I was inspired to make this Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese after seeing a really delicious picture of one online. The inspired recipe included a good amount of dairy & ingredients I wouldn’t normally have, so that just meant I needed to make my own. I think this version is pretty amazing; Mark loves it too. It’s sweet from the butternut squash, tangy enough to give that familiar cheese taste, and a bit smoky from the smoked paprika. A healthy spin on a familiar comfort food. It’s also easy to make. Roast the butternut squash in the oven, make a box of pasta, make the cheese sauce in a high-speed blender, and mix together well.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash (about a 1/2 medium-larger butternut squash)
- 1/2 yellow onion or 2 tsp onion powder, if using the 1/2 onion leave in a whole half to roast
- 1/2 cup almond milk, homemade or clean ingredient store-bought
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soak in room temp or hot water while the oven preheats & squash bakes
- 1/2 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp mustard powder, although a small amount, it helps give it that cheesy tangy flavor
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika OR in a pinch you can use 1/8 tsp chili powder & 1/8 tsp regular paprika, but I think smoked paprika tastes best in this one
- 1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt, sprinkle a bit more at time of serving if you wish
- ground pepper
- 12 oz box of elbow noodles, I recommend Jovial Elbow Noodles (made from brown rice) or ZenB Elbows (made from yellow peas – the one I use most often)
Method
- Soak 1/4 cup cashews in room temp or hot water until needed in recipe. Drain when ready.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Cut a whole butternut squash in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. You generally only need 1/2 of it to get 1 1/2 cups, but you might as well roast it all. Once the oven is heated, bake the squash faced down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook for around 1 hour until the skin is soft and sinks in a bit (see picture). If using the onion, at minute 30, add the half onion to the baking sheet and allow that to bake as well.
- Once the squash is almost ready, cook a box of pasta. Undercook it so it’s al dente.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups of squash (skin removed), half onion, soaked cashews, almond milk, lemon, and all of the seasonings to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust per taste buds.
- Mix the sauce and cooked noodles until well combined. ENJOY! Optionally: If you had to rinse your specific pasta or it’s not hot enough for you, just place the entire mixture into a medium sized baking dish and put in the already heated oven for 5 minutes. Top with freshly ground pepper.
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Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
It's sweet from the butternut squash, tangy enough to give that familiar cheese taste, and a bit smoky from the smoked paprika. A healthy spin on a familiar comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butternut squash about a 1/2 medium-larger butternut squash
- 1/2 yellow onion or 2 tsp onion powder if using the 1/2 onion leave in a whole half to roast
- 1/2 cup almond milk homemade or clean ingredient store-bought
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soak in room temp water while the oven preheats & squash bakes
- 1/2 large lemon juiced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp mustard powder although a small amount, it helps give it that cheesy tangy flavor
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika OR in a pinch you can use 1/8 tsp chili powder & 1/8 tsp regular paprika but I think smoked paprika tastes best in this one
- 3/4 -1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt to taste
- ground pepper
- 12 oz box of elbow noodles I recommend Jovial Elbow Noodles (made from brown rice) or ZenB Elbows (made from yellow peas – the one I use most often)
Instructions
- Soak 1/4 cup cashews in room temp water until needed in recipe. Drain when ready.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Cut a whole butternut squash in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. You generally only need 1/2 of it to get 1 1/2 cups, but you might as well roast it all. Once the oven is heated, bake the squash faced down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook for around 1 hour until the skin is soft and sinks in a bit (see picture). If using the onion, at minute 30, add the half onion to the baking sheet and allow that to bake as well.
- Once the squash is almost ready, cook a box of pasta. Undercook it so it’s al dente.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups of squash (skin removed), half onion, soaked cashews, almond milk, lemon, and all of the seasonings to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust per taste buds.
- Mix the sauce and cooked noodles until well combined. ENJOY! Optionally: Place the entire mixture into a medium sized baking dish. Place into the already heated oven for 10 minutes to get it a bit warmer and brown the top a tad. Top with freshly ground pepper.
Notes
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