Dairy-free Mac and Cheese

I know, it sounds crazy but when you have a little one who can't eat dairy or soy, you have to get creative. I came up with this recipe after having a butternut squash pasta with goat cheese a few weeks ago. It sounds weird but it's delicious. I wondered how it would taste if I used Daiya, a dairy-free cheese in place of the goat cheese and it was better than I expected. If you have the time, roast the veggies.  For those of you who can eat dairy, regular mozzarella or goat cheese would work well. This recipe takes 15 minutes tops to make if you use a frozen puree. It's also a great way to sneak in veggies with the kiddos.

1/2 box of elbow macaroni
1 box of frozen butternut squash puree OR 1 box of cubed squash
1/2-1 cup of Daiya dairy-free cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

If roasting the veggies, preheat the oven to 400. Thaw the squash in the microwave for 5 min. Put the cubed squash on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30 min. If using a frozen puree, cook in the microwave for 5 min or until cooked through. Then add a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook pasta and drain. In a large bowl, add the pasta, cheese and squash. Mix together and add additional cheese, salt and pepper if desired.

As you can see, this was a hit with my little girl:)