Healthiest Cashew Grilled Cheese

What kid doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich? My kids love a grilled cheese made with daiya or any other store bought non dairy cheese, but I'm trying to get away from buying that stuff anymore. It's expensive and not health promoting. The main ingredient is oil, and often "whey" or "casein" (milk products) are added. So I thought I would give cashew cheese a try, and it worked wonderfully! The nutritional yeast adds a yellow hue and a cheesy flavor. This is a very thick "cheese", and the recipe made enough that I have leftovers for probably 2-3 more sandwiches. I'm also going to try this recipe in place of shredded vegan cheese on pizza. Yum! If you haven't tried Cashew Cheese, you should! It's delicious and way better than store bought non-dairy cheese.

Healthiest Cashew Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours if you have time
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt, optional

Whole wheat bread
Spray oil or non dairy butter spread, optional

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a blender (I used my Vitamix, but I think this would work with a regular blender, just make sure you soak your cashews at least a few hours first). Blend for a few minutes until a very smooth consistency is reached. Because this "cheese" is so thick, it took me a few minutes to make sure their weren't any whole cashews left.

Next, if using non dairy butter spread, spread a little on each slice of bread. Alternatively, just use a tiny bit of oil spray directly on the pan, or don't use any at all.

Spread some cashew cheese on one piece of the bread, and then put the other slice on top. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes on each side. Serve immediately, with or without ketchup.

*Variation: Add tomatoes before cooking for a tomato grilled cheese sandwich.