Dairy Free Cheesy Sweet Potato Fries
These dairy free cheesy sweet potato fries will make you smile from ear to ear. They are perfect as football food, for a casual dinner party, or just as a treat because you deserve it!
If I had to pick one food that makes me happy every single time, I think it might be fries. Any type of fries — traditional fries, sweet potato fries, crispy fries, not-so-crispy fries, curly fries, spicy fries, cheese fries… well, you get the picture. I’m a little obsessed with fries.
Years ago when my friends and I would go to the diner after a night of partying, my order would almost always include a big plate of French fries with gravy. To me, there was nothing better. And just because I am a lot more health conscious now, it doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge in fries. These Dairy Free Cheesy Sweet Potato Fries take me right back to that diner.
I have made platters of dairy free fries and nachos more times than I care to admit. I’m a sucker for so many variations of this diner food. Each version has its pros and cons. Okay, maybe that’s not really true — I can’t really think of any cons…
This particular recipe is inspired by Paleo Running Momma. The credit for this delicious cheese sauce with the perfect texture goes there — many thanks Michele!
This cheesy gooey platter of deliciousness is perfect for football Sunday. I mean, just imagine how good this will be next to a bowl of chili or a platter of chicken wings. In my house, we don’t wait for Sunday though. We’ve been having them here with family dinners whenever I get the urge. They are easy to make and are a big crowd pleaser. In fact, the next time I have some people over for dinner, I’m planning to make a triple batch of these and put them out on the coffee table with a bunch of forks and just let everyone chow down while I’m getting dinner together in the kitchen.
The cheese sauce here is made from cashews. Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healthy choice.
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Here are some of the great healing ingredients in these Dairy Free Cheesy Sweet Potato Fries:
Sweet potatoes are good for your digestive system. They can be good for both constipation and diarrhea. These orange gems also help rid your body of excess water, are good for breast health, help people with diabetes and actually can help ease night blindness. In olden times, it was common in China to rub mashed sweet potatoes on poison insect bites to remove the toxins. I haven’t tried this, but if you see me looking a tad orange, this will be why…
Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healthy choice. I use cashews in cream sauces and faux cream soups. I also love cashew yogurt… this is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread…
Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (I love to do this), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.
Lemons are good for your stomach, they help detoxify your body, they balance your pH and they act as an antibacterial. If you have a sore throat or a cough, go for lemons to make things better. Lemons are great for quenching your thirst, and, in China, many years ago, hypertension was treated by drinking tea made from lemon peels.
Dairy Free Cheesy Sweet Potato Fries | Print |
- 1 cup raw cashews
- juice of 2 lemons
- 6 Tbs warm water
- 5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2-1/2 Tbs nutritional yeast
- generous amount of sea salt, to taste
- 1 very large sweet potato, cut into fries (no need to peel it; just scrub it well)
- 2 oz thinly sliced pepperoni
- big handful fresh basil leaves
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato fries with 2 Tbs oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread them out on a single layer on the baking sheets, trying not to crowd them.
- Place in the oven and roast for 15 mins. Flip them over with a spatula, and roast for an additional 10 mins or until they are just cooked through. Switch the oven to broil and broil for about 3 mins or just until the top tray starts to color, then switch the trays so the bottom tray is under the broiler and broil about 3 mins, being careful not to burn them.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: In a blender, combine the cashews, lemon juice, water, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until silky smooth.
- Transfer the fries to a platter. Arrange pepperoni and basil among the fries.
- Pour the cheese sauce over (using as much as you like; be prepared to have some leftover sauce for another use).
- Serve with a bunch of forks and enjoy!