Butternut Macaroni and Cheese (With Squash)

Submitted by newmama

"I found a recipe for mac and cheese with butternut squash, then another and combined them and added a few twists of my own. This is a delicious fall meal!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage (you can use a bit more of fresh)
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• nutmeg
• cayenne pepper
• 1 cup cheese, shredded (sharp cheddar, fontina, mozzarella)
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 lb pasta (rotini or elbows)
• 1⁄4 cup breadcrumbs

directions

1. preheat oven to 425.
2. combine squash, olive oil and salt and pepper.
3. roast squash for about 40 minutes until it's tender and getting lightly browned.
4. reduce oven temp to 350.
5. meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet and saute onion, garlic and sage about 5 minutes.
6. stir in flour 2 minutes.
7. add milk and bring to a boil, whisking until thick.
8. stir in cheeses, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
9. add squash, smashing with a whisk until desired consistency.
10. cook pasta al dente, combine with sauce and pour into a greased casserole. Top with bread crumbs and bake 30-40 minutes.

Reviews

[CraftScout]

WOW! My kids loved this. And they found out halfway through that it had a big helping of squash in it. their only complaint was that it didn't really taste cheesy. I used Monterrey Jack and Swiss, so next time I definitely be using a sharp cheddar. I also used half whole wheat pasta and half regular, which worked wonderfully. I wasn't really wowed by the cottage cheese (my standard ricotta replacement), because it was too chunky for me. I think I will leave it out next time, as there is plenty of sauce for this. :) We will be making this again, what a great one dish meal! thank you for sharing.

 

[Tau8053]

I loathe macaroni and cheese, and *I* enjoyed this dish! It turned out a little dry, so I think I cooked down the milk too much - and I'll have to play with that to get the end result a good consistency. This dish was really flavorful, though, slightly sweet with a small kick and a an aftertaste that made you crave more. I love that it has the squash included, making it more nutritious than the traditional dish. We'll be making this again!

 

[Deepfreeze-27]

We are mac 'n cheese lovers but are always looking for something a little different to try. My husband is not a big butternut squash fan, so I made sure to mash it up to disguise it somewhat. While he didn't realize there was butternut squash included, he did comment that it could have been creamier and it was lacking in flavor. Overall it was okay, but don't think we'll make again.