Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce #McDougall #nondairy #cheese #recipe

Super quick prep with deliciously creamy, cheesy, results is what you get every single time you make Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce. When your CHEESE cravings hit, this recipe is the savory goodness your taste buds want.  And if you’d told me a couple of years ago that I’d be making a lip-smacking cheese sauce out of veggies, I would have thought you’d lost your cheese-eating mind. But here we are.

So, what’s so GREAT about cheese made from veggies? 

  • There’s no animal derived, artery-clogging fat.  Plant-based cheese is cholesterol-free and has considerably less saturated fat.
  • The hemp seeds in this recipe provide plant-based protein and are exceptionally rich in two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
  • Veggie-based cheese offers fiber, unlike dairy cheeses.
  • It’s typically easier for in people with food allergies and more obviously, those with dairy intolerance symptoms.
  • Plant-based cheese also contains NO health-attacking HORMONES.

The famous China study ran by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, singled out casein as the worst offender. And ironically, Dr. Campbell grew up as a dairy farmer and initially ran this multi-decade, the largest nutritional study to date, intending to prove dairy and meat to be healthy!  A funny thing happened as a result of his studies; they turned him vegan!  Dr. Campbell’s research suggests that casein and other animal-sourced proteins highly correlate with cancer risks throughout the world. Veggie-based cheese contains no dangerous cancer associated animal protein whatsoever. You can read all about this in the bestseller, The China Study.

So am I being so bold as to suggest that plant-based cheese is a healthier choice than regular cheese?  Yes, I am.  100% plant-based cheeses do not contain casein or form HCAs since these can only come from animal sources. Eating vegan/plant-based cheese will mean you are avoiding these unhealthy compounds.

Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce #carrots #nachos #melty #cheesy #sauce

Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce is more than just a healthier cheesy alternative, it’s a tasty choice, too!

The first time I made this I was scared of how it might turn out.  As I researched methods of making veggie-based cheese all I could imagine was it turning out to look and taste something like baby food carrots!  Anxiously I told my family what I was about to attempt, and boy was I ever pleasantly surprised at the results! When I took my first sample bite (a genuine perk of creating new recipes),  WOW was all I could say! It tasted like cheese; real cheese! It wasn’t fakey tasting in the least, and it did not resemble bland baby food, either.  It was cheese! Wowsah!

Ah, what a good day! From that moment forward, I’ve been trying all sort of satisfying plant-based cheese in all of its body edifying, dairy-free, hormone-free goodness.  The cheese had miraculously returned, and I welcomed it with open arms.

I don’t know about you, but right about now, as I write the descriptive portion of this recipe post, I am thinking of the “cheesy” lyrics from an eighties song, Journey’s “Open Arms.”  Can you hear it too, or is it just me?

When you try this cheese sauce, you’ll want to be sure to Pin it for safe keeping.  And be a kind bean and share the recipe for Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce with your friends. Everyone NEEDS to have it to make whenever the next cheese craving strikes.

Additionally, this sauce shines like the star that it is in these oil-free Roasted Potato Pesto Cheese Fries. By the way, the trick to making fries in the oven is to turn the heat up super high.

Happy Eating!

Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce #carrot #cheese #potato #appetizer #dinner

Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce

  • 5
    Prep:
  • 15
    Cook Time:
  • Yield: 8 Servings
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Enjoy some delightfully creamy gooey dippy cheesy goodness without the bad stuff of actual cheese! You’ll be amazed at how a homey combination of veggies and spices create an out of this world and undeniably delicious, Hempy Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce!  This recipe works beautifully in our recipe for  Roasted Potato Pesto Cheese Fries and makes about four generous cups divided into eight – 1/2 cup servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of potatoes, washed and diced
  • 1 cup of carrots, washed and diced  
  • 1/2 cup of water reserved from boiled veggies, more if needed
  • 1/3 cup of  hulled hemp seeds
  • 1 tsp of sea salt, or to taste
  • 4 to 6 tsp of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp of miso paste
  • 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast flakes  
  • 1/4 cup of yellow or white onion, according to preference - I used about a quarter of a large onion, and it seemed right.
  • two cloves of garlic  
  • an optional dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Boil the washed and chopped potatoes and carrots until soft, being sure to reserve the cooking water.  Since I use a high powered blender and organic vegetables, I do not peel the potatoes or carrots to prepare this sauce.  If you do not have a strong blender, you may wish to peel the veggies to avoid clumps in your sauce.
  2. Blend potatoes and carrots along with the rest of the ingredients until the mixture is exceptionally smooth.Taste and season as desired.  Add a bit more of the reserved cooking water as needed to reach your desired thickness and add in the cayenne if you'd like.  (I did.) 
  3. You can easily keep this cheese sauce in the refrigerator, covered,  for up to a week to enjoy on everything from nachos, tacos, pretzels, toast and of course, as one of the star ingredients of our oil-free Roasted Potato Pesto Cheese Fries.  Stay tuned - that NEW recipe will be posting soon!

Notes

  • If you've looked through a few of my recipes, you may have noticed that I use pint-sized canning jars for many of my salads, sauces, smoothies.  I like to store things in glass rather than plastic, and these sturdy wide-mouth jars are just the right size and seal well.
  • Many thanks to so many different recipe bloggers who share their wisdom in their aspiring cheese posts.  And a special thanks for the inspiration gained from this one, for budget-friendly methods and ingredients.
  • For more delicious oil-free recipe ideas sign up for our newsletter or visit this fabulous site.

Nutrition

% DV

Calories Per Serving: 153
  • Total Fat 3.8 g 6 %
  • Saturated Fat 0.3 g 2 %
  • Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
  • Sodium 337.7 mg 14 %
  • Carbohydrates 24.9 g 8 %
  • Fiber 6 g 24 %
  • Sugar 1.8 g ---
  • Protein 9.7 g 19 %
  • Vitamin A 62 %
  • Vitamin C 18 %
  • Iron 12 %
  • Calcium 3 %

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Comments

  • Kim

    I remember the first time I made a cashew sauce….O. M. G. Nacho cheese sauce soon followed. Life changer. I’ve also subbed hempseed for cashews with great success. Can’t wait to try this recipe.

    1. Renee DeLeon

      Well, that certainly resonates, Kim. Cheesiness is just the best! When we realized the creaminess that can happen by including hemp seeds, we knew we were on our way to a satisfying sauce. On occasion, we’ve thinned this sauce down to drizzle on roasted veggies – we love it on broccoli, especially. Thank you for sharing your experience and yes, spicing it up for nachos is an excellent way to use this whole food plant based oil-free sauce!

  • Marie

    Is there a substitute for nutritional yeast? I am not able to eat nutritional yeast. Thank you for your response. Love your recipes.

    1. Renee DeLeon

      Thank you for loving our recipes – that’s so kind of you to say and so very lovely to hear!

      Since nutritional yeast is a flavor booster to help impart a nutty, savory, cheesy taste, you could soak, rinse, and then blend in something like cashews to this sauce. A squeeze of lemon juice, in addition to a few soaked cashews, might be helpful, too.

      I hope this suggestion helps.