"What recipes on instagram regularly make you drool??? For me, it’s always luscious vegan Mac n Cheese dishes! They’re creamy, delicious and packed with nutrition thanks to ingredients like butternut squash, cashews and nutritional yeast. But, I also love the traditional variety especially when made with great cheese. I felt the need to create a mash-up and it was a huge hit! This is a wonderful way offer up Mac n cheese to your kids knowing it’s nutritious, and it's just as silky as a full-cheese version thanks to the powerful blades of a Vitamix!"
Butternut Squash and Gruyère Mac & Cheese
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Prep time 45mins
Cook time 2hrs
Serves or Makes: 6-8
Recipe Card
For the Vegetable Puree
ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1/2 heaping cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- garlic, optional
Cheese Sauce
ingredients
- 1 heaping cup grated gruyère
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk, heated
Assembly
ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, cooked al dente
- bread crumbs (optional)
- shredded cheese (optional)
Method
Step 1
Add all ingredients for the vegetable puree to a dutch oven or slow cooker. If using a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the squash is very tender. If using the stove top, bring to a bowl, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until very tender.
Step 2
Let cool slightly, then purée in your Vitamix, but be careful if mixture is still hot! If so, remove plug from lid and cover with a dish towel to allow steam to release and avoiding hot splatters while blending.
Step 3
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by melting butter in a large dutch oven until frothy. Whisk in flour and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk in heated milk, raise heat to medium high and whisk constantly until mixture is creamy and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 5
Remove from heat and whisk in gruyère until melted and creamy.
Step 6
To assemble, preheat oven to 350˚F and add vegetable puree and cheese sauce to a large bowl. Add cooked pasta and stir until combined. Top with breadcrumbs and cheese (if desired) and bake for about 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.