Creamy, Cheddary, Vegan Cheese Sauce
One of the biggest hurdles to transitioning to a Vegan diet is cheese and for good reason too! Cheese released a chemical known as Casomorphin, an opioid peptide derived from the digestion of the milk protein casein, which attach to the same brain receptors that heroin and other narcotics attach do.
The reasons for eschewing cheese and all dairy products for that matter are numerous and the benefits derived are of great benefit as well! Significantly decreased risk of developing many of our top illnesses, conditions and killers such as Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Coronary Artery Disease, Erectile Disfunction, the list goes on.
Years ago adopting a vegan diet meant sacrifice. The available replacement options were pitiful at best and proved to be a significant obstacle for all but the most resolute. My initial foray into plant based nutrition equated to 17 years as a lacto-vegetarian .
Thanks to the plethora of vegan cheeses and plant milks available these hurtles are a thing of the past. But what about the DIYers out there?
Behold! Creamy, Cheddary Cheese Sauce 🤤 This versatile sauce can be used to dip your fries, pretzels, vegan nuggets in. It can be used to drown your stuffed baked potatoes, make Mac and Cheese, Potatoes Au Gratin, you name it!
Righteous Cheddar Cheese Sauce
**John Winger | September 13, 2019
- prep time: 15 Minutes
- cook time: 20 Min Minutes
- total time:
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 cups potatoes, diced large
- 1 Cup carrots, diced large
- 1/2 Cup water
- 1/3 Cup Raw Cashews
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon
- 1/2 Cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 to 1 tsp Vegan chicken-style seasoning, Vegan bouillon(powder or paste) or a few splashes of Bragg's to taste.
Instructions:
step 1. Place the potatoes, raw cashews and carrots in a medium saucepan and simmer uncovered until soft.
step 2. Drain the potatoes, carrots and cashews (reserve the cooking water).
setp 3. Blend potatoes and carrots together along with the rest of the ingredients on high in your Vitamix or other high speed blender, adding the reserved water as needed until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
step 4. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Pro Tips:
- Add a splash of Liquid smoke or smoked paprika to give the cheese a smokey flavor.
- Mix with a jar of salsa to create a nacho queso dip/sauce.
- Double the batch and add as needed to your choice of pasta for Mac and Cheese (reserve the rest for general awesomeness).
- Soak sliced potatoes in cold water for 20 minutes then Layer with cheese sauce and bake until fantastic.