All the amazing cheesiness of regular mac & cheese, plus the warm, fall flavors of butternut squash. This recipe is so delicious.
I’ve seen a lot of versions of butternut squash mac and cheese.
Usually, they replace the cheese entirely for butternut squash. They call it a “healthier” version of mac & cheese.
This isn’t one of those.
Because I don’t think mac & cheese needs to be replaced or made healthier. I think it’s perfectly delicious as is.
Instead, this recipe adds butternut squash to really elevate the flavor. It gives the mac & cheese a burst of warm, fall flavor. It also adds plenty of nutrients, like vitamin C and fiber.
And it’s just a fun spin on a traditional mac.
I love that this recipe is also totally family friendly too. I don’t believe in sneaking or hiding veggies into your kids’ meal – it can create negative associations.
But, I love finding fun and creative ways to use veggies and tell them about it. And this recipe definitely fits that bill.
My 2 year old loves it. I hope you and yours do too!
Prepare ingredients
You’ll need: butternut squash, vegetable broth, elbow pasta, olive oil, all-purpose flour, cheddar cheese, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper
Cook the squash
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped squash and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until fork tender.
Blend
Using a slotted spoon, place the butternut squash in a large blender (leave the boiling water on the stove as you’ll add the pasta to it soon).
Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Prepare the sauce
Add the olive oil and flour to the pot over medium heat. Stir well to create a roux. Add the blended butternut squash to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer.
Cook pasta
Add elbow pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
Add the broth & cheese
Add the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir constantly, until melted and smooth.
Pour over pasta
Pour the sauce over the pasta in the baking dish.
Stir gently
Stir gently so that the pasta is evenly covered by the sauce (it may look like a lot of sauce for the pasta but it will cook down!)
Prepare the breadcrumbs
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle on top of the pasta.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden.
Garnish
Optional: top with parsley for a pop of color.
Let cool & serve
Scoop with a serving spoon and serve.
Enjoy!
Notes:
- Butternut squash: If you can’t find fresh, frozen will work perfectly fine. Just make sure to cook it until it’s fork tender.
- Vegetable broth: The broths adds moisture to the mac. I use a low sodium version.
- Elbow pasta: The best traditional mac shape! You can use any other small pasta shape though too.
- All-purpose flour: The small amount of flour in this recipe is used to create a roux that helps thicken the sauce.
- Cheddar cheese: While it is more tedious, I highly recommend using a block of cheddar cheese and shredding yourself vs. using pre-shredded cheese. It’ll melt much better. If shredding by hand is too much of a headache, try throwing in a food processor.
- Parmesan cheese: This adds a delicious umami, salty flavor to both the sauce and golden top.
- Breadcrumbs: Plain breadcrumbs are great here. Panko works too and will give a thicker texture.
- Cooking tips: It will seem like you have a lot of sauce for the pasta – this is good! The sauce will cook down while in the oven, leaving just the right amount.
- Storage: Store mac & cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb butternut squash roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth divided
- 12 oz elbow pasta about 5 cups cooked
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped squash and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until fork tender.
- Using a slotted spoon, place the butternut squash in a large blender (leave the boiling water on the stove as you’ll add the pasta to it soon). Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Add elbow pasta to the boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pour the pasta into a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil and flour to the pot over medium heat. Stir well to create a roux. Add the blended butternut squash to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of vegetable broth, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir constantly, until melted and smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta in the baking dish. Stir gently so that the pasta is evenly covered by the sauce (it may look like a lot of sauce for the pasta but it will cook down!)
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle on top of the pasta.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden.
