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Eat, Savory

Vegan Mac & Cheese

creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

I wanted to recreate a childhood favorite of mine, mac & cheese. The key is the super creamy vegan cheese sauce. Can you guess what it’s made from? This delicious vegan mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Also, it’s easily to make gluten-free. I used quinoa & corn shells, but you could use any gluten-free pasta or regular pasta if you’re not gluten-free.

creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

The secret to the perfect mac & cheese is just the right amount of cheese sauce to pasta ratio.

I’m pretty sure I nailed it by making a big batch of the cheese sauce. That way, I could add in more a little bit at a time until I got the perfect end result. I couldn’t believe how much it tasted like mac & cheese, minus any nasty ingredients, artificial colorings, or preservatives like you find in the boxed kind.

I gravitated towards using baked butternut squash as the base for my cheese sauce for two reasons.

  1. It gave it that classic orange color that we all know and love.
  2. It’s a low-fat alternative that requires no nuts or oil at all.
creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

This winter I’ve naturally been craving warm cooked food, which means I’ve been eating my fair share of nourish bowls, burrito bowls, bread, and sweet potato nachos. Now I’m adding mac & cheese to the list. If this looks familiar, I’ve made a similar butternut squash mac & cheese before, but wanted to update the recipe.

creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

I could eat this every day and never get sick of it.

It’s that good. I ate two big bowls for dinner and had plenty of leftovers. We ate mac & cheese a lot growing up because it’s a great one-pot meal to share with the whole family. Also, it’s probably the most kid-friendly meal on the planet (that and PB&J). 

creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

If you try this recipe, please share with me on Instagram @dayslikelaura. I’d love to know what you think and to see your recreations. 

creamy, vegan mac & cheese // a sunshine mission #vegan #recipe

Vegan Mac & Cheese

One-pot vegan butternut squash mac & cheese that’s perfect for the whole family! A healthier take on the classic comfort food that’s perfectly creamy and gluten-free.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pasta, vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound gluten-free pasta 450 grams

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Celsius.
  • Peel the butternut squash and cut it in half.
  • Scoop out the seeds and cut the squash into small cubes.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Test with a fork to make sure it's cooked through.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  • While squash is cooling, cook pasta according to package instructions.
  • Add squash to a high-speed blender or food processor.
  • Add in nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, and salt and blend.
  • Add in water a little bit of a time until smooth and creamy. I like mine thicker, so I just add water until I get the desired consistency.
  • Strain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Stir in the sauce a little bit at a time until pasta is evenly coated.
  • Transfer to smaller bowls and dig in!

Notes

I used quinoa & corn pasta shells. You can store the leftover ‘cheese’ sauce in the fridge for up to a week. 
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