….or should I say Cheeze?  Oh the elusive cheese.  I swear, as soon as someone finds out I’m vegan, the very first thing they say is “Cheese??  You gave up cheese???  Oh I could give up meat, but I could never give up cheese!”  And of course I don’t ever want to get into the details about how yucky the dairy industry is, or how bad large amounts of cows milk is to the human body, because realistically, I can understand how they feel.  I too had my own love for cheese for a large part of my life, but after giving it up, I can honestly say that I have never felt better!  I am lighter and more energized than ever before.  And the best part of it all?  That I don’t really have to give up my favorite comfort foods.  With the right techniques and substitutes, you can still enjoy all of your most enjoyable meals, veganized!

Mac and Cheese is a staple.  Warm, comforting and creamy, there really is nothing else like it.  For this recipe, blended cashews are used to get the creamy base; sweet potatoes are also blended in for extra nutrients, fiber, and color; and nutritional yeast is added for that cheezy taste.

Sweet Potato Cashew Mac and Cheese

• 8 oz pasta of your choice (I used a half package of gluten-free brown rice pasta)
• 2 cooked sweet potatoes or yams
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened Almond milk)
• 1/2 cup cashews (soaked at least 4 hours or overnight, drained)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 TBS yellow mustard
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

• To make cheeze sauce: Blend together the flesh of the sweet potatoes (I used leftovers from the night before), non-dairy milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper until creamy. The sauce will be a nice yellow-orange color. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain cooked pasta, and pour in your delicious sweet potato cashew sauce in with the pasta.
• Grab a fork and go to town with your amazing vegan mac and cheese!