Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheeze

I used to love mac and cheese, but haven't had it since eating a gluten free and vegan diet.  I have seen several recipes online that I have been meaning to try out for a while and I finally tried out this one last night.  I followed the recipe exactly as directed except I doubled the recipe.  Below are the directions to make a family serving of this delicious Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheeze which was adapted from Oh She Glows.

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 20 oz) (I bought a prepackaged, already cut butternut squash)
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 12 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 16 oz brown rice or corn macaroni
• Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a casserole dish with tin foil. Mix chopped squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the cheeze sauce.  In a bowl, whisk together almond milk and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) until clumps are gone.  Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, add Earth balance over low-medium heat. Add almond milk and arrowroot powder mixture to the pot and whisk. 
4. Stir in nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper and whisk over low heat until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Begin to cook your pasta according to package directions.
6. Once the squash is done, allow to cool for a few minutes before adding it into a blender with the cheeze sauce mixture.  Blend until a smooth consistency.  (You may need to do this in batches.)
7. Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed pour the macaroni into a large pot, along with cheeze sauce & mix-ins. (I used peas)

Here's a picture of the prepackaged butternut squash I used:

I'm definitely going to have to make this mac n' cheeze again. It was very easy to make! Maybe next time I'll try mixing in kale or broccoli. 

Update: For Mother's Day I tried this recipe again but this time used fresh butternut squash and broccoli.  It was another delicious version of vegan mac n cheeze! Here's a picture, unfortunately it's not that bright:

This recipe makes about 8 servings.  Based on using prepackaged butternut squash, original Silk PureAlmond Milk, and Wegman's Gluten Free Fusilli, one serving yields approximately 318 calories and 9g protein.  (This does not include any additional mix-ins.)