Mac and Cashew Cheese

 
 

Stop whatever you are doing and go make this now.

This makes a large batch, so you may want to cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
  • 1 package Gardein gluten-free beefless ground
  • Sunflower oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 cup cashews (if you do not have a powerful blender you may need to soak cashews for 4-8 hours)
  • 5 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Optional, for serving:

Directions

Optional:

If serving with potatoes and corn on the cob, preheat oven to 425F.

Chop potatoes into large chunks and toss with oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for approximately 20 minutes.

If corn is in husk, leave the husk on and place directly onto the oven rack, roast for approximately 20 minutes.  When finished, peel and lather with a little water or oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

If corn is not in husk, lightly spray with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the corn on a piece of aluminum foil that is laid directly on the oven rack. Roast for approximately 20 minutes.

PASTA:

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, I used a 3-quart saucepan.
  2. Add 1 tsp of sea salt to water
  3. Add pasta to the water and boil until soft
  4. Drain pasta as soon as it is cooked

While pasta is cooking begin preparing the beefless crumbles and sauce.

CASHEW CHEESE:

  1. To a blender add 1 cup raw cashews - If you do not have a powerful blender you may need to soak cashews for 4-8 hours
  2. Add 5 tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 1/3 cup water, ½ tsp. sea salt
  3. Blend until smooth

BEEFLESS CRUMBLES

  1. On the stove top, preheat a skillet to medium-low heat. – I like to use a cast iron pan
  2. Add 1/2 tbsp. sunflower oil to the pan
  3. Add diced onion, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin to the pan and sauté onions until translucent
  4. Add drained pasta and cashew cheese mixture to the pan and cook until sauce is thick
  5. Add salt to taste, I added about an additional ½ - 1 tsp of coarse sea salt after this step.  If you are using salt with smaller granules you may need to add less

Serve

Add macaroni, potatoes, and corn on the cob to plate.  Garnish macaroni with smoked paprika, garnish potatoes and corn with additional salt and pepper as needed.

barrrington goldson