When I first went vegan, there were a few foods I really struggled to let go of. Cheese-covered nachos were one of them. You see, I grew up with Friday Family Nights where my dad and I would go to Blockbuster to pick out a movie rental (remember those?!) and then go home to chow down on a “treat meal” on the living room floor as a little family-of-three. Those evenings are one of my favorite childhood memories. And let me tell you, homemade nachos made frequent appearances on family nights! I mean, they’re the perfect meal for sharing! But when I recently decided to stay away from cheese, I thought the best part of nachos was gone. Bye nachos. Bye nostalgia.

Now I get that store-bought vegan cheese exists, but to be honest it’s just not my favorite. Enter: This homemade vegan queso.

To get that cheesy flavor this recipe uses nutritional yeast, which not only tastes amazing but is also iron-rich – great if you’re following a vegan diet! Soaked cashews help achieve a creamy texture and the jalapeno peppers and brine give it a little pop! This “cheese” is so good that you don’t even miss the melty cheddar that is normally on nachos. Not sure? Give it a try next Friday and I promise, you’ll be saving this recipe for weekends to come.