Mac & cheese is a true crowd pleaser. It’s truly camping comfort food. That’s why it makes our rotation when it’s cold and rainy or we’re just too fried to put too much effort into anything. To make this recipe vegan, I replace the cheese with a cashew cream sauce with either a carrot or baked sweet potato to give it that orange glow that kids have come to love about their Mac & Cheese. It does require a blender, so I make it in advance our trip. When it’s time to go, I store it in a mason jar. The perfect size for a tiny fridge.
In advance of your trip, soak the cashews in 2 cups of very hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then drain and rinse. Blend the cashews, water, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and carrot (or sweet potato) in a blender until smooth. Store in a mason jar.
Prepare the pasta in accordance with package directions. As the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli over the boiling water. Reserve ½ cup pasta water when draining the pasta.
Add the drained pasta and cashew cream sauce back into the stock pot. Stir to combine. Cashew cream thickens and dries as it reheats, so add pasta water as necessary to keep it creamy. Cook until warmed through.
Keyword camping cooking, camping recipes, cashew cream mac & cheese, vegan camping food, vegan mac & cheese