This is the best tasting “cheese” recipe I’ve found so far. It’s good for drizzling over pasta for a light mac-and-cheeese, over french onion soup, and for dipping. See the notes for how to customize it for different dishes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raw cashews softened (see instructions)
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk , hot (be careful not to burn the milk)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

• Soften cashews by either placing cashews in boiling water in a small pot, remove from heat, cover for 20 minutes OR soak in water for 2 hours
• Drain cashews and discard water. 
• Place all ingredients into a blender. 
• Blend on high until smooth. 
• Now pour mixture into a small pot and place over medium heat.
• Stir often, so it doesn’t stick or burn. Scrape the sides and bottom as needed. 
• When the cheese is cooking, add the spices (mustard, white pepper, cayenne, nutmeg)
• The cheese will start to thicken up and get slightly stretchy. This whole process should take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drizzle over pasta and top with toasted bread crumbs

Notes

• Adapted the base cheese recipe from Vegan Hugs
• Leftover cheese can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. Just reheat to make it soft and stretchy again. You can add a splash of milk if it’s too thick.