I am pleased to bring you another guest post from Angela Privin at Paleo Kitchen Lab. Last time, she shared a recipe for Autoimmune Paleo Raw "Oreo" Bites. Today, she has a recipe for Butternut Squash "Mac 'n Cheese" that you can make 100% autoimmune paleo OR use it as a recipe to test the reintroduction of the seed-based spice cumin or the nightshade paprika. Omit the spices as appropriate based on your progress with food reintroduction and know that this recipe will still be DELICIOUS if seasoned only with salt. It is typically recommended to reintroduce nightshades last, so I would suggest trying this recipe with cumin only if you are at that stage in your AIP journey. If you already know that cumin is an OK spice for you, you can try adding the paprika with the cumin. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this recipe! I can't wait to make it myself :) Now, here's Angela!
Imagine if you could eat “mac n’cheese” to heal your belly? You can if the sauce is made out of butternut squash and bone broth instead of cream, butter and cheese and the pasta is replaced with broccoli slaw!
Heck you might even like it better. It’s warm and comforting and includes my favorite decadent Paleo ingredient…bacon.
I use beef bone broth to turn butternut squash into a sauce. If you haven’t heard about the healing benefits of bone broth you can read all about it and how to make it here.
It’s also important to set the right expectations with this dish. Because this recipe has no cheese in it, don’t expect it to taste cheesy, but do expect a creamy, nutritious version of this classic American dish. If you do eat dairy, feel free to add cheese to the sauce. And if you’re craving dairy, but can’t have it, sprinkle a teaspoon of nutritional yeast on top for a cheesier flavor.
Butternut Squash "Mac 'n Cheese" (autoimmune paleo option)
A creative, healthy, vegetable-based autoimmune paleo version of "Mac 'n Cheese"!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked butternut squash or raw butternut squash cubes (available pre-sliced at many grocery stores)
- 1 cup homemade beef or chicken bone broth
- 16 oz bag broccoli slaw (or make it yourself by shredding broccoli stalks or buy them precut, or use kelp noodles or spaghetti squash instead)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (for broccoli slaw) + small amount of fat of choice for onions (bacon grase, leard, tallow, or olive oil would all work well)
- 1/2 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon) OR 2 slices regular bacon
- about 1/4 medium red onion (adjust more or less based on your preferences)
- 1 tsp unrefined salt
- optional: 1 tsp cumin
- optional: 1 tsp paprika
Cooking Directions
- Cook butternut squash in bone broth and add in spices {use salt only for full AIP}. You can use other types of squash like delicata or kabocha if you like a sweeter flavor. If squash is raw, then cook till soft and broth evaporates. If squash is cooked, then use less broth and let it cook down till it forms a creamy consistency.
- Toss broccoli slaw in olive oil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes (or until broccoli slaw is soft)
- In a pan, sauté red onion and pancetta (or bacon) in cooking fat of choice (you don’t need much because bacon is naturally fatty).
- Add bacon/onion mixture to the butternut squash sauce and mix in.
- Pour hot butternut squash sauce over broccoli slaw (top with nutritional yeast, butter, or real cheese if you tolerate it).
- Enjoy the healthy decadence!
Angela Privin conducts grain-free experiments in her kitchen and shares the results on her blog Paleo Kitchen Lab. Close to a decade ago, Angela used the Paleo diet to heal a severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She’s been symptom free ever since. Angela is thankful that IBS forced her to learn to cook, because it’s been an extremely useful and rewarding skill. Angela enjoys studying chi gong, starting fermentation projects and playing with small dogs.
You can also find Angela on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.
