Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Nothing is quite as satisfying and comforting as a bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese topped with crunchy bread crumbs. This simple, yet rich and delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe is gluten-free and vegan, so everyone can dig in and enjoy a serving of this classic comfort food.

 

Make This Easy Recipe in a Blender

This sauce turns out smooth, creamy, and rich yet is very easy to make. All you need to do to make this mac and cheese sauce is boil cubed butternut squash, then place it and all the sauce ingredients in a blender. 

The ingredients here are simple: butternut squash as the base, cashew milk as the liquid, vegan butter as the fat, and nutritional yeast and seasonings as the primary flavor driver.

Seasonings Are Key

  • White Pepper: We use white pepper because it has a subtler, earthier heat than black pepper and doesn't leave visible black specks that distract from the smooth appearance of the cheese sauce. 
  • Dried mustard: Because we're missing a sharp cheese, we use mustard to get that same sharpness and tanginess. This is necessary for most vegan mac and cheese recipes. Dried mustard rather than condiment mustard makes it easier to control the sauce's moisture.
  • Paprika: Paprika is both sweet and warm and is very common in mac and cheese recipes. It also helps create that classic orange color.

How To Make Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs

All you need is Bread SRSLY's gluten-free and vegan sourdough then toast and blend! This is a super easy way to elevate your mac and cheese dish. Our sourdough brings out the richness of the mac and cheese, creating the perfect balance

You can use the recipe below or check out our gluten-free breadcrumb recipe here!

 

Total Time: About 1 hour | Serves: 4
Gluten-Free | Vegan

This recipe is brought to you by recipe developer and passionate real foodie Jasmine Comer of Lively Meals.

 

NUTRITION 

Per 1/4 serving

Calories: 466 kcal
Fat: 19.8 g
Carbohydrates: 58.5 g
Fiber: 5.4 g
Protein: 7.5 g

 

INGREDIENTS

Bread Crumbs

Mac and Cheese

  • 2 cups cubed and peeled butternut squash 
  • 2 1/2 cups dried gluten-free pasta 
  • 3/4 cup cashew milk
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted  
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast 
  • 1/2 tsp paprika 
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
  • 1/4 tsp dried mustard 
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper 
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • Optional: vegan Parmesan and/or fresh parsley for garnish

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cube sourdough slices, and coat with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Pulse bread pieces in a food processor until you have a fine bread crumb consistency.  
  2. Cut butternut squash into cubes and boil for 15-20 minutes or until squash can be easily pierced with a fork. 
  3. After the squash is done boiling, drain and place all of the mac and cheese ingredients (except pasta) into a blender and blend until smooth. 
  4. Turn oven up to 350 degrees F. Mix together the sauce and pasta and pour into an oven-safe dish and top with bread crumbs. You will most likely have bread crumbs left over, which is okay. They can be stored in the fridge or frozen for future use. Bake mac and cheese for 10-15 minutes, garnish with optional homemade vegan Parmesan and/or fresh parsley, and enjoy!

For more delicious recipes from the developer of this recipe, Jasmine Comer, follow her on Instagram.

 


Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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