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Plant Based Mac and Cheese:

I love Mac and cheese there is no denying it. If I see it on the menu either Todd or I will order some, that is a given. So when I had a major craving for some comfort food I went to thinking about Mac and cheese. Because is there anything better than Mac and cheese?

What you will need for the sauce:

  1. Onions
  2. Butternut squash
  3. Avocado oil
  4. Salt and pepper
  5. Cashews
  6. Carrot
  7. Vegetable broth
  8. Sage
  9. Seasonings

How to prepare the sauce:

You want to first saute your onions in a pot with some avocado oil for about 5-7 minutes or until they are nice and caramelized. Then add in your chopped carrot, butternut squash, fresh sage, garlic, and seasoning and cook for a few minutes or until fragrant. Then add in your vegetable broth along with your cashews and bring to a boil. Once your vegetables are fork tender you want to lower the heat and carefully transfer to a blender.

Tips for getting the sauce the perfect consistency:

I strained my vegetables but reserved the liquid and added 1 tbsp at a time until I reached my desired thickness for sauce. If you add too much liquid you can add in some almond flour to thicken up the sauce, but this step is only if your sauce is too thin.

How to prepare the pasta:

You then want to prepare your pasta according to package, drain the pasta, and add your sauce to the cooked pasta. Set this aside and prepare your sage and almond meal crumble.

What you will need for the crumble topping:

  1. Almond meal
  2. Vegan butter or olive oil
  3. Sage
  4. Minced garlic
  5. Salt and pepper to taste

Simply add all these ingredients to a small pan, mix, and stir frequently for a couple minutes.

Assembling the Mac n cheese bowls to bake:

Spray your ramekins with some avocado oil, add some of the mac and cheese to each one, top with crumble, and bake 350 F for 20 minutes. Serve warm with fresh sage on top.

The perfect item to meal prep ahead of time:

These are perfect for meal prepping ahead of time and on the night you are going to enjoy that is when you can bake. If you have any leftovers just store in an airtight container and you can reheat the next day.

Plant Based Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

For sauce:

  • 2 cups chopped butternut squash
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/3 cup soaked cashews I soaked mine overnight
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped sage
  • 1/3 cup diced yellow onions
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 2-3 Tbsp almond flour Only adding if you want to thicken your sauce, any flour should work

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup almond meal Substitute bread crumbs
  • 3-4 Tbsp fresh chopped sage Reserve some for granish
  • 3 Tbsp vegan butter Substitute olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup diced onions

Instructions

Sauce Instructions

  • Add avocado oil to pan and warm
  • Add onions, salt and pepper, and sage, and saute for 5 minutes
  • Add in chopped carrot, chopped butternut squash, garlic, cashews, seasonings, and vegetable broth
  • Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Or cook until butternut squash is fork tender
  • Carefully drain the liquid but reserve liquid in case you need to thin out sauce
  • Using a high powered blender or an immersion blender, blend everything. Add a little bit of the reserved liquid as you blend, until you reach your desired consistency. If the sauce gets too thin add in almond flour or any flour to thicken too.
  • Cook Jovial Foods gluten-free brown rice pasta according to package. Drain and place back in pot.
  • Add 2 cups of the sauce to the pot with the pasta and mix

Topping instructions

  • Add butter to small pan and warm
  • Add onions, sage, salt and pepper, and saute for a few minutes
  • Add in minced garlic, almond meal, and mix for a couple minutes

Baking instructions

  • Divide the mixtiure into 4 greased ramekins, add topping, and bake 350 for 20 minutes.
  • Garnish with more fresh sage