Hearty Mac & Cheese

This was adapted from an Ellie Krieger recipe. I made a few of my own tweaks. A friend of mine challenged me to find a mac & cheese recipe that wouldn't leave us feeling like we ate our entire body weight in fattening dairy. I know it sounds strange to use squash as the base for the cheese sauce, but it actually worked. The dish doesn't taste like squash. It's nice and creamy with a crispy, browned top. If you're looking for a light alternative to many people's favorite comfort food, give this a try.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  lb pasta, whole wheat (I like Barilla plus)
• 2 (10 ounce) packages  winter squash puree, frozen (I used Cascadian Farms brand)
• 2  cups 1% low-fat milk
• 6  ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2  ounces monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon mustard powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1⁄4 cup  seasoned bread crumbs
• 2  teaspoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 X 13 baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until the squash is fully defrosted. Turn the heat up and cook until almost simmering. Add the ricotta cheese. Use an immersion blender to make sure the squash, milk and cheese is nice and smooth (this isn't necessary, but it helped the consistency).
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, salt, mustard and cayenne. Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the mac & cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes to crisp-up the top.