In search of vegan cheese....

I know every vegan asks this question "HOW CAN I HAVE MACARONI AND CHEESE that reminds me of the kind I ate as a kid?"

At least I think that's what every vegan asks... when I googled vegan cheese there were pages and pages of links to this very question.

And then I thought "Hey, I want to know that too! Mac and cheese was my favorite thing EVER as a kid!" Oh and hey, is there any way possible I can find a way to make it WITHOUT USING THAT DISGUSTING NUTRITIONAL YEAST TYPE STUFF? Because that not only looks like fish food, it smells like dirty socks. And the taste? Not much better than the socks (at least, what I imagine dirty socks would taste like).

So the journey begins... and in my quest to solve this question I've tried the following cheeses:

1. Sheese by Bute Island (mozzerella and medium cheddar were tried): There is a lot of write up about this cheese. Basically they have a ton of different flavors and even soft or hard cheeses. I ordered this online and ordered the two flavors I thought I would use most. Mozzerrella for pizzas and medium cheddar for mac and cheese, veggie burgers, etc.

Because of all of the positive reviews on this cheese, I didn't mind paying the small fortune to buy it from VeganStore.com (it's apparently made in Scotland). Each little round brick is 7.50 plus you have to pay about 5.99 to have it shipped with ice. And again, it's a LITTLE round brick of cheese. That's the good news because the bad news is...

It's inedible. At least I thought it was. It had some sort of plastic smell and taste and the cheese did not melt AT ALL. When I tried to incorporate either cheese into a sauce for pasta or veggies, it floated around in tiny little plastic-rubbery pieces. And I could not get past the plastic-y after taste. I ended up tossing both little round overpriced disks in the trash. But that's just me.

2. Cheezly Cheese (also from VeganStore.com): This is a bit less ($4.99) than the Sheese brand however I coudln't help notice that they are almost identical. They are packaged exactly the same and the flavors are similar (however Cheezly makes a bacon cheese that I was a bit too scared to try).

Not only was the packaging similar, the taste was too. I hated this one just as much as the Sheese cheese. Same plastic consistency, same horrible fake after taste, same non-meltability (if that's a word!). I again tried the cheddar and just couldn't do anything with it.

3. Follow Your Heart Cheddar: The good news with this cheese is I can find it locally so you don't have to spend the 6.00 to ship it. The bad news, it's a lot like the Sheese. It's a tiny bit better with the consistency (less like plastic, more like real cheese). However it doesn't melt any better than the Sheese (even though their label says it does) and the taste is only marginally better than the Sheese. I was able to hide it in some recipes to feel less guilty about hating it but over all, I would not buy this again. I only tried the cheddar but they also make mozzerella, jack and cream cheeses as well as a nacho cheese and sour cream. Those items may be better than the cheddar -- and someday I will try them (unless someone tells me not to!)

I do have to mention that these people also make Veganaise vegan mayo which is DA BOMB. This stuff is so scarily like real mayo that I had to keep checking the label. They sell it in the refrigerator section at almost every store these days... and I recommend it! Unbelievable product.

4. Galaxy Foods Rice Vegan Cheese Slices: This sliced cheese is packaged just like the old standard Kraft cheeses and can be found locally. It comes in different flavors like American, Cheddar, Mozzerella and Pepper Jack. It's not as expensive as the other cheeses above but one package is pretty small. So maybe ounce for ounce, it may be as costly.

What can I say about this cheese? First off, I like that it's made of rice and not soy because almost everying I eat or drink these days seems to come from soy. Secondly, I like the slices because I love a grilled cheese. These slices make that very easily. Third, because it's rice and not soy, it actually melts. Awesome...

Now for the flavor. I tried the American and I was disappointed in the taste. I think that's because it sits next to the Kraft slices at my stores and that's the taste I was expecting. I thought I was going to bite into this "cheese" and get transported back to my childhood. Not so.

However, the good news is I was able to make a pretty kick as@ mac and cheese with this after a little playing. It melts so I figured I just needed to play with the spices to get this to work. Here was the final product:

Gina's Best Out of the Box Vegan Mac and Cheese

Tinkyada rice bran elbows (2 oz. cooked)
2 slices Galaxy Rice American slices
Onion powder to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Dash of Paprika
Dash of Tumeric
Salt and Pepper
Dash of Frank's hot sauce
1/2 tsp or more to taste of Ketchup (yep, you read right!)
Earth Balance (about 1/2 tsp or more)
Vegetable Stock (enough to moisten all other ingredients to form the sauce)

Cook elbows and drain. Stir in Earth Balance to coat pasta, then sprinkle on seasonings. Throw in broken up cheese slices and turn heat to low, add stock and mix while cheese melts. Keep adding stock as needed until everything is incorporated and all of the pasta is completely coated. Eat immediately for best flavor. Enjoy!


Finally, a cheese on my list to try (also through VeganStore.com) is the Teese cheese. I've heard it has great meltability and flavor AND they have a creamy cheddar to use for mac and cheese! If anyone has tried this and cares to share their opinion (and maybe save the rest of us a good 10-15 bucks), please chime in!

Cheers,
Gina