Looking for that classic mac n’ cheese taste and easy to whip up recipe for Work From Home lunch? Got squash that still lasts on the kitchen counter and sausage in the fridge? Try this dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free Mac N’ Cheese and you will not be disappointed!
3 Pillers for a perfect copycat mac n’ cheese
To resemble the classic Mac n’ Cheese sauce, you would want to have the three winning ingredients below:
- TEXTURE from the butternut squash
That starchy creaminess can be achieved using You can sub 1 with any light to orange color starchy/mashed hearty vegetables - COLOR from the turmeric powder
Of course we don’t want to make it a curry macaroni here so I recommend keep it as little as possible, just enough to get to the desired bright “cheddar” color
Reduce or eliminate turmeric if the starchy veggie base is already having a dark orange color - TASTE from the nutritional yeast
This is the magic ingredient that gives dairy-free mac n’ cheese its cheesy umami flavor. You definitely don’t want to miss that!
You would want to make sure your mashed butternut squash to be as little water content as possible. Therefore, the best cooked squash would be roasted. The less desirable cooking method is steamed, and then boiled.
What if you DO have leftover squash or sweet potatoes that have tons of moisture, here are some ways you can do with it:
- Spread it on a pie dish and bake uncovered at low temperature until some moisture evaporates but not browned
- Add cornstarch or arrowroot starch slurry during cooking to thicken the “cheese” sauce
Where can I get the ingredients I need for this mac n’ cheese recipe?
This recipe can be made almost entirely out of pantry staples. If you cannot find them in your local grocery stores, below are some links that you can get them online, anytime anywhere! (Affiliate links)
If you cannot find butternut squash, feel free to substitute with canned pumpkin puree.
Don’t forget the turmeric and nutritional yeast too!
Looking for more mouthwatering stove-top dinner recipes?
Check out my collection of simple stove top recipes here!
- DELICIOUS BRAISED WINGS AND POTATOES WITH VEGGIE RICE
- VERMICELLI WITH LEMONGRASS WINGS
- QUICK AND HEALTHY PAD THAI
- SIMPLE CHICKEN STIR-FRY ONIGIRI – JAPANESE FOOD MADE AT HOME!
- QUICK GREEN LENTIL STEW
- BUDGET CHICKPEA YELLOW RICE AND MILLET
MacN"Cheese" with Chicken Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butternut squash cubed
- 2 tsp Nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 cups Gluten-free pasta I used @Bulkbarnfoods Brown rice pasta here
- 1/2 Chicken sausage sliced and cooked
- Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dried parsley flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add pasta. Wait 2 mins then turn off the heat
- In a skillet, add cubed squash and 1/2 cup of filtered water or broth. Cover to simmer until tender
- Drain water from squash. Mash cooked squash with a potato masher or a fork.
- In a separate pan,
- Add nutritional yeast, turmeric powder and salt to squash
- Drain pasta and mix pasta into squash mixture. Top with chicken sausage slices to serve
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