Vegan, Nut-free Mac and Cheese Bake

I included the nutritional yeast price as this isn’t a cupboard staple for a lot of people but highly recommend buying it as you can throw it into most dishes that you want a cheesy hit with. (Aldi now sell it so no need to go to a #healthstore)

Preheat oven to 180°C

• Start by pealing, deseeding and chopping the butternut squash into equal sized cubes. Add to a large saucepan and bring to a boil for 8 minutes.
• Alongside the butternut squash, cook your macaroni to two minutes shy of al dente (around 8 minutes).
• Meanwhile, using your hands tear apart the ciabatta roll into bite sized pieces.
• Remove the thyme from its stem and finely chop.
• Over a medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and add the torn ciabatta and thyme. Season with salt and fry until crispy but not brown (they’ll brown up in the oven.
• After draining the pasta, use a hand blender to combine the squash with the stock, garlic & onion powder and nutritional yeast. Season generously with salt.
• Stir the mac with the cheese sauce and pour into a baking tray. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and pop in the oven for 10 minutes and you’re good to go. Bon appetite baby.