Easy 'Cheesy' Potatoes With Brussels Sprouts

Vegan and gluten-free easy 'cheesy' potatoes with Brussels sprouts! The healthy 'cheese' sauce is made from butternut squash and the Brussels sprouts add a wonderful seasonal touch. This recipe is perfect for a comforting dinner, or a side dish for the holidays that's packed full of flavour and nutritious ingredients.

We all love comfort food this time of year. For me, this means plenty of carbs (although this does not change seasonally lol) and cosy dishes such a soups, casseroles, and more.

I can definitely say that I’m not a fan of cold weather and shorter days, but the one thing that instantly makes me feel better is a big bowl of cosy food. Even better when it’s super quick and easy to prepare - aka, perfect after a long day of studying.

Today we’re making something slightly different: easy ‘cheesy’ potatoes with Brussels sprouts. I came up with this recipe quite randomly, but have since then become very obsessed with it.

This is a delicious and easy dinner idea, that involves potatoes served with a healthy 'cheese' sauce made out of butternut squash. We're also adding simple Brussels sprouts for a seasonal finishing touch, because this time of the year is all about eating huge amounts of them!

Easy cheesy potatoes with a butternut squash ‘cheese’ sauce

I love using butternut squash to create ‘cheesy’ sauces, which is what I served with these easy cheesy potatoes. It doesn’t taste exactly like traditional cheese sauce, but does make a great healthy alternative that tastes delicious with roasted vegetables.

The sauce gets its wonderful 'cheesy' flavour from just a few simple ingredients, most of which are vegetables. For this butternut squash cheese sauce you will also need carrots, onions, plant based milk, red chilli peppers, garlic, mustard, salt, paprika, cumin, turmeric and cornstarch. As I mentioned, it’s not your typical cheese sauce (which would still be possible to veganise using ingredients like cashews and coconut milk), but it works incredibly well.

Reasons to love this this easy cheesy potatoes recipe

It’s...

• Made from whole, minimally processed ingredients.
• Super comforting and cosy: perfect for when the weather gets cold!
• Gluten-free. 
• Oil-free.
• Packed full of incredible natural flavour.
• Great as a weeknight dinner.
• Super easy and great for beginners in the kitchen.
• Made with plenty of vegetables.

I initially made this as a simple dinner or lunch idea. However, it would also work perfectly well as a side dish . With the holiday season upon us and Christmas right around the corner, these easy cheesy potatoes are a great idea that's also a little bit unique.

How to make vegan cheesy potatoes

Start by tossing the potatoes and Brussels sprouts in a little bit of date (or maple) syrup and garlic powder. Then, roast in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C (400F) for around 40 minutes, until the vegetables cooked through and crispy.

Meanwhile, make the 'cheesy' sauce. Boil the butternut squash, carrots and onions until they are soft, which usually takes around 15 minutes.

Once the vegetables for the cheesy sauce are cooked through, drain them but keep the water you cooked them in. Add the vegetables to a food processor or blender together with around a cup of the cooking water, plant based milk, red chilli peppers, garlic, mustard, salt, paprika, cumin, turmeric and cornstarch. Blend until smooth.

When they are ready, transfer the potatoes and Brussels sprouts to a pan over a medium-high heat together with the sauce. Stir for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.

Add green peas and spinach, stirring for 2-3 minutes more. Serve when the spinach wilts.

Tips and modifications

• You can also use pretty much any sweet pumpkin variety instead of the butternut squash.
• If you want a little bit of extra texture, adding chickpeas to this recipe works really well.
• Crumbled tofu also works really well.
• Instead of the cornstarch, you can use gluten-free flour arrowroot powder.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

If you're going to make the roasted vegetables and 'cheesy' butternut squash sauce ahead of time, make sure not to store them together as this will make the vegetables soggy. Instead, keep them in separate airtight containers for 3-4 days and mix in a pan as usual when ready to serve.

Other recipes you might like...

• A butter bean sweet potato stew makes a super cosy and comforting dinner.
• Potatoes also taste great in vegan lentil 'meatballs'!
• Another one of my favourite dishes to make in the fall is pumpkin pasta.
• For something sweet, pumpkin pancakes are a great option.

Let me know in the comments: have you ever made a cheesy sauce out of vegetables? If you give this recipe a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@earthofmariaa) so I can see your creations!