Healthy Mac & Cheese
Last year, during our in person classes, we made a dairy free Mac & Cheez that was so good one of my participants commented that her son wanted to know what kind of cheese it was made from because it was SO GOOD! He had no idea that it was vegan! It is in fact, so good and so easy that I thought I would share it with everyone! No need to confide that there is actually NO cheese in this Mac & Cheez!
Ingredients:
3 cups dry macaroni noodles ( I like Barilla GF elbows)
1 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped into a small dice (Russet or Yukon Gold)
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup dairy free milk (I prefer a nut, oat or soy milk rather than coconut here)
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder (or substitute 1 head of roasted garlic for a milder flavor)
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1/8 tsp. cayenne (or more if you prefer spicy)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (GF and DF as needed)
1/4 cup Vegan parmesan (homemade or store bought)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions, making sure to cook only to al dente. Once cooked, rinse in cold water to prevent over cooking.
Boil potatoes, onions and carrots in a small saucepan with 2-3 cups water for about 10 minutes or until fork tender.
Drain potatoes, onions and carrots, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. This contains potato starch as well as lots of flavor and nutrients. We will use this in our sauce.
Place vegetables, 3/4 cup of reserved cooking water, soaked cashews, dairy free milk, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic, dried mustard, paprika, cayenne and nutmeg into blender and puree until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup vegan parmesan.
Place pasta and sauce into a 2-quart baking dish, mixing well to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crumbs turn golden brown. Serve warm.