I miss cheese. It’s the one thing I haven’t quite found a substitute for. Most of the vegan cheeses at my local market contain caseins and therefore aren’t completely dairy-free for the food allergic. One product that is dairy-free and works well is Daiya; its my go-to when I can’t go without, like on pizza.

Or the baked Mac and “Cheese” recipe I tried for lunch today.

I was inspired by the novel Julia’s Child by Sarah Pinneo about a mom who makes and sells organic food for toddlers. There are several recipes sprinkled throughout the book, including one for “Mac and Cheese With Plenty of Dairy.”

Its like the title challenged me to make it without dairy.

Most of the substitutions were easy, with the exception of cottage cheese. I have not found a dairy-free cottage cheese. (If you know of one, please share.) So that’s where I started to improvise.

It turned out pretty and tasted fine but I want to work on the recipe before I share it. I kind of threw it together with ingredients I had on hand. I promise I’ll share when its ready.

Did you try something new for lunch today? Please share in the comments below. I’m always looking for new recipe challenges ideas.

   This post is inspired by Julia’s Child: A Novel (Amazon affiliate link) by Sarah Pinneo. Worried about what her kids eat, Julia Bailey starts a prepared organic toddler meals business. With names like Gentil Lentil, can Julia balance work and family and still save the world? Join From Left to Write as we discuss Julia’s Child. As a member, I received a copy of the book for free.