SIMPLE VEGAN GF MAC AND CHEESE (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low fodmap)

This is the easiest (and nutritious) homemade dairy-free cheese sauce!

What’s in this mac ‘n’ cheese?

The “cheese”:

Butternut Squash

• A great source of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C, butternut squash may help aid digestion and reduce inflammation. Tip: definitely use roasted squash! I tried using canned and thought it was terrible.

Nutritional Yeast

• Besides being a source of fiber, protein and B vitamins (like B12!), nutritional yeast is what gives this sauce the cheesy flavor!

What else? This cheese sauce can actually be completely enjoyed with just the butternut squash, nutritional yeast and plant based milk. The lemon juice, dijon, and seasonings will add more depth and brightness to the flavor.

The “mac”:

• Serve the cheese sauce up with your favorite pasta or spiralized veggies. I eat it with grain free pasta (elbows or penne) from Jovial, zucchini noodles (zoodles!), and I actually really love it with cauliflower gnocchi (Trader Joe’s has a great frozen option).

Ingredients

• 1 cup plant-based milk (I like unsweetened almond milk)

• 1 cup roasted butternut squash

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

• pepper, to taste

To prepare the butternut squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut butternut squash into cubes.

3. In a large bowl toss squash with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper

4. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.

5. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender and not too brown (I love caramelized squash, but your cheese sauce will be a little brown!)

6. Set aside 1 cup for the recipe (or 2 if doubling). Store extra in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Instructions

1. Boil water and cook grain free pasta according to package instructions

2. Add all ingredients to a blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust or season to your liking.

3. In a medium sauce pan heat sauce on low/medium heat and stir continuously.

4. Remove from heat, add cooked pasta, any extra veggies or seasonings, and get your mac n’ cheese on!

Eat + enjoy! ❤︎ Emily

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