Tag: mac and cheese

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheeze

We don’t eat as much pasta as we used to, but we love this Mac and “Cheeze” recipe. If you are craving mac and cheese, there are 3 things you can do:

Option # 1: Buy a box from the store. Yes, there are vegan versions, and even gluten-free, and it is convenient but take a look at the ingredients from this brand by Earth Balance:

enriched macaroni project (Durum wheat semolina, niacin, folic acid, ferrous sulfate (iron), riboflavin (vitamin b12), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vegan sauce seasoning (maltodextrin, dehydrated sunflower oil, salt, corn starch, yeast extract, modified food starch, natural flavors, lactic acid powder (lactic acid, calcium lactate), citric acid, calcium phosphate, paprika extract (color)

There is NO REAL food in that and it has oil and salt! Do you really want to be putting that into your body?

Option # 2: Make your own from a recipe that uses non-dairy cheese or oil to replicate that creamy taste.  Once again that requires using fake foods full of chemicals and oil.  No thank you.

Option # 3: Make your own from a recipe that uses REAL food and NO chemicals, salt, oil, or sugar and still get a creamy delicious flavor.  Yes, this is possible.  In this recipe we will be using cannelini beans to get that creamy texture, nutritional yeast and a roasted red bell pepper to get an amazing flavor, and the butternut squash gives both a creamy texture and an incredible flavor!

macandcheese

This recipe was adapted from 2 others here and here:

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz brown rice or corn pasta (can also use whole wheat)
  • 20 oz butternut squash (you can buy a pre-packaged already cut butternut squash)
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted
  • 1 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup cannelini beans
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch
  • 4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Roast butternut squash cubes and red bell pepper for about 40 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Once the butternut squash and bell pepper has cooked and is cooled, begin cooking the pasta according to the package directions.
  3. Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender combine all ingredients, except pasta and any mix-ins.  Blend until smooth.
  4. Once the pasta is cooked drain it with colander.
  5. Pour the cheeze mixture into the pot and heat.  Once warm, rinse the pasta and add it to cheeze mixture.  Gently stir to evenly coat the pasta.
  6. Gently stir in any mix-ins you want to include in your mac and cheeze.

Enjoy!