Creamy Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
 
 
This makes a beautiful orange sauce that's lightly cheesy and deliciously creamy without any cheese substitutes. If you want a stronger cheesy flavor, you can add more nutritional yeast, to taste. It's adapted from my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 (8-ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni (gluten-free, if needed)
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1⅓ cups water or unsweetened plain dairy-free milk beverage
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 4 ounces roasted red peppers, drained
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Cook the macaroni according to the package direction.
  2. In a high-power blender or food processor, mix the cashews, water or milk beverage, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth. Gradually blend in the oil, roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan (to catch any remaining nut bits). Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened. Season the sauce with additional salt, as needed. (I usually add another ½ teaspoon or so.)
Notes
Casserole Option: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Dice 1 medium onion, and saute it in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Combine the pasta, raw cheesy sauce from your blender or food processor, and onion in a baking dish and even it out. Top with dairy-free breadcrumbs, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/creamy-dairy-free-mac-and-cheese