Crafty Dinner: Instant Vegan Mac & Cheez

And a new school year begins...

Today is Big A's first day of grade 2! Little A doesn't start kindergarten until tomorrow. Although I am proud and excited to have them both in school, like most parents I am dreading having to pack their lunches. Doing it for 1 kid was bad enough, 2 might just give me a nervous breakdown.

Yesterday I asked Big A what she wanted for her first lunch and she said pasta. Now she's asked for hot lunches before (spaghetti, pasta, soup, etc.) and doesn't have a great track record. Most of it usually comes home untouched. So I wasn't wild about the idea of spending a whole lot of time whipping something up that was most likely to end up in the garbage. The result is this recipe, which isn't really a recipe, because its so darn fast and easy, but the result is a pretty healthy dish that both of the girls love.

If your kids like the taste of nutritional yeast, like mine do, then they will enjoy this. If they are more adventurous, you can add more seasonings and spices such as paprika, garlic, mustard, etc. If they don't abhor eating green things, you can even throw in some vegetables! Really this is so simple, you'll never go back to the boxed kind.

Crafty Dinner: Instant Vegan Mac & Cheez

1/4 lb whole grain or gluten-free pasta
1/2 cup vegan margarine or butter substitute
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Seasonings, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Stir in remaining ingredients until sauce is smooth. Keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days.

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