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Overhead shot of large white baking dish fill with Mac and cheese with a crispy topping
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4.34 from 6 votes

Vegan, Nut-free Mac and Cheese Bake

Try this Vegan, Nut-free Mac and Cheese Bake using nutritional yeast and butternut squash to make the cheesiest macaroni sauce and top with golden crispy breadcrumbs. So delicious!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: mains
Cuisine: British
Servings: 6
Calories: 437kcal
Cost: £1.00

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash (£0.97)
  • 500 g macaroni (£0.65)
  • 2 ciabata rolls (£0.89)
  • Few sprigs of fresh thyme (£0.50)
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast (£2.99)

Cupboard Essentials

  • ½ tsp garlic granules
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 300 ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

Instructions

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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 6g