Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

This recipe is dedicated to all the vegan cheese lovers! Yes, you read it right, this mac & cheese recipe contains no diary products. Where traditionally, cheese is a dairy product there are actually a number of plant-based replacement options, which even the most devoted cheese lover would satisfy.

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Prep Time 15 mins + Cook Time 20 mins = Total Time 35 mins

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

Macaroni

• 2 1/2 cup (250 gr) dried whole grain macaroni
• 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil, either USDA approved or non-GMO project approved

The “Cheese” Sauce

• 3 boiled sweet potatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil to fry
• 1/2 cup (100 ml) coconut milk
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• half a lemon to be squeezed
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Vegan Parmesan

• 1/2 cup (80 gr) unsalted cashew nuts
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Macaroni

• Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box and then add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

The “Cheese” Sauce

• Cut the sweet potatoes into equal sized cubes. Put a pot of water on the stove so it covers the sweet potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes to boiling water. Cook the sweet potato for 15 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove. Drain the water.

• Chop the onions and mince the garlic. Put a skillet on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil and cook the minced garlic and chopped onions for two minutes until they turn golden brown.

• Put all the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend them together until they form a smooth mixture.

Vegan Parmesan

• Toast the cashews until they’re golden brown in a nonstick skillet without any oil.

• Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend them together until they’re roughly chopped. To add an extra crunchy texture, I prefer to chop them into smaller pieces.

• Add the pasta to the sauce, stir well, then top with vegan parmesan and serve.

Equipment Needed:

pot, skillet, food-processor

Ingredient Substitution

The cheese in the recipe is formed from the cashew nuts, nutritional yeast and the sweet potato for the creaminess. Nutritional yeast has a strong nutty and cheesy flavor and can be used to substitute for cheese. In addition, you get nutrients like protein, vitamin B and zinc — all good things your body needs.

The combination of the cashew nuts and sweet potato will yield a creamy sauce, rich in flavor and yet it’s still plant based. The taste is good enough that you might even surprise your non-vegan friends.

If you don’t have access to raw cashews, you can use roasted almonds instead. You can also substitute other vegetables like carrots, peas, etc.

Conclusion

I hope this recipe is helpful! Let me know if you try it out and what your thoughts are about it.