This fall, we’ve teamed up with Homemade—the largest livestream cooking community in the world—for “Cooking at Every Stage.” The free, six-part culinary series teaches you to make delicious and nutritious dishes built around supportive ingredients in our her life STAGES formulas. What’s more, top female chefs share their experiences navigating PMS through postmenopause.
You can register now for classes on 11/18, 11/25, and 12/2. But if you can’t attend live, we’ve got you covered.
Below, find the full class episode and complete recipe for Superfood Mac & Cheese featuring maca, a nutrient-dense plant grown in the Andes mountains that’s renowned for both its culinary uses and health benefits.
You’ll find maca in STAGES Perimenopause.
“You’re getting all these new symptoms that you’re like where is this coming from … I’ve been on [Solaray’s Perimenopause] for a few weeks now. I’m not kidding you, life changing.”
– Chef Jasmin Queen
We’re thankful to guest chef Jasmin Queen for sharing her perimenopausal journey and talking openly and proudly about this normal life phase.
Get cooking and own your stage.
Superfood Mac & Cheese
“Mac and cheese is one of those things … you’re like I shouldn’t eat or I can’t eat … But you can really do things to tweak these recipes and optimize them. ‘You can feel good about eating mac and cheese.’”
– Chefs Joel Gamoran & Jasmin Queen
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Mac and Cheese:
- 8 oz whole wheat or chickpea pasta
- 1 cup butternut squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon maca powder (found in STAGES Perimenopause)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded gouda or mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (plain)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (for extra color and benefits)
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
For the Superfood Breadcrumbs:
- ½ cup whole grain breadcrumbs (or almond flour for a gluten-free option)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- ¼ cup chopped pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprikaSalt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Roast the Squash: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the squash into small, ½-inch pieces and transfer to a baking sheet. Toss in the olive oil and salt, then bake for 10-15 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make the Cream Sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Whisk in the maca powder, turmeric, and nutritional yeast. Add the milk slowly, while whisking, until the mixture is smooth. Stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Once the sauce is slightly thickened, remove it from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and salt. Continue to stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Mix the Superfood Breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, pepitas, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Combine and Bake: Add the cooked pasta and the butternut squash pieces to the cheese sauce, stirring until the pasta is well coated. Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle the superfood breadcrumb topping evenly over the top. Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, just until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.
Though Solaray’s her life STAGES Perimenopause is not intended to address every concern mentioned here, it provides powerful support for this life stage. Results may vary; these statements represent this chef’s experience with the product.