Dairy Free Mac 'n' Cheese (Vegan and Nut Free)

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This mac 'n' cheese is totally dairy free, gluten free, nut free and vegan. The sauce is creamy and packed with vegetables and spices, and it is cashew free unlike most dairy free cheese recipes. This mac reminds me of Boston Market's macaroni and cheese that I enjoyed as a kid! You will need a blender for the sauce, but the recipe is very simple! It works great as a main course or tasty side dish.

The coconut milk will have to be whisked well, the fat separates from the liquid in the can.

You will need a high powered blender for this recipe. Add all the sauce ingredients to your blender while you wait for your pasta to cook. After the pasta has cooked for at least half the time, scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add it to the blender.

Now blend starting on low speed and working up slowly to high. With potato starch in a blender you have to be careful, if it is not blending smoothly you may need to just increase the speed, or may need more liquid. The starch can make like a glue and make it hard for the blade to spin, so just be mindful.

Pour your sauce over the noodles and mix. Serve right away and enjoy!

Looks just like the real thing!

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Ingredients

[Serves 6]

3-3 1/2 cups of dry gluten free elbow macaroni or rotini pasta (about 6 servings, if you want it to be more cheesy use less pasta)

Sauce

1 cup diced potatoes (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup riced cauliflower or a slightly heaping 1/2 cup of chopped cauliflower (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup sliced carrots (about 1 large carrot or 80 grams)

Water to cover potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots

1/4 cup pasta water

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp mustard (the condiment, not ground)

2 heaping Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp or a couple dashes of pepper

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil, measure out the pasta of your choice (I used brown rice pasta). Make according to directions. After the pasta has been cooking for at least half the time, scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add it to your blender.

2. Peel and chop up your carrots into small pieces, it doesn't matter what shape, just make them small to cook faster and measure more accurately. Then dice your potatoes into small pieces and measure. And lastly roughly chop your cauliflower and measure. (I like to use frozen diced hash browns for the potatoes and frozen riced cauliflower to cut down on prep time).

3. Add your potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots to a small pot. Add water until it just covers everything. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer until the veggies and potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.

4. When the potatoes and veggies are done, a lot of the moisture will have boiled off. Remove from the burner and let it cool slightly for a few minutes. Then add everything in the pot to the blender.

5. Next, measure out your spices and other wet ingredients.

6. The canned coconut milk will be separated so you will have to whisk it until well mixed, then measure out your 1/2 cup.

7. Add your other wet sauce ingredient to the blender with the pasta water and cooked veggies, followed by the seasonings.

8. Now blend everything starting at low speed, gradually increasing the speed to high. If the blender sounds like it is not blending well, increase the speed or you may need to add additional liquid. Blend until the mixture turns into a creamy, sticky consistency and is totally smooth. The sauce will be sort of thin but shouldn't be watery. If it is super thick, you can add more coconut milk or water.

9. Drain and rise your noodles then put them back in the pot.

10. Pour the sauce over your pasta and mix until pasta is fully coated. Set the pot back on the warm burner (it should be off) just to warm it.

11. This pasta is best served right away. The sauce will thicken in the fridge due to the potato starch, just reheat it with a touch of plain milk or water and stir. Enjoy within a week.

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