How to Make Easy and Cheesy Vegan Bacon Mac and Cheese With Lauren Toyota of Hot for Food

As a self-proclaimed cheese connoisseur, I was very hesitant when Lauren Toyota -- Canada’s favourite MuchMusic VJ turned vegan influencer -- suggested we make a cheese-less, meat-less, bacon mac and cheese skillet. I’m a longtime fan of her ultra popular YouTube channel, hot for food, so I knew Lauren made kitchen magic . . . and yet, I thought there was no way a vegan mac and cheese could ever compare to the OG dish. How do you to cook up a cheesy, greasy recipe without actually using any animal products? What kind of sorcery is this vegan food star going to teach me?

But this is just what Lauren does. She takes the oozy, deep-fried, comfort foods we crave, and she makes transformed them into indulgent, Instagram-able vegan food porn. For more guilt-free, flavourful vegan recipes, check out Lauren’s first hot for food cook book, Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes to Feed Your Face.