I saw this butternut squash mac and cheese on Instagram a few weeks ago and I was absolutely desperate to try it. It is such a good recipe to make in bulk; it’s vegan, so lasts amazingly in the fridge (I made on Sunday and took into work all the way until Friday and everyday tasted fabulous) and has a much better nutritional counter than most mac and cheeses. The excellent colour comes from the butternut squash, I like to use frozen butternut squash as it is much easier than hacking into a whole one, and comes portioned just how I like it.
The butternut squash mac and cheese uses up a whole carton of vegan cream cheese, which I completely justify as the base isn’t a white sauce. Saving some cheese for the top adds a whole other element of deliciousness, making that topping crunchy in the best way. The mac and cheese acts as the perfect vehicle for veggies too. The broccoli and peas adds some much needed greenery to break up the intensive cheesiness and brings some lovely vitamins to the dish too.
The macaroni being cooked in the butternut squash sauce makes all the difference. The macaroni absorbs the delicious flavours from the sauce and the transfer of starch helps to thicken the sauce in the oven. You might find that the mixture looks quite runny when you pour into your dish, however, the macaroni absorbs the moisture and the starch starts to gelatinise and swell, making the perfect sauce.
If you’re batch cooking this dish for the week, I would highly recommend keeping each portion separate in a air tight container in the fridge. The mac and cheese is also great for freezing and easy defrosting in advance too.
Do let me know if you choose to make this dish, I’ve made it 3 times now and cannot get enough!
A delicious veggie packed cheesy as anything vegan mac and cheese
- 500 g Butternut Squash
- 1 Onion
- 750 ml Water
- 1 Vegetable stock cube
- 200 g Vegan cream cheese
- 100 g Vegan cheese
- 300 g Macaroni
- 1 Broccoli head
- 100 g Peas, frozen
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Preheat your oven to 180°C
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In a saucepan add your water, stock cube, onion and butternut squash. Boil until your squash is soft. Remove from the heat.
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Add in your cream cheese and 75g of vegan cheese and stir. Use your hand blender and blend until smooth.
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Add in your macaroni and cook until al dente. Add in your broccoli and peas and cook for 3 minutes.
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Pour into your casserole dish, top with the remainder of cheese and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
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Leave to cool for 5 minutes and divide into 5 portions.