Everybody loves mac n cheese, and vegans are no exception! This is a quick, easy recipe that uses mostly vegetables for the sauce, so it’s a great way to get veggies into a kids’ (or adults!) diet. Use rice pasta if you want to make it gluten-free, add mix-ins like peas or broccoli, or serve it with greens and a BBQ protein of your choice for a healthy BBQ plate.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz dried macaroni noodles
• 1.5 cup diced yellow or red potatoes 
• 1/3 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup liquid from pot of boiled veggies (or regular water)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews (if you have a high powered blender, no need to soak the cashews. If you don’t, soak them overnight or at least for a few hours beforehand)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk or other unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc.)
• 4.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1.5 teaspoons salt or more to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• ¼-½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼-½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook macaroni noodles al dente according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Place chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, and raw cashews in the boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and soft enough to blend.

When veggies and cashews are soft enough to blend, use a slotted spoon to remove them from cooking water, and place them in your blender. Add 3/4 cup of the cooking water to your blender, along with your remaining ingredients.

Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 

Pour sauce over cooked macaroni noodles, taste for salt, mix well and serve immediately.