Ingredients & directions for 1st step:

3/4 cup of raw cashews

Let sit in hot water for 45 - 60 minutes. I boiled my water in a kettle and let the cashews and water (obviously) sit in a bowl for 45 minutes. If you are using hot water from the tap, you may want to leave it in there closer to the 60 minute mark. Once done, put into food processor and blend until the cashews start forming a ball. It turns into a powder like texture first before forming itself into a ball.





Ingredients & directions for 2nd step:

3/4 cup chopped potatoes

3/4 cup chopped carrots

2 peeled garlic cloves

Boil the above ingredients until potatoes and carrots are soft. I put the potatoes, carrots and garlic in the same pot. Once the cashews are blended properly, add the veggies + garlic to the food processor or high powered blender and blend until everything is combined and distributed evenly throughout.





Ingredients & directions for the 3rd step:

1 can chopped green chilies (127 ml can)

2/3 to 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

3 TBSP nutritional yeast

1 - 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 TBSP garlic powder

1.5 tsp onion powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne powder

1/4 tsp mustard powder

Salt & pepper taste

Put the above ingredients into the food processor or high powered blender (depends on what you’re using) once cashews and veggies are all blended together. Start with the liquids, then add the dry ingredients. If you find it is too thick for your liking, add an additional TBSP or two of plant based mylk until desired consistency is achieved. If it gets too thin, no need to worry because when you heat the mac n’ cheeze sauce up in the pot, it will naturally thicken.





Directions for the 4th step:





Choose your pasta and cook according to instructions on the package. I used brown rice macaroni. I made 2 servings, which is 3/4 cup times 2; so 12 ounces.





Once pasta is done, add 8 - 10 ounces (1 cup or 1 cup + 1/4 cup) of sauce. Heat in sauce pan to thicken and fully coat the macaroni, or whatever pasta you chose to use.





Serve on a plate and top with nutritional yeast OR continue along with me to make some crispy mac & cheeze bites! 😋





What you’ll need: 16 serving mini muffin tin and parchment paper. Cut parchment paper into 16 squares, one per serving. Put a TBSP or 2 on top of the parchment paper like illustrated in the following picture:









Cover the top and freeze overnight.





Once you’re ready to make your crispy mac n’ cheeze bites, follow the below ingredients & instructions -





Dry ingredients - Bowl # 1:

1/2 cup + 1 TBSP white flour

1/2 cup + 2 TBSP water or plant based milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Mix all dry ingredients with a fork then add 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP water or mylk. Mix everything all together so that all ingredients in bowl # 2 are evenly distributed.





Wet ingredients - Bowl # 2:

3/4 - 1 cup Vegan panko

2 TBSP ground flax

1 tsp garlic powder

Make sure to mix all the above ingredients so that they are evenly distributed throughout the bowl.





Remove parchment paper from each bite, dip in bowl # 1 followed by bowl # 2.





If cooking in an air fryer, do not overlap. Cook in as many batches as required. My air fryer made approximately 6 per batch.





Air fryer instructions:





Cook each side for 8 minutes at 360F. Total cooking time is 16 minutes.





Oven instructions:





Cook each side for 18 - 20 minutes at 375F.

Total cooking time is 40 minutes.





Serve with ketchup, buffalo sauce or Vegan ranch. Also, feel free to toss in the following homemade buffalo sauce:

1/2 cup Sriracha

1/4 cup Vegan mayo

2 tsp’s apple cider vinegar





ENJOY!!!