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Macaroni-and-Not Cheese
ChickenDinnersMain DishesPasta and GrainsSide Dishes
In one word...Delicious. There are many cheeseless macaroni recipes out there. As usual, I Gig-ized a more tradional recipe to make it simpler by eliminating three or four ingredients that seemed unecessary. This recipe is creamy and so satisfying that a small serving will fill up the biggest of appetites. The secret ingredient is pureed squash but don't tell my step son, Benny, who loved it even though he swears he won't touch squash even if it were the last thing on earth to eat!
Yields 8-10 servings. Add diced chicken to make a yummy, hearty dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 8oz box quinoa elbo macaroni
- 1 15oz can pureed squash
- 2 cups (8oz package) mozzarella-style shreds. I like the Daiya brand
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp plain soy or rice yogurt
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat over to 375 degrees. While the oven heats up, add the squash, soy milk, minced garlic, salt and pepper to a medium pot over medium heat, Heat through and stir until smooth. Turn the heat off. Pour the mozzarella-style shreds into the mixture and stir well. The shreds will not melt entirely and that's okay. Add the yogurt and mix well. Set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook the quinoa macaroni for 5 minutes. It will be very el dente and that's how you want it. The macaroni will finish cooking in the oven. While the macaroni cooks, wipe the inside of a medium casserole dish with a paper towel dipped in oil of your choice. Drain the macaroni into a colandar, shake off the excess water and pour it back into the pot. Why dirty another bowl! Pour in the squash mixture and mix well. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes and until bubbly. Remove from the oven, stir and serve.
Variations
Add carmelized onions to the top of dish and bake as usual.
To stretch this recipe into a heartier meal or dinner, add cooked, diced chicken, mix and bake as usual.