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Mock-A-Roni n' Cheez w/ Facon Bacon

This cheezy cauliflower casserole is an is a delicious substitute for an American favorite! Perfect for those staying away from dairy, gluten, starches, and of course meat.
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients

For the facon bacon...

  • 4 oz tempeh (1/2 of a standard sized package)
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • oil of choice for cooking

For the "bacon" topping...

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the cheez sauce

  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup raw almonds (whole) soaked overnight
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers Either store bought or roast your own.
  • 3 T white miso paste
  • 3/4 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp mustard powder

Everything else...

  • 1 large head cauliflower (approx. 2 1/2 lbs — no less)
  • 1/2 Tbsp chives, plus more for serving chopped
  • 1 green onion chopped and divided

Instructions

For the facon bacon...

  • Using a saucepan with a steamer basket, steam the tempeh for 8 minutes.
  • Whisk together the remaining facon bacon ingredients and crumble the steamed tempeh into the marinade. Marinate for a minimum of two hours, the longer the better. For maximum flavor let it sit in the fridge overnight.
  • Heat a skillet to medium heat and drizzle with oil. Spoon in the marinated tempeh to the skillet, but do not pour in all the marinade, only about half. Saute for about 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and "bacon" has browned, stirring frequently and turning down heat if needed to prevent from burning.

For the "bacon" topping...

  • Whisk together the coconut aminos and smoked paprika. Stir in the sliced almonds. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
  • Transfer almond pieces to the food processor. If desired, drizzle with a little more marinade, reserved from the tempeh. Pulse until the almond slices are broken up into small piece. It only takes a few pulses, do not over process.

For the cheez sauce...

  • Remove the peels from the almonds by rubbing each nut between two fingers. The peels should come right off.
  • Place the peeled almonds, along with all remaining ingredients, to a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth.

For everything else...

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Remove florets from cauliflower head. In a large saucepan with a steamer basket, steam florets until soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Lay cauliflower out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes to dry out some of the moisture. After cauliflower is removed from the oven, turn down heat to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, add cauliflower, cheez sauce, facon bacon (the tempeh, NOT the almonds), chives, and half the green onions. With a large spoon, stir to combine all the ingredients. Using the back or side of the spoon break up cauliflower florets while stirring, so they're no longer whole florets.
  • Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and add cauliflower mixture. Smooth the top with a silicon spatula, so it's even. Take the "bacon" topping and sprinkle (do not pour, you don't want any extra marinade to absorb into the cauliflower) it on top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and sides are bubbly.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven and change the oven setting to broil. Remove foil from casserole and place casserole in the upper third of the oven. Broil 2 - 3 minutes, until bacon topping is darkened, but frequently check to prevent burning.
  • Let cool 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the top with remaining green onions and more chives, if desired.