Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
A silky, savory and satisfying combination of butternut squash, three cheeses and pasta. This is a wonderful meatless main dish or an impressive side. And here's another new spin on mac and cheese - Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese. Serve with Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits for classic comfort food! And follow dinner with one of these 15 Best Dessert Recipes with Apple and Pumpkin.
Servings: 6
Calories: 461kcal
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cooked, mashed butternut squash about 1 pound of squash before cooking or 3 cups diced squash
- ½ pound mezzi rigatoni or any small shaped pasta such as elbow macaroni or penne
- 1 ¼ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¾ cup smoked gouda cheese shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon tabasco sauce
Instructions
Prep the Squash and Cook the Pasta
- Scroll down to METHODS FOR PREPARING BUTTERNUT SQUASH and select the option that works best for you to cook and mash the squash. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 2-quart baking dish with Pam or grease with shortening.
- Cook pasta on the stovetop using the minimum cooking time listed on the packaging. For mezzi rigatoni (small rigatoni) it’s about 9 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, shred all three of the cheeses. Reserve ¼ cup of each cheese to use as a topping after the first baking stage.½ pound mezzi rigatoni, 1 ¼ cup cheddar cheese, ¾ cup smoked gouda cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Drain the pasta in a colander and leave the pasta there while you make the sauce.
Prepare the Cheese Sauce
- Use the same pan used to cook the pasta, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Stir over medium heat until the butter is foamy, and whisk for about 20 seconds. Add two cups of milk and continue stirring until the milk becomes a thick cream sauce.¼ cup butter, ¼ cup flour, 2 cups milk
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, smoked gouda and parmesan cheeses along with the cooked and mashed butternut squash. Add the nutmeg, tabasco, salt and pepper and stir. Add the pasta and stir again.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon tabasco sauce
Bake
- Place the cheese, squash and pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. Return the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly around the edges.
- Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving. As an option, garnish with a dash of paprika and parsley. Serve and enjoy!
METHODS FOR PREPARING BUTTERNUT SQUASH
- Oven-Roast Butternut Squash: If you're using a whole squash, carefully cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Leave the peel on and place the squash peel side down in a glass baking dish. Pour about ½ cup of water into the dish to help keep the squash moist while it cooks. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 90 minutes. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the squash. Once the squash is soft and tender, remove it from the oven, cover it with foil and let it cool slightly so it will be easier to handle. Scoop the cooked squash out of the peel. Microwave Butternut Squash:Slice the ends off of the butternut squash and pierce the peel about a dozen times with a fork. Cook in the microwave oven on high for 20 minutes. Check to see if the squash is tender. If not, continue cooking and checking it at 10-minute intervals. Once the squash is soft, cover it with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. It may take slightly longer for the squash to be cool enough to handle. Slice the cooked squash in half, remove the seeds, and use a spoon to scoop out the cooked squash. Buy Frozen or Canned Butternut Squash:If frozen, cook the butternut squash according to the package directions or until it's fork-tender and can be mashed easily. Canned butternut squash is perhaps the easiest alternative. Simply open the can and the squash is pureed and ready to use. Buy Butternut Squash Prepped and Cubed: If you've purchased the butternut squash pre-sliced and cubed from the grocery store, place the squash cubes in a shallow pan, cover it with parchment paper or waxed paper, and add a tablespoon of water. Depending on your microwave, it should take about 15 minutes on high power. Check the squash at 15 minutes, it should be very tender and mash easily with a fork.Mash the cooked squash - either oven-roasted or microwaved - with a fork or potato masher to create ⅔ cup of cooked squash.⅔ cup cooked, mashed butternut squash
Notes
The cooking time for this recipe takes into account the time needed to cook pre-cubed butternut squash in the microwave. Oven roasting the squash will add at least 90 minutes to the recipe's time. Follow up Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with a tasty, family-favorite dessert such as Old Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Pie or my Best Blueberry Cake Recipe
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 953mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8277IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 606mg | Iron: 2mg
