Here’s an easy recipe for making grilled cheese sandwiches without using store bought vegan cheese.   It includes a few ingredients that you may not keep in your pantry, but will become staple items once you start making cheesy vegan dishes. All these items can be found in mainstream groceries.

• Tapioca starch/flour is both a thickener and creates a stretchiness similar to that found in traditional cheeses when melted. If you substitute another thickener you might have in your pantry, such as corn or potato starch or arrowroot, you won’t get that cheesy stretchiness.
• Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast with a cheesy, nutty flavor.
• Miso paste is fermented soybeans – or rice, barley, chickpea. Just be sure to buy a paste that does not include bonito, which is fish-based. The white miso paste in this recipe will add a little tang, an almost aged flavor, and umami.  I’ll often add lemon juice, vinegar, or vegan lactic acid to quick (i.e. non-cultured) vegan cheeses, and you could add a little to this recipe if you prefer more tang. However I like to keep things simple and find the taste is fine with just the miso.
• Smoked paprika adds, well a smokiness, as well as a little color and gives it a cheddary quality. I love it, but omit if you prefer.

Ingredients – Makes 3-4 sandwiches

For the melty cheese:
½ cup raw cashews
1 cup water, boiled
2.5 tbsp. tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. white miso paste
½ tsp salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne (optional)
Remaining sandwich ingredients:
As needed Sliced bread
As needed vegan butter

Directions
To make the cheese
1. Place the cashews and boiled water in the blender and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Then add in the rest of the cheese ingredients and blend well.
3. Pour in the cheese mixture into a non-stick skillet or pot and heat on medium-high.
Stir constantly and after a couple of minutes it should be starting to thicken. Continue to stir for a couple minutes on medium heat until it looks like a thick cheese.

To make the sandwiches:
1. *Take two slices of bread and butter one side of each slice.
2. Spread cheese mixture on other side of bread. Place one slice buttered side down in a cast iron or non-stick skillet. Place the other slice on top, buttered side up.
3. Cover and heat over medium heat until each side is toasted (about 3-4 minutes per side).

*Traditional grilled cheese sandwiches butter generously. However I prefer to butter very lightly, or not at all. Choose whichever method you prefer.