There’s something that just doesn’t sit right about “nutritional yeast.” Vegans have attempted to reclaim the words by giving it a nickname—nooch—but somehow that sounds off-center as well. At VegNews, we call it magic dust (so do three-year-olds, but sometimes kids know what they’re talking about). If you’re new to nooch, don’t be put off by the name. Its powers and uses are infinite—turn boring veggies into cheesy snacks, make a velvety cheese sauce for pasta, and give cheesecake its signature savory note with a can of nooch in hand. Here are 16 ways to use the most wonderful food with the worst sounding name. 

1. Cheese sauce

There are literally thousands of vegan mac and cheese recipes online and in cookbooks, but the one unifying ingredient is nutritional yeast. It adds both color and cheesy flavor to this staple sauce, and while you can mix it up with other ingredients such as cashews, tofu, potatoes, and spices, the nooch is non-negotiable.
Try it in a recipe: Real Deal Vegan Mac and Cheese by Kylie and Ashely Knies

2. Vegan omelets and frittatas

What is a frittata if not an open-faced omelet? No matter what you call it, it needs some nooch. Typically made with tofu or chickpea flour, nutritional yeast adds a more prominent yellow color as well as an umami flavor to this vegan eggy batter. Once cooked to a perfectly fluffy consistency with just the right amount of browned edges, top your omelet with more nooch.
Try it in a recipe: Ultimate Vegan Omelet by The Happy Pear

3. Hollandaise

Egg-based hollandaise sauce can be tricky to master—one has to get the emulsification just right or the sauce will “break” and become an unsalvagable curdled mess. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue with the vegan version. Even an inexperienced home cook can blend up a few ingredients and whisk over a stove until the mixture thickens. Serve it over a tofu-topped English muffin for a scrumptious vegan benny or go basic and dip toast into this silky smooth sauce.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan Hollandaise by The Curious Chickpea

4. Cheesecake

We get that the cheese in cheesecake comes from cream cheese, but to truly impersonate a New York-style slice, you have to add some nooch. Just a sprinkle will provide that much-needed savory tang to balance out the sweet. Bonus: it’s fun to watch people’s expressions after they’ve helped themselves to another slice and you tell them it’s vegan.
Try it in a recipe: Baked Vegan Cheesecake (Nut-Free!) by Okonomi Kitchen

5. Queso dip and nacho cheese

If you can make a decent mac and cheese sauce, you can make queso. The nooch is necessary for that cheesy flavor. You can even use it to make queso blanco—the right amount won’t turn the whole dip orange.
Try it in a recipe: Na-Cho Average Cheese Dip by Vegan Rhino

6. Quiche

Similar to omelets and frittatas, you need nooch to make a quality quiche. Rule of thumb: if you’re replicating eggs, nooch is necessary. 
Try it in a recipe: Easy Vegan Quiche 2 Ways by Mississippi Vegan

7. Popcorn

For finger-licking-good popcorn at home, sprinkle your popped kernels with a generous helping of nutritional yeast. Pro tip: adding melted vegan butter to popcorn before sprinkling on the nooch will help it adhere better. No recipe needed here, just add nooch to taste. 

8. Broccoli or potato cheddar soup

On the right night, there are few foods more comforting than a silky smooth potato cheddar soup. Yes, melting in vegan cheese shreds definitely provides a cheesy element, but nutritional yeast disperses more evenly and brings all the flavors together. This also works for broccoli soup or any other cheddar-based soup varietal.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan Baked Potato Soup by Vegan Huggs

9. Tofu or chickpea scramble

Remember: vegan egg dishes need nooch. We’ve made our point.
Try it in a recipe: Veggie Tofu Scramble by Michelle Siriani

10. French toast

Let’s break this down. What is a traditional french toast batter made from? Eggs. How do you make vegan eggs? Well, a lot of ways, but nooch is one of them. Don’t fear the savory, even in sweet dishes.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan French Toast by Love and Lemons 

11. Custard

Here we have yet another egg application. The base of a classic custard is made by whisking egg yolks into boiled milk or cream. Vegan versions rely on cornstarch, plant milk, and often tofu to replicate this creamy dessert, but a little nooch is always vital in creating that yolky color and slightly savory balance.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan Custard by Hot for Food

12. Caesar dressing

Nutritional yeast plays two roles in vegan caesar dressing—it stands in for the egg and the umami notes typically created with anchovies. We prefer our salad without blended fish, thank you very much.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan Caesar Dressing by Loving It Vegan

13. Alfredo sauce

Just a pinch is all you need for a luxurious vegan alfredo. The nooch won’t mess up the color, but it will impart a depth of flavor in this decadent sauce. In lieu of pasta, try gently simmering collard greens or chard in this sauce for a decadent vegetable side dish.
Try it in a recipe: Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce by Chocolate Covered Katie

14. Tableside parmesan

It is uncanny how just a few ingredients can mimic the contents of that green shaker of parmesan cheese. Simply blitz up seeds or cashews with nooch, salt, and garlic powder, and you’ve got the perfect pizza and pasta topper. But don’t stop there. We keep a mason jar of this on hand and sprinkle it on everything from roasted veggies to crunchy-topped casseroles and vegetable gratins.
Try it in a recipe: Vegan Parmesan Cheese by Minimalist Baker 

15. Kale chips

Without nutritional yeast, kale chips are just dried kale. A generous coating of nooch provides both flavor and wonderfully craggy bits of cheesy texture to an otherwise bland vegetable chip.
Try it in a recipe: Cheesy Kale Chips (Raw and Vegan) by Andrea Taylor

16. Straight up sprinkled on everything

No recipe required for this one. While we draw the line at spooning it straight from the container, we liberally sprinkle nutritional yeast on just about everything. Some may argue it’s better than salt. A few of our favorite foods that always receive a dusting of nooch include steamed kale, salad, pizza, pasta, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, tomato soup, and chili. That’s a very abbreviated list, but we’ll spare you the encyclopedia. Go forth, and nooch it up!   

Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.