Thanksgiving is next week and for a lot of vegans this holiday is a major pain in the ass. Let’s be real, as if the political divide in this country isn’t stressful enough, then we come waltzing in with our veganism and people just lose their shit.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. I mean, sure, Thanksgiving is a holiday propagated on a deceitful narrative. And yes, things would be better if people would just stop paying others to abuse animals for food. But I promise you, we can get through the day and be thankful without having a nervous breakdown.

Part of that is showing your friends and family how you motherfucking slay everything on that Thanksgiving dinner table except turkey. And it’s with that spirit that I’d like to impart on you my secret for crafting vegan mashed potatoes that’ll bring the naysayers in your life to their damn knees.

This recipe is simple, easy, and the secret is this: homemade cashew cream. Trust your gurl. This is the ingredient that will make your mashed potatoes so fluffy and good your deer-hunting cousins will actually weep.

OK, enough with my intro, here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

4 massive potatoes (organic if you can find them, potatoes are on the dirty dozen, lady)

1 cup cashews

1 cup water

2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 package of Miyoko’s vegan butter (it’s the best vegan butter on the market, PERIOD)

Salt and pepper to taste

First, fill a big pot with water and set it to boil. Next, peel the potatoes and cut them in half. Once the water is boiling, dump the potatoes in the pot and let them cook for about 20-30 minutes. The potatoes are done when you can easily stick a fork or a knife all the way through them.

While the potatoes are cooking, make your cashew cream. If you’re using a Vitamix, you don’t need to soak your cashews. However, if not, soak your nuts (LOL) for at least a few hours before blending. Put the cashews and the water into your Vitamix or blender and pulverize on high for a minute or two until your cashew cream is ridiculously smooth and creamy.

Once your potatoes are cooked, take them out of the boiling water using something other than your hands and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Now grab a potato masher and mash the fuck out of them.

Now it’s time to whip that shit. Add about a little bit more than a half a cup of cashew cream, the Miyoko’s vegan butter, and the garlic powder and whip with a whisk or one of those hand mixer things. Go to town. The cashew cream will make the potatoes light, fluffy, and creamy as fuck.

Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want your mashed potatoes even creamier, just add the remainder of the cashew cream and repeat your whipping.