Smoky Mac 'n Cheese
Move over, boxed mac ‘n cheese!
This dairy-free recipe brings all the silky smooth cheesy goodness to the table AND is filled with nutrient dense ingredients.
I have seen lots of recipes on the internet use potatoes in their plant-based cheese sauces. But who has time to wash and peel all of those potatoes when you want delicious mac ‘n cheese right now?! By using all carrots as the base, you save so much time prepping, not to mention you get to enjoy guilt-free comfort food filled with veggies!
It may sound strange using carrots, but all the ingredients truly come together to form a decadent and deliciously satisfying mac ‘n cheese. I have served this to countless friends and, to this day, they tell me they still dream of this dish. So I wanted to get this recipe up so they, and you, can make this mac ‘n cheese anytime!
Smoky Mac 'n Cheese
*Makes 4 cups cheesy sauce
Cheese Sauce Ingredients
1 lb Carrots, about 2 1/4 cups chopped
1 cup Water
4 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos, or soy sauce
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke, omit for a non-smoky version
1 tablespoon Italian Spice Mix, optional
3/4 cups raw Cashews + an additional 1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Onion Powder
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Pasta Ingredients
16 oz Chickpea Pasta
4 cups Kale
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Directions
Add one cup of water, the carrots, garlic, Braggs Liquid Aminos, liquid smoke, and Italian Spice mix to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn down to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, until carrots are tender and pierceable with a fork. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
As the carrot mix cooks, boil water for the pasta. Add the chickpea pasta and stir immediately. Cook the pasta 1 minute shorter than package instructions (I have found this drastically improves the texture of chickpea pasta).
When there is 2 minutes left of cooking time for the pasta, stir in the kale and re-cover. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water to stop it from continuing to cook.
Add the cashews and one cup of water to a high powered blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients for the cheesy sauce and blend again. Add the cooled carrot mixture to the blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
Heat the desired amount of cheesy sauce over the stove on low heat. When hot, add the pasta and kale and stir. Serve.
*Cheesy Sauce lasts refrigerated for five days in an air tight container
