Mac & Cheese, in the healthiest of ways

So last night I had a short conversation with a few twitter folks (@tobyamidor, @dee22ann, & @MelissaTraubRD) about mac & cheese. So, from that conversation, here is a recipe for a healthier mac & cheese, for both deliciousness and happiness! 

What ya need:
  • 1 1/4 cups of raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground Tellicherry black pepper
  • 3 cups of almond milk
  • 3 tablespoons of quality cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup of cold-pressed olive oil (you can use palm oil here as well)
  • 1/4 cup of light white miso (yellow miso works, but I prefer the white varietal)
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 16 ounces of cooked pasta (I like rotini, but you can use whatever you want. Just not bowtie, don't be irresponsible)

Ok, so:
In a food processor or powerful blender (I use my Vita-mix) grind the cashews with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder and Tellicherry pepper. Grind this all together until it's finely ground, but not so much as the oils release from the cashews and make a paste. 

Now, in a medium pot, bring the almond milk, cornstarch, and oil to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover this, but stir it occasionally. Yes, I know you need to uncover it to stir, don't get sassy! In about 10 minutes, or when the cornstarch is well-incorporated, kick on that blender, at low speed, and slowly pour this heated milk mixture into the cashew mix. Then add in the miso and lemon juice and kick up the speed on the blender to medium and get everything happily incorporated. 

Now put your cooked pasta into a casserole dish and pour the sauce from the bender over it. Cover the dish and bake for 20 minutes at 300ºF. Uncover and ,if you'd like, add some breadcrumbs for a crust here. Now, bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350ºF. Now, enjoy!!!

NOTE: This recipe is inspired by a few different recipes I've gathered over time. It's a hybrid and may need some play to work for you. This is what worked for me, but feel free to mess around until you get exactly what you want!

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