Close your eyes for a moment and imagine macaroni covered with a silky butternut squash sauce. Now open your eyes, toss a few things in your slow cooker and get cooking! A dinner of Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Macaroni can be yours.

It’s a healthier version of traditional mac and cheese and it makes just enough for two or three servings. Please note that it’s made in a 1 1/2 or 2 quart small slow cooker.

In the morning, you add the butternut squash, tomatoes, water, garlic and spices so that it can cook down all day while you are at work. You will puree this in the evening for the base of your sauce.

Print Recipe 3.7 from 95 votes Slow Cooker Cheezy Butternut Squash Macaroni This is mac ‘n’ cheez that’s all grown up. It’s covered with a rich butternut squash and nutritional yeast sauce that’s as nutritious as it is delicious. It's from my book, Vegan Slow Cooking for Two Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 8 hrs Total Time 8 hrs 15 mins Servings: 2 servings Calories: 447 kcal Author: Kathy Hester Ingredients FOR THE MORNING 1 1/2 cups 210 g cubed butternut squash or other winter squash

1/2 cup 90 g chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups 355 ml water

2 cloves garlic minced

Three 3-inch 7.5 cm sprigs fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 g) dried thyme

One 2-inch 5 cm sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary FOR THE EVENING 1/4 cup 24 g nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 to 1 cup 120 to 235 ml unsweetened nondairy milk

1 1/2 cups 158 g uncooked whole-wheat macaroni (*use gluten-free)

Salt and pepper to taste Instructions ** Please note - this recipes uses a 1½ to 2 quart slow cooker **

In the morning: Add the morning ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Thirty to 45 minutes before serving: Purée the contents of the slow cooker in a blender with the nutritional yeast and ½ cup (120 ml) of the nondairy milk. Add the mixture back into the slow cooker and turn it up to high. Stir in the macaroni, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir well and add more milk if the sauce is getting too thick. Cook for 15 to 25 minutes more or until the pasta is al dente. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make sure to check on the pasta every 10 minutes or so until you get good at gauging how fast it will cook in your slow cooker. It cooks faster in the smaller slow cooker. Notes RECIPE VARIATION

Make this dish even healthier by adding in some chopped greens or fresh broccoli. You can’t have too much of this good thing. Nutrition Calories: 447 kcal | Carbohydrates: 96 g | Protein: 19 g | Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 28 mg | Potassium: 818 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 11230 IU | Vitamin C: 28.5 mg | Calcium: 122 mg | Iron: 5.5 mg

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