Vegan Sheet Pan Nachos with homemade cheese
If there is one concept I thought you could never replicate in vegan cuisine, it’s nacho cheese! The flavor, the texture, the color, seemed impossible. However, with some staple ingredients, just a little cashews, some carrots for color and some potato for texture..
You truly can make a fab nacho cheese!!
Even with cooking full time, new recipes being tested daily, this one always keeps me coming back because it’s just THAT good. I love to enjoy it as a dip, but it’s also fab to throw on anything and everything. If I had to say it, I think I like it more than I ever liked any traditional nacho cheese as it packs the same flavor and texture without all the bulk and lord knows what else is in there lol.
If you’re not fond of cashews, don’t stress, neither am I. (truth) I think with the boom of the cashew cheesecakes 5+ years ago combined with not having a powerful blender at the time, I just got exhausted with using them and found them overpowering in recipes. What’s great about cashews, is you truly don’t need a lot, just a handful, and they make a world of a difference.
I had explored vegan cashew cheeses both hard and soft over the years, and this nacho cheese over a year ago. I promise after you try this cheese, the only thing you’ll be asking yourself is..
Why did I wait so long to try it lol
What I love about this recipe is, simply everything! It’s quick, easy, cheesy, features staple ingredients, colorful, affordable, can easily be made in bulk, is non vegan approved, you can pair with whatever you like or throw on countless dishes, it’s perf for any season!
If you love all things nachos then look no further. You have to try my recipe for vegan Nacho Cheese!
Why this recipe is great:
Easy
Minimal ingredients
Quick
Great for entErtaining
Tons of veggies
No baking needed!
Spicy!
Cashew cheese can be used for a myriad of things!
Cashew Nacho Cheese
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
Nacho cheese:
- 1 large carrot, peeled (fork tender)
- 1 small potato, peeled (fork tender)
- 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for at least 4hrs in hot water)
- 2 tbsps nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 large chili in adobo sauce (make sure to include sauce 1 tbsp of sauce too)
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno brine (fluid in jar)
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- salt/pepper as desired
Sheet Pan Nachos:
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 avocado, chopped
- 3/4 cup vegan sour cream
- 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained
- Garnish: limes and cilantro
Instructions
- Soak cashews for 10 minutes in boiling water.
- Boil peeled potato and carrot.
- Now add everything to a high power blender, and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge if not enjoying. pop in the microwave to enjoy warm! Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent it from drying out. Add additional almond milk or vegetable broth to modify the consistency.
- Nachos: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, top with all the fixings, and enjoy!
Notes
If you haven’t soaked cashews for long or don’t have a great blender, blend the nuts with the almond milk first. For a more vibrant orange simply add an additional fork tender carrot. (recommend boiling 2 in case) To monitor the heat factor you can add 1/2 the adobo pepper and blend, then add more if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Nachos
- Cuisine: Appetizer/Side
What could be used in place of cashews due to nut allergies ?? This looks divine !
Hi Nancy! You could perhaps use walnuts. Let me know how it turns out!
Could jalapeno be used instead of the pepper in Adobo? Or any other recommendation??
You can absolutely use jalapeño! I would just be more conservative with how much you use especially using fresh, the color may be different as adobo peppers w/sauce is red, and the flavor profile might not be as rich. I personally love adobo peppers and throw them in with everything! In addition to heat they add a smokiness to recipes that can’t be replicated!