The gorgeous Monique from Ambitious Kitchen is sharing a seriously drool-worthy recipe today on the blog!
Mac and cheese, yes please!
Monique and I met on a blogger retreat (noticing a theme?!) and we immediately connected and have been friends since. She was recently in NYC visiting and we met up for lunch before she jetted back of to Chicago – she was all glowy from wedding planning!
She is my go-to resource for healthy baking (seriously, some of her vegan cookies got me through my late third trimester sugar cravings!) and today, she’s revamping a pasta classic into something healthy!
Monique Volz is the founder of Ambitious Kitchen, a healthy living and food blog devoted to inspiring others to lead healthy, active lifestyles. Monique’s passion is enabling others to nourish their bodies better, while inspiring them in the kitchen and beyond. Ambitious Kitchen provides nourishing meals, better for you treats and protein packed snacks. She currently resides in Chicago, IL with her fiance.
From Monique:
Hey guys! Monique here, blogger behind Ambitious Kitchen, a food and wellness blog devoted to wholesome meals, better for you treats, and living an ambitious life. I’m also the co-founder of Healthy Glow Co., a community and resourceful website that encourages women to live healthier vibrant lives through nourishing meal plans & fitness.
Currently I live in Chicago and am getting married this Fall in the windy city. A little background on me: I started Ambitious Kitchen in 2011 while I was doing PR, marketing and social media for both small and large-scale food brands. After three years I left my full-time job to work on Ambitious Kitchen full time, and have never looked back. It has been an incredible journey thus far, and I’ve been lucky to meet some pretty inspiring women like Ali along the way!
As you guys know Ali is prepping for her bundle of joy (so exciting!) and asked me to do a Inspiralized recipe takeover on her blog. Of course, we LOVE Inspiralized recipes over here at AK, so I’m incredibly excited to share this one with all of you.
In this deliciously creamy version of ‘mac and cheese’ I cut out the noodles and used one of my favorite fall veggies: Butternut Squash. We’re jumping into cooler weather here in Chicago, so this season is all about cozy comfort foods to keep you satisfied and nourished.
I say, what better way to bring on the fall than with a cozy bowl of homemade mac and cheese? I lightened up your favorite childhood classic with fresh butternut squash noodles, dairy-free milk and extra veggies.
Connect with Monique:
- Her blog, Ambitious Kitchen
Note: Hi, it’s Ali! I’m currently taking time off the blog for a maternity leave. During this time, I will be featuring some of the bloggers who have inspired me – they’ve provided spiralized recipes for all of you to enjoy during my absence. I’m honored to introduce them to you if you don’t know them already – and I hope you enjoy this new series!
If you have any questions regarding this recipe or anything Inspiralized related, you can feel free to leave a comment and Meaghan, our Director of Community & Brand will get back to you! You can also reach her via e-mail – she will escalate anything urgent to me, but as I said, I will be preparing for my little one’s arrival and then, of course, enjoying time with him and my husband. You can follow me on Instagram for personal updates – on @inspiralizedali and @inspiralized. Thank you for your understanding and patience as I begin this exciting new chapter of my life!
Broccoli & Butternut Squash Noodle ‘Mac & Cheese’
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 2 pound butternut squash, spiralized (or you can use sweet potato noodles)
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cashew milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add broccoli florets in a large pot and add 1 inch of water to the bottom then sprinkle with a little salt. Place over high heat and bring water to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and allow broccoli to steam for 8 minutes or until tender and al dente. (You can also use a steamer if you have one!) Remove from heat, drain and transfer to a separate bowl until later.
- Next add ghee (or butter) to the pot and place over medium heat. Once ghee is melted, add in sliced garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in butternut squash noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they are al dente. Reduce heat to medium low and add in cheddar cheese, parmesan, cashew milk and onion powder. Stir every so often for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Stir in broccoli and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. You may want to add in garlic powder or even cayenne (for a spicy version). Recipe serves 2.
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