This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese could be too good to share but you’ll definitely want to make this for every get together and holiday party this season. Truly an ultimate Fall dish that’ll be a perfect side on your Thanksgiving table.
I don’t care what anyone says homemade mac and cheese is the only way to go, it’s so much better than anything coming out of a box. It really is easy and quick too. Maybe not 7 minutes quick but it is totally worth it.
Butternut squash is a winter squash, but you can typically start finding it in the store late summer and early fall. It’s sweet, nutty and chock full of vitamins and nutrients. Prepare your butternut squash by peeling with a large vegetable peeler, cutting off the ends and I like to break it up into sections by cutting off the bulb and slicing in half to easily scrape out seeds then slice and cut into inch size pieces to roast.
I roast butternut squash up for an easy and delicious side all Fall long, I puree it for sauces and soups. It’s even really good in chili and hearty comfort stews. Warm up with a big bowl of Spiced Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup or get healthy with this Autumn Salad. No matter how you eat butternut squash, it’s a bandwagon you want to be on.
So creamy, dreamy and savory.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This is the ultimate Thanksgiving meal side dish. It's perfect for a crowd or for a weeknight meal this Fall. You may also pour mac and cheese into a buttered dish, top with more shredded cheese and toasted panko, cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.
Ingredients
- 1 {1 pound} Butternut Squash, peeled/seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to season
- 1 pound Corkscrew Pasta or Elbow Macaroni
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced or grated
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Mustard
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 1 cup 2% Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Gouda, shredded
- 1 cup Aged White Cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumb
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 1 pinch Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the butter in a medium sized pan over medium low heat. Once melted add the panko to the pan and stir constantly. The panko will start toasting up fast so make sure you’re constantly moving the panko around the pan. Turn heat off and season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt and the parsley. Mix together and set aside.
- Step 2 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cut up butternut squash on a large sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Toss together and roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until tender, turning once. While the butternut squash is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain well. Set aside.
- Step 3 Add butternut squash to food processor or blender and puree until smooth. If needed add a little bit of your milk to help it puree smooth.
- Step 4 In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour. Add the minced garlic, ground nutmeg, ground mustard and a pinch of cayenne {more if you like the heat}. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, whisking constantly, or until flour mixture smells nutty.
- Step 5 Add the 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream, whisk until mixture is smooth. Whisk over medium heat until sauce has thickened, turn heat to low and whisk in butternut squash puree and the shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add the cooked macaroni to the pan and stir until the macaroni noodles are well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with toasted panko on top.
First things first.
Toast up the panko so you can get that out of the way and set it aside. I like to double the recipe so I can store the rest in a resealable plastic bag and use for various recipes. It makes for amazing baked chicken nuggets or sprinkled on pasta. This is also a similar recipe for the popular Baked Panko Chicken.
Peeling a butternut squash doesn’t have to be perfect but this is definitely a job for my OXO Good Grips Y Peeler.
Because butternut squash is a lot like pumpkin, their seeds are totally edible and roastable. Clean, dry and roast with some olive oil, salt and pepper and enjoy!
See, doesn’t have to be perfect. The result will always be the same. Roasty goodness. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast in a 400 degree F preheated oven for 25 minutes or until fork tender.
Blend until super velvety smooth and I do mean super smooth. No chunks please. If you have a “liquefy” setting on your blender, use it.
And you shall be rewarded with a gorgeously smooth, cheesy, perfect food porn worthy sauce.
Yes, food porn worthy.
Shield your children’s eyes, it’s about to x rated up in here.
Ah yeah, pour that pasta to coat with the cheesy goodness.
I love this corkscrew pasta, it’s so cute and really does work perfect for mac and cheese.
Also know as Cellentani or Cavatappi.
I rarely say this, but ‘I can’t even’.
So cheesy, I could cry.
Follow the recipe above and you’ll want to cry too.
Yep, I really can’t even. See ya later, I need a big bowl of this and a glass of wine. Cheers!
Savor and Enjoy!
I LOVE butternut squash mac n cheese and yours looks fabulous! Super creamy and totally dreamy! And you are right, nothing can compare to homemade mac! Cheers and thanks for sharing the YUM!
Thanks Cheyanne! It’s all about the homemade mac and cheese, right?! ;) Cheers!