Veggie Cheddar Sauce (with Smoky & Queso Variations!)

Mmm mmm mmm. Creamy cheese sauce. For macaroni and cheese, on nachos, on chili cheese fries, in burritos, on sandwiches, instead of gravy for these Cauliflowers Steaks... the possibilities are literally endless. I knew it had to be possible to find a vegan cheese sauce that wasn't cashew based or had flour in it. 

This one is potato and carrot based! I like to use a couple different colored carrots, I like to think it helps with the cheese color. You could peel the potatoes but you don't have too. I just gave mine a wash and chopped them. The cheesiness comes from the nooch (the golden flake) and some proper spicing. Some additional variations will yield you lucrative results.

Boil your veggies until soft then add everything to a blender and leave it on the highest setting for a few minutes. You'll be coming up with uses for this stuff so quick the room will spin. After I made this batch I made a Cheeseburger wrap with Beyond Beef crumbles, Upton's seitan bacon, cheddar sauce, homemade pickles & jalapenos, and yellow mustard, pressed in the cast iron pan. 

Ingredients:

Makes 4-6 Cups

• 3 red potatoes (about 1 cup), cut into chunks
• 3 carrots (about 1/2 cup), peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. lemon
• 1/2 cup Bragg's Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mexican Cheese Variation:

(These proportions are for half of your cheese sauce.)

• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp. Cholula
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 2 tsp. chipotle pepper flakes

*If you're going to make the whole batch queso style, swap lemon juice for lime juice!

Smokey Maple Variation:

(Proportions for the other half.)

• 2 tsp. hickory liquid smoke
• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

*Fry up and crumble in seitan bacon for bonus points!

Instructions:

1. Add potatoes and carrots to large saucepan, cover with water, salt, and bring to a boil, cooking until soft (10-15 minutes).
2. Add remaining ingredients to a high speed blender and pulse a few times to get them started. Then add the potatoes and carrots and blend 3-5 minutes til smooth and creamy.

Store in refrigerator for up to a week. It will thicken up so thin it with some water or mushroom stock while you're heating it to get it to your desired consistency.

Cheese sauce based on a recipe by Veggie On A Penny.