Mac No Cheese

Mac and cheese is a classic recipe that can be easily and healthily made vegan. Nowadays you can find vegan alternatives for every animal derived food including, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, and even meat! Since I prefer to eat a whole food plant-based diet, I want to try to recreate these recipes with ingredients that are as close to the whole food as possible. So in this recipe I use only vegetables and spices to make the cheese sauce! It's so amazing what you can do with veggies! I also chose to keep the whole dish gluten-free so everyone can enjoy but feel free to use any pasta you prefer! This recipe is very easy to double for big parties and gatherings or cut it in half. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups potatoes (about two russet potatoes)
• 2 cups carrots (about 6 medium size carrots)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb pasta of choice
• 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Start by boiling a large pot of water
2. Peel, wash, and cut the carrots and potatoes in similar sized pieces so they cook at the same time
3. Once the veggies are fork tender, about 10 minutes, drain them
4. In a high speed blender or food processor, add the veggies, nutritional yeast, milk, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt
5. Blend until the mixture is bright orange and has a thick, smooth texture.
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
7. Make the pasta according to the package instructions
8. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the noodles
9. Rinse the pasta to get excess starch off so the noodles don't stick together
10. Add the pasta back into the pot and add the thick 'cheese' sauce
11. Stir the pasta and sauce around to coat the noodles completley
12. Pour into an baking dish you like. I chose a large oval shaped glass dish but a large casserole, rectangular, or square dish will all work. You can aso make personal sized mac no cheese too! 
13. Add on the vegan parmesan cheese in an even layer
14. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil on high for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it because will brown very quickly. 
15. Once the top is browned, let cool for about 5 minutes
16. Serve at a potluck, cookout, party, or just for you! Perfect for meal prep and great for leftovers! 
17. Enjoy with some fresh parsley and maybe some extra vegan parm!