Charred Vegan Mac and Cheese

This vegan take on mac and cheese is made with a creamy, cashew-based sauce and is topped with charred breadcrumbs. It’s an easy, no-bake dinner to make any day of the week.

Steps

1. Cook pasta over the stovetop as you normally would. At the same time, add cashews to a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil cashews for 15 minutes, which will help soften them.
2. Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter, onions, garlic, and smoked paprika and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add milk and remaining butter and bring mixture to a simmer. Slowly stir in the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; remove from heat.
3. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it and set aside. Once the cashews are done boiling, drain them and pour the cashews into a blender. Pour in the sauce, and blend mixture for 1 minute. The result should be a thick and creamy sauce! Pour the sauce back into the skillet/dutch oven, then stir in the pasta.
4. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over top, then use your Bernzomatic TS8000 torch to char the breadcrumbs for about 10 seconds. Enjoy!