Baked Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Updated May 14, 2020

Baked Butternut Squash Mac N Cheese

My mom made a mean baked mac ‘n’ cheese when I was a kid. Cheesy, ooey-gooey and covered in crispy bread crumbs—it was one of my favorite meals! This butternut squash version blends the sweet and savory flavors of winter squash into a cheesy sauce to make a meal that’ll totally take you back to childhood. I covered mine in bread crumbs, too. Mom would be proud!

Serves6

Ingredients

6 cups (840 g) peeled and cubed butternut squash (1″ [2.5 cm] cubes)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound (454 g) elbow noodles
1 1/2
cup (360 ml) unsweetened almond milk
2/3
cup (80 g) nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (14 g) Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
1/3
cup (50 g) bread crumbs
1/2
teaspoon turmeric
Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the cubed squash onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fork-tender. Keep the oven on.
While the squash roasts, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Pour in the elbow noodles and a pinch of salt and bring back to a boil. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Strain and set aside.
When the squash is ready, pour it into a high-speed blender or food processor along with the almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, turmeric and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture over the cooked noodles and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish, top with the bread crumbs and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and golden. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley!

Tip

Creamier mac more your style? Skip the baking!

Reprinted with permission from Homestyle Vegan by Amber St. Peter, Page Street Publishing Co. 2016.