Wow it’s already the last week of January! This Monday’s Thug Kitchen recipe was a creamy one. This is the Creamy Squash Mac and Cheese with Hot Sauce Bread Crumbs.

As you know, this cookbook is vegan, so there was no cheese or milk in the pasta dish. The sauce was made by blending up a variety of ingredients, some of which might not sound like they belong in this type of recipe. Two of them were russet potato and carrot, and those help with the creamy texture and colour, respectively. There was also nutritional yeast which gives some of the “cheesy” flavour you know and love.

I had never made a mac and cheese with this potato-based sauce, but it was surprisingly delicious! The starchy potato (russet variety is necessary) really helps to give the creaminess and helps keep the sauce all together. It also had a really good flavour from all the other ingredients.

Aside from just noodles and sauce, I like that there were green peas and shredded squash mixed in. They add extra colour and nutrition. This was actually quite the veggie-packed bowl of pasta, but they’re pretty hidden in the yummy sauce so I think kids would love this.

The last component of the dish – they were the perfect cherry on top – was the spicy croutons. It was just some cubed bread, crisped up in a pan then coated in hot sauce. Couldn’t be easier to make and they add the perfect amount of crunch and heat. It’s a nice contrast against the super rich and creamy pasta. I think any creamy homemade pasta becomes 10x better with some homemade croutons.

If you’re looking on ways to cut down on dairy, definitely give this squash mac and cheese a try! I really think you’ll be impressed with how creamy it is.