Whole Wheat Vegetable Mac & Cheese

This mac and cheese is made with a healthy twist, utilising your Vitamix to create a delicious cheese sauce with little effort.

Ingredients

Red Capsicum Cashew Cheese Sauce

• 420 ml water
• 105 g raw almonds
• 15 g nutritional yeast
• 65 g raw cashews
• 150 g (1) red capsicum, stemmed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoons salt (optional)

Vegetable Mac and Cheese

• 500 g whole wheat pasta, cooked
• 300 g butternut pumpkin, cut into small chunks
• 300 g red capsicum, diced or cut into strips

Red Capsicum Cashew Cheese Sauce Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Lightly grease a 22 cm x 33 cm glass baking dish.
2. Place a large pot of water on the stovetop over high heat.
3. While the water is heating, place all ingredients for the red capsicum cashew cheese sauce into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
4. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 5 minutes 45 seconds; or select the Hot Soup program and allow the machine to complete the programmed cycle.

Vegetable Mac and Cheese Directions

1. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook ¾ of the way, until the pasta is almost tender. Drain the water from the pot and add the pumpkin, cut capsicum, and cheese sauce to the cooked pasta, stirring to combine before pouring mixture into the prepared baking dish.
2. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the dish is golden brown on top.

Notes

• The vegetables in this recipe can be switched up if desired - if using harder vegetables, cut them slightly smaller so they roast quickly in the oven. Try this with cauliflower, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.
• Nutritional yeast is not only a "secret" vegan ingredient that adds a cheesy nutty bite to a dish, but it's also an excellent source of protein, fibre, minerals, and vitamins, including B vitamins that can be lacking in a traditional vegan diet.