Sharing Our Table: James’ Award Winning Mac & Cheese (+ A Vegan Version)

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the dinner table is a place to pause and reconnect. Cooking engages all our senses, helping us get grounded and find gratitude in the present. Especially at the holidays, gathering around a home-cooked meal is a chance to reflect on our fondest memories and make new ones. 

We asked Thrive Market employees to share a holiday recipe that holds special meaning for them, and we’re so excited to share them with you. From our team to your table, we hope you have a joyful season filled with good health and great food.

For James, Thrive Market’s Director of Branded Food Merchandising, he remembers dishes from both his Chinese and American cultures spread in equal measure across the holiday dinner table. “Growing up as a first generation Asian-American, my mom did most of the cooking, and one of the things she always tried to do was incorporate American classics,” James says. “I remember her always making mac and cheese. It was something I loved and enjoyed helping her make. It’s one of my core memories from childhood.” 

Over the years, he’s tweaked and perfected the recipe — it even won an award for “Cheesiest Mac and Cheese” at a cooking contest. He starts with a thick, creamy roux, mixes in a myriad of seasonings, and finishes with a toasted breadcrumb topping sprinkled with uncured bacon bits. Later, he began to experiment with a vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free mac and cheese version. At this point, he might be considered a bit of a connoisseur. 

James’ Award-Winning Mac and Cheese With Bacon Breadcrumb Topping

Yield: 8-10 servings
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 

Ingredients: 

For the pasta:

1 pound of dry pasta (“Consider fusilli, shells, elbow macaroni or any pasta with a hole to trap that luscious sauce,” James says)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ white or yellow onion, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
5 ½ cups milk, warmed
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
Salt and pepper, to taste
32 ounces cheese, shredded and mixed together (“I like to use a mixture of sharp white cheddar, parmesan, and sharp provolone to get a mix of a complexity in flavors,” James says)
4-6 American cheese slices (to use as a melting aid)

For the topping: 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
Bacon bits
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Optional: 
Fresh parsley 

Instructions

Note: If you’re planning to freeze this recipe to bake later, skip preheating the oven and making the breadcrumb-bacon topping for now — see instructions below.

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

Boil the pasta until it’s slightly undercooked. Set aside.  

Melt the butter over medium heat, sauteing minced onion and garlic without browning. Add the dried mustard and nutmeg, then whisk in flour to form a roux, cooking until blonde. Gradually add warmed milk, whisking continuously until thickened into a béchamel. Add salt and any additional chosen spices or condiments to the béchamel.

Tear the slices of American cheese into large strips and sprinkle into the béchamel. Off the heat, stir in ¾ of your shredded cheese. If necessary, use the lowest heat setting to aid melting, but be vigilant and avoid heating it too much so that you don’t split the cheese sauce.

Add all your spices and seasonings and salt to taste. Ideally, you want the cheese sauce to taste almost “too salty” to make sure that there’s enough seasoning in the completed dish once you mix it together with the pasta.

Mix the pasta and cheesy béchamel thoroughly before transferring to your baking dish. 

In a separate bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Add the panko mixture to a pan over low heat and cook until lightly toasted. 

Sprinkle the bacon bits atop the pasta to create the first layer of topping. Next, add the rest of the shredded cheese, then the toasted panko mixture. Ensure even coverage over your mac and cheese in the baking dish. 

Bake until a golden crust forms and you see some bubbling on the edges, approximately 30 minutes. Allow a cooling period of about 10-20 minutes before serving to ensure it sets a bit.

If you like, top with fresh parsley and a bit more hot sauce. 

Instructions for Prepping, Freezing, and Baking Later

Assemble the dish following directions above, mixing the pasta, cheesy béchamel, and all shredded cheese, then transferring it to a freezer-safe dish. Let it cool completely.

Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake, transfer the dish to the fridge the night before to thaw. You can bake it directly from frozen, but it will take longer.

Preheat the oven to 350° F — note the difference in temperature vs. baking fresh.

If baking from thawed, cover the dish with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until heated through. If baking from frozen, cover the dish with foil and bake for 60-75 minutes, until heated through.

Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb and bacon topping. In a bowl, combine panko with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Add the panko mixture to a pan over low heat and cook until lightly toasted. 

After the dish is heated through, remove the foil, add the breadcrumb topping, and sprinkle the bacon bits on top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

James’ Vegan, Gluten-Free Buffalo Truffle Mac and Cheese

Yield: 8-10 servings
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients: 

For the pasta:

1 pound of dry gluten-free pasta (preferably shells or elbows) 
5 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter
½ white or yellow onion, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
5 tablespoons all-purpose gluten free flour 
5 ½ cups plant-based milk, warmed
32 ounces plant-based cheese, shredded and mixed together (James uses a blend of plant-based American, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
¼ cup buffalo sauce 
¼ cup black truffle hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:

3 tablespoons vegan butter
3 cups gluten-free bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Thrive Market Organic Buffalo Blast Spice Blend
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Instructions: 

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

Boil the pasta until it’s slightly undercooked. Set aside.  

Melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Saute the minced onion and garlic without browning. Add the dried mustard and nutmeg, then whisk in gluten-free flour to form a roux, cooking until blonde. Gradually add warmed oat milk, whisking continuously until thickened into a béchamel. Add salt and any additional spices or condiments to the béchamel.

Tear the slices of American cheese into large strips and sprinkle into the béchamel. Off the heat, stir in ¾ of your shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. If necessary, use the lowest heat setting to aid melting, but be vigilant and avoid heating it too much so that you don’t split the cheese sauce.

Add the cayenne pepper, buffalo sauce, and hot sauce, stirring until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix the pasta into the cheese sauce thoroughly, then transfer to a baking dish. 

In a separate bowl, combine gluten-free breadcrumbs with 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter, salt, and pepper. Add the panko mixture to a pan over low heat and cook until lightly toasted. 

Add the rest of the shredded cheese atop the pasta to create the first layer of topping. Then, add the toasted panko mixture. Ensure even coverage over your mac and cheese in the baking dish. 

Bake until a golden crust forms and you see some bubbling on the edges, approximately 30 minutes. Allow a cooling period of about 10-20 minutes before serving to ensure it sets a bit.

Optional: Drizzle with truffle hot sauce and top with herbs of your choice.