Creamy Cashew Mac and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese:

1 large carrot, chopped and peeled

1 large onion, chopped

1 large potato (chefs, yellow, russet, or gold), peeled and chopped

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

¼ tsp. smoked paprika

½ cup cashews

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 ½ cups veggie stock

Salt and pepper to taste

For the mushroom bacon:

1 1/2 cups shitake mushrooms

Vegetable oil or canola oil

Preparation

1. Boil cashews, carrot, onion, and diced potatoes until tender and cooked through. Reserve 1 cup of boiled water stock. Strain veggies and cashews. In Vitamix or blender, blend veggies and cashews, add rest of ingredients, blend until creamy and smooth. Slowly add reserved water until desired consistency of cheese sauce.
2. Boil 1 pound of macaroni or desired pasta. Strain, mix pasta and creamy cashew cheese sauce and fold gently.
3. Sauté shitake mushrooms until crispy in oil, top mac and cheese with crispy mushroom bacon.