Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This is the ultimate fall comfort food, made Stay Golden approved. Creamy butternut squash, protein-packed pasta, shredded chicken and goat cheese come together for a cozy mac and cheese that’s loaded with protein and ingredients that actually nourish your body—while still being rich, satisfying and exactly what you want on a chilly fall night.
Ingredients:
1 whole butternut squash
8 oz chickpea or red lentil pasta
500 g cooked, shredded chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp hemp hearts
About 4 oz soft goat cheese
Bone broth, as needed to thin the sauce
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh sage leaves, for topping
Ghee, for crisping the sage
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pierce the butternut squash several times with a fork and roast on a baking sheet for about 1 hour, or until fork tender. Let cool slightly, cut open, remove the seeds and scoop the flesh into a blender.
While the squash roasts, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Transfer to the blender with the squash.
Add the almond milk, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, hemp hearts, salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Pour the squash sauce into a large pot over low heat. Add bone broth as needed to thin, then stir in the goat cheese until melted and creamy.
Add the shredded chicken and cooked pasta. Stir until everything is warmed through and evenly coated in the sauce.
Heat a little ghee in a small pan and add the fresh sage leaves. Cook until crisp and fragrant. Serve the mac and cheese topped with crispy sage, a drizzle of the browned ghee and freshly cracked black pepper.