What happens when you combine creamy cashews with luscious sweet potatoes, blend it all together and pour it over leafy green kale and brown rice noodles? Pure magic.
Brimming with nutrients and free of dairy or gluten, our Baked Mac & Cheese is evidence that plant-based is still flavorFUL. For real! This mac & cheese, which was adapted from Hot for Food’s Perfect Vegan Mac & Cheese, is one of my all-time favorite comfort food recipes. It will please the pickiest of pallets and it makes for a great holiday party treat.
BAKED CREAMY MAC & CHEESE
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, refined oil free
Recipe by Jentry Lee Hull adapted from Hot for Food’s Perfect Vegan Mac & Cheese
Yields 4-6 servings
CREAMY MAC & CHEESE INGREDIENTS
- Flesh from ½ large cooked sweet potato or yam (use one with orange flesh, such as a red garnet or jewel)
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked and covered in the fridge for at least 1 hour)
- 1 ½ cup plant milk
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. miso paste (I used red miso paste)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. garlic granules
- 1 tsp. onion granules
- 1 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
- ¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, or other pepper for heat
- 1 package of brown rice pasta (or other GF pasta), cooked according to directions (I used DeLallo brand)
- 1-2 large handfuls kale, de-stemmed and Chiffonade (thinly sliced)
ALMOND BREAD CRUMB TOPPING INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup raw almonds (chilled in the fridge for about an hour)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- pinch of pink Himalayan salt
- ¼ cup GF breadcrumbs (I used Ian’s GF Panko Breadcrumbs), optional
- 1 tsp. garlic granules
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
The cheesiness is real, my friends.
CREAMY MAC & CHEESE DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a high-powered blender, combine sweet potato flesh, cashews, plant milk, lemon juice, miso paste, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, garlic granules, onion granules, salt and cayenne pepper. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy and smooth.
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions. Cook no further than al dente, so the pasta holds up when baked. Run cooked pasta under cool water and pour back into large pan (off heat).
- Incorporate sweet potato cheese sauce with cooked pasta in large pot. Bring pot to low heat and stir.
- Fold in kale, or other greens, if desired. (I highly recommend the greens!)
- Pour Mac & Cheese contents into a glass baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 15-20 minutes then remove from heat.
- Turn up oven heat to 350 degrees F.
- Remove foil from mac and cheese, top with Almond Bread Crumb Topping (directions below).
- Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees F, for another 5-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
ALMOND BREAD CRUMB TOPPING DIRECTIONS
- In a food processor or clean coffee grinder, blend all ingredients until mixture is finely ground.
- Store leftovers in air-tight container in the fridge.
Thrive on,
Coach Jentry
Gumsaba Outdoor Fitness Class schedule Thursday 12/8/16
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Womens only class – Coach Briana – Circuit Work
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Mens only class – Coach Joel – Circuit Work
6AM Sunup Moraga Co-Ed class – Coach Michelle – Battle Rope Slam Down
6AM Sunup Lafayette Co-Ed class – Coach Jentry – HIIT Thursday
8:15AM Sunshine Moraga Womens only Class – Coach Michelle – Battle Rope Slam Down
9AM Sunshine Walnut Creek Womens class – Coach Briana – Circuit Work
11:00AM Cytosport Advanced Boot Camp at the Park – Coach Briana (private class)
12:00PM Cytosport Vinyasa Flow Yoga – Coach Jentry (private class)