I did a cooking school in Iceland just a few weeks ago and was shocked to learn that 99% of the people in my class had never had macaroni and cheese! It’s very strange but true. I am happy to tell you that I was able to remedy the problem. They have all tried it now and loved it! The good news is that they didn’t try the typical high-fat-and-cholesterol bomb that we normally serve here in America. I gave them the healthy variety with whole grain pasta and cashew cheese. I was also able to serve it at a youth camp meeting and they cleaned it out – they absolutely loved the stuff! So if you are looking for a healthier alternative to the easiest Meatless Monday dish ever here is my recipe for Mac & Cheese.
Mac & Cheese
- 1 box (14 ounces) whole grain macaroni noodles, cooked
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup pimento peppers or bottled roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Blend 2 cups water and nuts in a blender until very smooth and creamy. This can take several minutes, depending on your blender.
- Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, to blender; blend until smooth and creamy.
- Combine blended mixture and pasta in prepared baking dish; stir well to mix.
- Bake 45 minutes.
