**
Instructions
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Combine water, coconut milk, ackee, herbs and spices (if using) and blend till smooth to combine (you can add a couple pinches of salt here or wait till the end to season)
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Place over medium high heat, add pasta and bring to a boil
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Turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has thickened to coat it
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Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, add nutritional yeast if using
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Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you prefer for your pasta to be more al dente reduce the water to 1 cup
**To make crispy panko: mix some panko with dried parsley (or any herb you like) and a bit of oil, toast till golden brown then season with salt and pepper. This keeps well once stored in an airtight container, it’s an easy way to add texture to your dishes.
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