I wanted to make a cheese sauce that is spreadable, that gets melty when hot and that has more of a cheddar flavor. In doing so, I came up with this concoction. When cold, it's thick, but still spreadable. When heated It becomes creamier and gooey, but not liquid and it has a mild cheddar-like flavor.
I've been spreading it on cold sandwiches and making way too many grilled cheeze (it's way too good) and, also pictured, broiled on top of a Philly Cheese Steak I made with leftover 'pot roast'seitan.
It isn't firm enough for slices, like vegan cheese. Then again, it doesn't taste like rubber either.
Gooey Chedda Cheeze
3/4 cups chickpeas (1/2 can)
1/2 cup cashews, ground
2 oz pimentos
1/4 cup water
2 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tsp miso
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine, melted
1/2 small lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend thoroughly. Then blend some more. If you want a smoother consistency, you can push the sauce through a fine strainer. Serve hot or cold, spread on sandwiches or pizza or, my favorite, as a spread for grilled cheeze sandwiches. It also freezes well.
Makes about 3 cups.
12 Servings: 75 cal (5g fat, 6g carbs, 3g protein)
Shawrbat Habaq
2 days ago
Oh wow...Thank you! This sounds fabulous and I cannot wait to try it ASAP! YUM!
Courtney
Thank you! I am counting calories and am pleased to find a sauce that is part beans and nuts and no added oil- i love your recipes so i know i'll like it. my husband is not vegan and will love having grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks again!
Oh wow, this looks perfect! Thanks!
oooo it looks yummy! I need to buy some cashews and then its gonna be grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner today or lunch tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This sounds like a good recipe. I have to say, though - only 2 Tbsp nooch? I always triple the amount of nooch "cheesy" stuff calls for, haha.
Just made this, and LOVE it!! I cheated a tiny bit, and used some butter instead of Earth Balance, so it's EXTRA authentic! I don't think my blender is up to the challenge of keeping this as thick as maybe you make it - it's more like a frosting-weight, than a cheez-spread weight, but I can see adding some jalapenos and doing a nacho thing on chips... You don't mention how it is on hot pasta, but I WILL try it! Thanks - I've bookmarked your site. Keep up the Kitchen Adventures!
Found this on Flickr. Very cool! Your food looks delicious!
Did you use sweet or spicy pimentos for this? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimento) I've never used that.
thanks
Ben
Ben, to my knowledge, a pimento is a sweet pepper. I didn't even know that spicy pimentos existed. Mild and sweet is the direction I'd go.
Just want to say I am in love with your blog. This recipe is brilliant! I agree with the person above who said this would be incredible with some jalapenos. Thanks for your recipes, I will be trying many more of them!
Alright, just made this and I am really impressed. I've tried like a hundred mac and cheeze recipes and really disliked them all, but this was, in my opinion, waaay closer to a cheese flavor than anything I've tried previously. I think it is in part because it doesn't rely so heavily on nutritional yeast. It has a tangy flavor that reminds me more than anything of Kraft mac and cheese powder. I would be VERY interested in translating this into a pasta sauce.
Anyway, I made mine in the food processor and found that I did not need to use any of the water--it was plenty smooth enough without it. I also added a splash of tabasco for a more cheddary zing.
I agree with others that jalapenos would be a great flavor in this, but what came first to my mind was horseradish, a la the horseradish-cheddar cheese dips that have been served at my family gatherings for eons. I think with that stronger flavor on board it could even fool a few unsuspecting omnis.
It was great chilled, on crackers; equally fabulous as grilled cheese!!! Thanks so much for this great, versatile, recipe!!!
This is a fantastic recipe! This is actually the first "uncheese" I have tried, but I think I am hooked. I had it yesterday on pizza (hot) and then cold spread on bread. It really exceeded my expectations. It reminded me a lot of those spreadable cheeses others have been referring too. I'd love to make a port wine flavor - that is my favorite.
Today for dinner I wanted a cheesy pasta sauce, but I ran out of time to cook something from scratch. I just took a bit of the leftover chedda cheeze, thinned it with soymilk, and heated it in the microwave. I think this will actually be my go-to cheesy pasta sauce recipe! It's creamy and rich tasting but not too heavy. Thanks for a great recipe.
Oh, BTW, I think the yield may be a bit off? I didn't measure, but I don't think I got much more than a cup out of this. Now that I know I like it, next time I'll be making a bigger batch. :)
really good! im wondering if i can use red peppers instead of pimento though? it would be a lot less expensive. next time im going to try it without the water too, to make it thicker. unless it thickens in the fridge?