A New Favorite

After itching to cook up Mac & Shews pretty much since Isa posted her recipe over at The PPK, I finally made the dish yesterday to bring to a casual family gathering. I've cooked several versions of vegan macaroni and "cheese" and tasted a few creations by other people. Despite having distinctly non-cheese "cheesy" flavor, most of the aforementioned vegan mac and cheese dishes have been good (if not at least decent) odes to the real-deal comfort food. I'm inclined to think Mac & Shews are quite possibly as delectable as homemade vegan mac and cheese gets; pureed cashews  make the sauce lusciously creamy, while sauerkraut infuses the dish with a certain depth and tangy flavor. Even with minor, habit-driven alterations--using whole wheat shell-shaped pasta, substituting the roux with pureed cannellini beans, and forgoing the final baking step (I was running late and hungry)--the dish tasted rich and plain scrumptious, easily appeasing my comfort food craving. Like every vegan mac and "cheese" I've tried, Mac & Shews won't fool anyone into thinking it's made with dairy cheese, but that doesn't matter; the uniquely non-cheese "cheesy" concoction is perfectly delicious in its own right. I'll undoubtedly revisit the recipe many times over.