Creamy Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

I have to be honest, I am not a fan of Mac and Cheese… I know! What?! But once again, Mac and Cheese is one of the husbands absolute favorite. Anywhere we go out to eat at, if there is Mac and Cheese as a side option, that is what he gets. So I had to find a way we could both enjoy it. That is where this came about. Creamy Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. And its vegan!

I did not start eating vegan dishes until 2020. When changing my way of eating, dairy was one of the first things I wanted to slowly move away from. This was simply a personal choice. I also had a very ignorant way of thinking all vegan dishes would taste like wood! Well, that is not the case. Most of my favorite dishes are now vegan. Best part, my husband loves it too! Vegan can be comforting and delicious, I promise! So why not start with Mac and Cheese!

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is my absolute favorite fall side. It is always perfect for holidays or weeknight dinners too. Personally, fresh butternut squash is the best. Do not buy frozen butternut squash for this recipe as it will not roast as well. For an easier option, you can buy refrigerated cubed squash at your local store.

For this recipe, you only need about 2.5 cups of fresh, cubed butternut squash. If you end up with leftover uncooked squash, you can place in an airtight container and keep up to 4 days. Easily ready for you to make Roasted Squash as a side for another day!

Cashews

Cashews are a great vegan staple food. They can be used for sauces, dressings, and even mayo! Only catch, they must be soaked first. There are three ways to do this. Hot water, overnight soaking, or by boiling. Below are steps for each. It all comes down to your preference.

Hot Water

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Once it reaches a roaring boil, turn off the heat and toss in your cashews. Cover and let soak. The longer they soak in the hot water, the softer they will become. Or as my husband says… squishy. And the softer they are, the smoother and creamier they will become

Overnight

This is obviously the longest method but will keep your cashews raw. Add your cashews to a bowl and fill with enough room temp water to cover the nuts. Allow them to soak overnight. You can also soak during the day while at work so they are ready when you get off work! As someone that also has a day job, that is typically what I do.

Boiled

This is probably the fastest way. It takes 15 minutes tops! Add your cashews to a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the softened cashews. All done!

Number 1 tip, do not over soak. It is best to soak no more than 9-10 hours

Ingredients

Cashew Milk

• 1/2 C Raw Cashews
• 1.5 C Water

Roasted Butternut Squash

• 2.5 C Butternut Squash, cubed
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Mac & Cheese

• 3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/8 tsp Ground Turmeric
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 C Macaroni pasta of choice, I used DeCecco Cavatappi
• 1/4 C pasta water, from cooked macaroni

DIRECTIONS

1. Cashews
   • See tips above on how to soak your cashews.
   • For this recipe, I heated up my water and soaked them for a few hours due to time. The longer you allow to soak, the creamier!
2. Butternut Squash
   • Preheat oven to 400 degrees & prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper
   • In a medium bowl, toss your butternut squash with your olive oil, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, salt & pepper
   • Place you squash on prepared sheet and add your two garlic cloves
   • Bake for 30 minutes, tossing half way
3. Mac & Cheese
   • In a high speed blender, blend your cashews, including 1.5 cups water from soaking, until smooth and creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
   • Add Roasted Butternut Squash, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, ground turmeric, cayenne, dijon, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. Blend until creamy.
   • Cook pasta al dente and reserve 1/4 C of pasta water.
   • In a dutch oven, or pot of choice, pour in your butternut “cheese” sauce over medium heat, stir for about 2 minutes to allow sauce to warm up and thicken.
   • Add in your pasta and water. Mix all together.
   • Serve immediately

Reheat instructions

To heat any leftovers, just warm over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of water at a time, stir, until creamy!