Vegan Vegetable Mac & “Cheez” Casserole

Mac and Cheese is my number one comfort food. I was never into homemade mac & cheese until the teenage years but Kraft used to be my jam!

Now I’m an adult (kind of)…and I must eat real food. My real food must contain no dairy UNLESS i want a bellyache. I usually try to save the bellyaches for the fro-yo. Sometimes (all of the time) it’s worth the pain.

OK, where was I going with this? Right, Mac and Cheese – without the cheese – but a “cheesey” sauce – oh, and lots of veggies to trick your boyfriend into eating a full serving!

I took two recipes from here and here and combined them to make this version

Vegan Vegetable Mac & “Cheez” Casserole

Ingredients

Cheez Sauce from Oh she glows

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (yields: 3.5 cups raw)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), or more to thin out
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 7 tbsp Nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy consistency)
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp or a bit more of dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Tumeric powder, optional (gives the orangey colour)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Paprika + more to season

Pasta

• 1 lb whole wheat pasta
• 1 lb zucchini cut in half moon shape
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp evoo
• 1 tbsp garlic
• Whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• Soy Cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400F and add butternut squash, 1 tbsp evoo, a little salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes

• While squash is roasting boil your pasta in one pan and saute your zucchini, red pepper, onion, frozen peas with a tbsp of evoo.

• Drain pasta and let cool

• Start making your “cheez” – Add cashews to your food processor (or blender) and grind until flour like

• Add in roasted butternut squash and the rest of your ingredients for sauce and mix until all is combined

• Add veggies, pasta and desired amount of cheez sauce to a bowl and mix

• Spread in casserole dish

• Sprinkle panko bread crumbs on top

• Add desired amount of cheese on top of panko (I added soy cheese to my half and regular mexican cheese to Adam’s)

(If you are a REALLY nice girlfriend and your boyfriend loves meat you can add a piece of cooked and crumbled turkey bacon and 1/2 cup shredded chicken to his side)

• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until warmed throughout
• EAT

Who wouldn’t eat vegetables covered in creamy cheesy sauce?

No clogged arteries for us 🙂

QUESTIONS: What meal did you love as a child that you have now healthified?

Isn’t it ironic?

This morning I got up wanting to knock out 4 miles outside because the weather has been gorgeous and running outside > running on the treadmill. On mile 1.5 this song came on:

and what do you know? It started pouring rain. Everytime I see people running in the rain I think they are crazy. Today I was one.

Attractive, I know.

To get that image out of your head I’ll share with you yesterday’s outfit.

Whew, much better! I purchased everything on sale for a total of $50 at J. Crew…score.

Yesterday’s breakfast was a warm one. I toasted 2 Van’s Waffles and made my own peanut butter spread to top it off with.

Anyone still own Peanut Flour?? Try this.

1 tsp of Peanut Butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful) 1 TBSP of Peanut Four (Trader Joe’s) and 1 1/2 TBSP of Chocolate Almond Milk.

Mix it to get more peanut butter with all of the taste and none (ok, less) of the calories.

Spread your waffles with your beautiful creation

Top with an abundance of fruit. Enjoy 😉

This surprisingly kept me full for hours. I didn’t eat lunch til 2:30! I have gotten a little more comfortable with my chef’s at work and now I request my own meals instead of ordering off the menu.

Is that bratty? Oh well, I’m a healthy brat. I had them saute up some fresh veggies (no butter) and add it to a tiny bit of whole wheat pasta and some chickpeas with a ladle of marinara sauce. I couldn’t even finish so i still have half saved for today. I wont bother them with my brattiness 😉

For dinner we had something I made 2 weeks ago and stuck in the freezer. Mama Pea’s Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna.

When Adam came home and asked what was for dinner I told him and he said I neeeeed meat I’ll never be full.

One piece and he was “stuffed” and it was “realllly good” Vegan Meals/Alyssa 1 – Adam 0.

Oh before I forget the cake batter protein that I use is Muscle Milk Light. It’s actually on sale right now on this website. I add it to Oatmeal, Shakes and even cookies 🙂

Time to get ready for work. For today’s Thirsty Thursday I highly suggest one of these.

QUESTIONS: What is your favorite type of protein? What are you drinking on this Thirsty Thursday?