Güd Eats’ Green Chili Vegan Mac and Cheese with Chili Mayo

Makes 4-6 servings

½ cup peeled and medium-diced sweet potato ½ cup medium-diced carrot ⅓ cup small-diced yellow onion 2 garlic cloves, chopped ⅔ cup whole raw cashews 8 cups dry macaroni pasta (gluten-free if preferred) ⅓ cup reserved cooking water ⅓ cup nutritional yeast** ¼ cup tapioca starch 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder** 1 Tbsp fine Himalayan pink salt or sea salt ¾ tsp dry mustard powder A pinch of ground turmeric A pinch of ground paprika ¼ cup + 3 Tbsp unsweetened oat milk ¼ cup + 2½ Tbsp canned coconut milk*** 3 Tbsp vegan butter 1½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 can (4½ oz/127 mL) of chopped green chilies *NOTE: If you want to make a truly authentic version of this dish, measure the first four ingredients by weight: yellow potato (5 oz), sweet potato (2 oz), carrot (2 oz), and yellow onion (1½ oz). **NOTE: Look for nutritional yeast and arrowroot powder in the bulk or natural section at the grocery store, or at your local organic or bulk foods store. ***NOTE: Shake up the canned coconut milk prior to opening and measuring it. Chili Mayo ½ cup vegan mayo 2¼ tsp sriracha 2¼ tsp sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce) 1 tsp rice vinegar

RECIPE

1. Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium and add the potato, sweet potato, carrot, onion, garlic, and cashews. Partially cover the pot and cook until all the ingredients are extremely soft, 10–15 minutes. Check them with a fork to make sure they are tender all the way through, which will ensure they blend well.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the chili mayo (below). Set it aside in the fridge, uncovered, until you are ready to serve.
4. Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, using the timing on the package. Drain and set aside.
5. Remove the vegetables, garlic, and cashews from the water using a slotted spoon, reserving ⅓ cup of the cooking water. Place them in a high-powered blender. (See tip.) Add the reserved cooking water, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, salt, mustard powder, turmeric, paprika, both milks, butter, lemon juice, and oil and blend on high speed until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
6. Place the sauce in the pot you cooked the pasta in and heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is almost boiling. Add the cooked pasta and canned green chilies to the sauce, and fold them in gently with a spoon or spatula.
7. Pour into a large casserole dish or divide into individual portions for serving. Top with a scoop of the chili mayo and jalapeño peppers or bread crumbs (if using). Serve immediately.

For the Chili Mayo

1. Place all the chili mayo ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a spoon or spatula until well combined.
2. Leftover chili mayo can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe copyright © 2022 by Güd Eats. Recipe from Only in Saskatchewan by Naomi Hansen. Text copyright © 2022 by Naomi Hansen.