MAC and CHEEZE

This Mac and Cheeze will convert anyone, I promise! This is a fairly easy recipe. The tough part is deciding what veggies to mix in! But, the versatility of this dish is so amazing, you could make it a different way every day of the week! Baked or not, it’s good either way.

Prep time: 15 minutes, not including nut soaking time

Cook time: 10-20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours, overnight is better
  • 16 oz. pkg. whole grain or GF elbow pasta
  • 3 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use almond)
  • 1- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 clove garlic
  • pinch of cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
  • 1 Tblsp. dijon mustard

Optional vegetable add ins: broiled tomatoes, roasted broccoli, sauteed zucchini and/or mushrooms

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. (If you are adding roasted broccoli or zucchini, this would be a good time to start preparing that, so it can roast in the oven while you work on the rest!)
  2. Begin boiling water in a medium size pan for your pasta.
  3. Using a high-powered blender, add all the ingredients (except the pasta, of course) into the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (A food processor will work for this step, too.)
  4. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and when it’s cooked to your liking, drain and rinse it, and return pasta to your pot to be mixed with the cheese sauce.
  5. If you’re adding any roasted or sauteed veggies, now is the time to do it. I highly recommend adding roasted broccoli and broiled tomatoes to this dish.
  6. Serve immediately while hot, or move on to the next step for baking.
Baking Instructions: (optional)
  1. Once you’ve mixed everything together, pour the mac and cheese into an 8 x 8 square dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and black pepper. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
  2. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!