„I could never go vegan – I'd miss cheese too much!“ That's one of those sentences you hear quite a bit when talking to people who are vegetarian. Or maybe that's just me?

And I get it! I used to think the same, for a long time. It makes sense, too, to feel challenged at the thought of giving up cheese – it's comfort food, and it also activates the same areas in the brain as opioids do. The combination of grain and cheese, like in pizza, toasties, or cheesy pasta pretty much has the same effect on the brain that hard drugs have.

So, yeah. It's emotionally and physically challenging to give up cheese.

But you probably wouldn't be here if you didn't resonate with the idea that this is where you need to go to work.

Besides, over the last years there has been a growing number of alternatives to the dairy stuff. Not only to buy, but to make yourself as well. Cashew nuts, for example, are a great way to make creamy, cheezy sauces.

Of course, cashew nuts aren't necessarily budget-friendly, depending on where in the world you are. So today, I felt to share with you my go-to recipe for a cheeze sauce that tastes great, can be used in multiple ways, is a bit easier on the finances than cashews, and has the added benefit of offering a similar „comfort“ feel.

So let's dive down into density with this potato-based cheeze sauce – great as dip with Nachos, as sauce for mac'n'cheeze, or in creative kitchen adventures, such as my experimental Qui 'n' Cheeze loaf -->

Discover the Qui 'n' Cheeze loaf here

(it even contains the recipe!)

The ingredients for cheeze sauce:

• 500g (yellow) potatoes

• ~ 180ml plant-based milk (I usually use oat, but any un-flavoured, un-sweetened milk is fine)

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast – but let's be real and make it 4!

• 1-2 teaspoons (white wine) vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too!)

• 1 clove of garlic (or more ...)

• salt & pepper (or more ...)

These ingredients make the base, so to speak: a rich, creamy, dense sauce, that tastes nice and is also really filling. But like the dairy stuff, cheeze can come in multiple ways, so there are some variations you can try out as well:

The variables:

• carrot: add one or two carrots, to give your cheeze a more cheddar-like colour

• cauliflower: add one or two handfuls, makes the sauce lighter in colour

• sweet potato: haven't tried that one yet, but why not?

• and possibly a lot more!

However, the important thing to keep in mind when adding variables is to not use too much – my cauliflower-infused cheeze sauce tasted very much like cauliflower! Totally fine for the dish I was making, but when you want to use it as a dip? Might be a bit odd. Less is more in this case … or maybe you simply need to add more nutritional yeast!

The making of the sauce

• wash potatoes and chop into small cubes ~ or peel and chop! Your sauce will be sweeter with peeled potatoes, and more earthy with unpeeled potatoes

• put in a pot, cover with water, add a bit of salt, and cook until soft (around 12 – 15 minutes, depending on how big your potato cubes are)

• mince garlic

• drain potatoes, then throw all ingredients into a food processor/blender and blend, or into the pot and blend using a handblender (just be mindful and maybe don't wear your best clothes, this can get splashy)

• depending on desired consistency, you might need to add more plant-based milk

• salt & pepper to taste

But! Maybe you want to give your cheeze sauce an extra twist? Add chili flakes for heat! Or experiment with miso paste! Or herbs! Fenugreek seeds or dried flowers, I don't know, what exotic, fancy, unusual types of cheese have you come across? I can definitely recommend adding kapers to the sauce, with a little bit of the brine, that gives the sauce a nice umami kick.

Ultimately, keep it as simple or make it as extravagant as you feel to. The most important thing is that you like it, that it tastes good to you, and that you actually want to eat it. (Yeah, sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised at how often that can be forgotten ….)

And on that note: Enjoy! ❤️