One change that holds people up from going wholesale vegan is no cheese. I get it. Or I used to get it. It’s been so long since I have had cheese I forget what the real stuff tastes like.

Saying that, I am crazy about mac ‘n cheese and especially this recipe. It has no nuts. Lots of cheese recipes involve cashews. Nope. Not this one. Like most of them though it does call for nutritional yeast.

Vegan Mac n Cheese by Brand New Vegan.

Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese

You know how to boil water and cook macaroni (smile) so let’s get straight to the cheese part. The recipe’s author Chuck Linderwood — Brand New Vegan — describes it as:

“A simple but Creamy, Fat-Free, Vegan Cheese Sauce, made without any nuts, tofu, or dairy.”

Amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce

INGREDIENTS

16 oz Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 3 medium)
2-3 large Carrots
1/2 cup Water (used to boil potatoes)
1/4 cup Nutritional yeast
2 Tbs Nutritional yeast (in addition to above)
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Brown Mustard
1/8 tsp Turmeric

DIRECTIONS

Wash and scrub both potatoes and carrots, peel if desired and chop into uniform pieces and boil for 10 minutes.

Let cooked potatoes rest for 5 minutes and then with a slotted spoon, transfer the veggies to your blender. Retain potato water.

Add 1/2 cup potato water and pulse to mix.

Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.

Make Your Own Cheese

It’s a great idea and easy to make your own vegan cheese. I agree that it tastes much better and naturally fresher tasting than supermarket vegan cheese. To be fair, most anything you make yourself tastes better than mass produced fare, right?

Most vegan cheese recipes have cashews as their base. I am never going to sit and eat cashews as a snack, but boy do I like them for making vegan cheese.

Loads of vegan cooks have cheese recipes online, I mean loads. But I thought I would get you started with recommended lists by these two:

★ ChooseVeg

Here’s our first recommendation: ChooseVeg: 12 Vegan Cheese Recipes That Will Change Your Life. Yes!

On the list at the link above is a recipe by Minimalist Baker called Vegan Cashew-Less Dip. This dip is cashew-, dairy-, soy-, and gluten-free! How does she do it? It’s base is eggplant. Yes, eggplant. Gawd is this good and reheatable too.

Easy Vegan Queso Dip by Minimalist Baker. Click image to visit this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

US Customary – Metric

7-9 rounds of eggplant (sliced 1/4-inch thick // half of a medium eggplant yields 7-9 rounds)
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 1/2 – 2 cups unsweetened original almond milk
2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (see instructions)
1/4 tsp finely minced fresh garlic (I used crushed garlic from Trader Joe’s)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cornstarch (optional for thickening // sub another thickener if desired)
1/4 cup chunky medium salsa (slightly drained // OR 1/4 10-ounce can of Rotel original diced tomatoes and green chilies)
Smoked paprika and hot sauce (optional for added color and flavor upon serving)

★ Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen

Here’s another super list put together by Karrissa’s Vegan Kitchen. 14 Vegan Cheese Recipes That Taste Like the REAL DEAL!

My favourites from Karissa’s List are the Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and how about some Jalapeño Cashew Cheese Spread by Cadry’s Kitchen. Oh my stars! It’s crazy good.

Jalapeño cashew cheese is a delicious addition to a vegan cheese board or use it as a sandwich spread. From Cadry's Kitchen. — Jalapeño cashew cheese is a delicious addition to a vegan cheese board or use it as a sandwich spread. From Cadry’s Kitchen.

Feedback

We appreciate your feedback. Let us know if you have any questions or if there is any way we can help. Share recipes, tips. Would you like to do a vegan guest post? Cool!

The vegan lifestyle is fun, tasty and most wonderful of all it’s compassionate to everyone and the planet too. It doesn’t get any more “feel goody” than that. Peace Love and Horses!