Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

It's finally fall in Iowa. I mean, the trees have been changing colors for a while now. And the big walnut tree that towers over our house has been dropping walnuts onto our driveway like crazy.  But, it has still been 75-80 degrees outside. That's not fall weather.

Today, though, there was frost on the car windows this morning. And it's cool. One of those days where you don't quite need a coat, but a warm vest is definitely a plus!

That means, it's the perfect time to start cooking with butternut squash again. It's one of my favorites. I've made butternut squash risotto, and butternut squash soup, but I'm ready for something new: Butternut squash macaroni and cheese! I have a husband who happens to love cheesy, creamy, goodness (i.e. macaroni and cheese).

But, these cheesy creamy foods are often loaded with saturated fat (from all the heavy cream and cheese), and calories. And, they often lack vegetables and fiber.

Well, this macaroni and cheese is a step in the right (I mean, healthy) direction. By utilizing squash puree as part of the cheese sauce, the amount of cheese can be decreased (cutting fat and calories) and you still end up with a creamy sauce!

For you parents out there, this is also a great way to "sneak" a vegetable into a kid-friendly food. They probably won't even notice. Usually, I'd prefer to be honest with kids about foods they are eating and encourage them to try new foods (i.e. vegetables) as they are. I think this helps kids to be healthy eaters as they grow up. If the only way kids will eat vegetables is if they don't know they are present in their foods, this does not help them get used to eating vegetables.

But, when warm macaroni and cheese is the only thing kids are hungry for, it's nice to know you can feed them a healthier option.

Probably the most annoying part of this recipe is chopping up the butternut squash into cubes. For those of you who have never done it, start by cutting the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Then cut in half again. With a sharp knife, cut the hard outer peel off the squash (annoying part). After that, it's easy to cut into cubes.

I used a vegetable bouillon cube to make vegetable stock. It's more economical to keep my kitchen stocked with a few of these bouillon cubes than to buy the ready-made stocks in quart-sized containers. Eventually, I hope to start making my own vegetable stock. It's not that hard, just takes a bit of time and planning.

The brilliance of this recipe is the 3-cheese blend. Instead of using cheddar cheese or (gasp) Velveeta, it uses harder cheeses like Romano, Parmesean, and Gruyere. The strong flavors of these harder cheeses make a little go a long way. Plus, the squash will make the sauce orange (so kids will still think it's a classic macaroni and cheese).

Once the squash is cooked in milk and broth, it's pureed and mixed with the cheese (and pepper) to make the sauce.

Mix sauce with pasta and bake! Looks pretty tasty, right?

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light (you can find the original here)


3 c cubed (and peeled) butternut squash
1 1/4 c vegetable broth
1 1/2 c nonfat milk
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 c shredded gruyere cheese
1 c shredded pecorino romano cheese
1/4 c finely shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I used Parmesean), divided
1 lb uncooked pasta of your choice (preferably whole wheat)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley, or dried parsley flakes
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender. (About 25 minutes). Remove from heat.

While the squash is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

Place hot squash mixture in a blender. Be careful not to overfill the blender because the hot liquid will expand. I did this in two separate batches. Blend until smooth.

Add pureed squash and grated cheeses (only use 2 TBSP parmigiano-reggiano cheese, reserve the remainder) to mixing bowl and stir until cheese is melted. Add pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and stir to coat evenly.

Coat 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread pasta and cheese sauce evenly into pan.

Heat oil in medium skillet. Add bread crumbs and cook until golden and crispy. Stir in remaining 2 TBSP of parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Sprinkle over top of pasta mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

NOTE: Make sure you cook the pasta very well. I cooked mine to al dente, then when I baked the macaroni and cheese, it absorbed some liquid from the cheese sauce, making it less creamy than I (or my husband) would have liked.