Happy New Year, eco-conscious foodies! Are you ready to spice up your meal plans with something both scrumptious and sustainable? Look no further!

This year, Erin’s Kitchen is thrilled to bring you a weekly parade of plant-based perfection, starting with a dish that’s sure to make your taste buds dance and your carbon footprint shrink.

We’re on a mission to show you how delectably easy it is to embrace a vegan lifestyle, one yummy recipe at a time.

This week, we’re dishing out a classic comfort food with a green twist:

Vegan Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. macaroni or similar pasta
• 1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup diced carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup water (preferably use the water from boiling the vegetables)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours if you don’t have a high-speed blender)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or any unsweetened plant-based milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard (or mustard powder)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: Bread crumbs for topping

Instructions:

Cook the Pasta: Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Boil Vegetables: In a small pot, boil the potatoes, carrots, and onion until soft, about 10 minutes.

Make the Cheese Sauce: In a blender, combine the cooked vegetables, water from the boiled vegetables, soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine Pasta and Cheese Sauce: Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and stir until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with a bit more plant-based milk.

Bake (Optional): For a baked version, transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes or until the top is slightly golden.

Serve: Serve warm and enjoy a comforting bowl of vegan mac and cheese.

Enjoy!: Your delicious, plant-based mac and cheese is ready to win over even the pickiest eaters!

You are saving the planet: Here’s what you saved: