The Best Vegan Mac n’ “Cheese”

Okay so when I went away on my month long Yoga Teacher Training we ate vegan the entire time. Now I am not typically a vegan, but this experience inspired me to give up all dairy for 50 days.  For me the hardest thing to give up is cheese. If you know me you know mac n’ cheese is my absolute favorite food haha.  So I had found a recipe that I modified a little from veganyumminess.com.  The mac n’ cheese lover that I am was skeptical. How could this cheese made of veggies be any good? Well, I can confirm that it is absolutely delicious!! If I had been served this mac n’ cheese at a restaurant or cafe I would think it was delicious.  I still can’t believe it’s not real cheese when I eat it. It’s simply mind blowing to me. So I am sharing the recipe and my pictures with you below.  Give it try and let me know what you think!!! (:

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of macaroni (about 2 2/3 cups)
• 1 cup of peeled yellow potatoes (usually a potato and a half)
• 1/4 cup of diced carrots (I use baby carrots and then cut them up smaller)
• 1/3 chopped yellow sweet onion (you wont use the whole onion)
• 1/2 cup of cashews
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (I actually didn’t use this and it’s still very creamy and amazing)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (I sqeeze it from an actual lemon and I do a little bit more than a table spoon because I love lemon haha)
• 1 tablespoon of salt (or more to your liking)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Ritz Crackers
• pinch of paprika (optional)- I literally added it for the purpose of the pictures haha

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni to your liking (follow package directions)
2. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Boil water for the vegetables.
4. Cut the veggies while you wait for water to boil
5. Place chopped veggies (potatos, carrots, and onions) into the boiled water and cook for around 10 minutes or until they are softened.
6. Use a strainer spoon to removed veggies from the water and place them into your food processor.
7. Add 3/4 cup of the water you cooked the veggies in and add it to the food processor.
8. Add the rest of your ingredients to the food processor (cashews, salt, coconut milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, but not the paprika & Ritz Crackers)
9. Blend until smooth. It will start to look like a creamy yellow color.
10. Put cooked macaroni into a glass plan to bake and poor the “cheese” over the macaroni.
11. Add the Ritz crackers on top. I squish them into crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. You can add a pinch of paprika on top if you would like.
12. Cook macaroni in the oven for 15 minutes or until the crumbs are turning golden brownish.

Eat and enjoy your mac n’ “cheese”!!!! A great dairy free option that tastes just as delicious! (: