Macaroni & Cheeze

I'm always scouting around for a new mac & cheeze recipe to try out. I came across this one at VegNews.com and it's pretty good. There is no nutritional yeast which some folks would consider an added plus. It's thickened with the addition of cooked potatoes and carrots. The only reworking I'll do when I make this again is to half the bread crumb topping and add something green like cooked broccoli, asparagus or even some spinach. Three stars.


Ingredients
macaroni
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon sea salt
8 ounces macaroni
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topping
4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces
2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine
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sauce
2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine1 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions
In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.