Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
Andrea Potischman
Jan 18, 2023
Butternut squash mac and cheese is a social media darling that I’ve recently come around to. Truthfully, I grew up loving macaroni and cheese, but I was often confused by it. My mother, who cooked some signature dishes, but not a ton, made mac and cheese from scratch. My mom’s version of this iconic dish was loaded with cheese, three kinds, if I recall correctly, and always made a mess of the Corningware casserole pan she baked it in. I reliably went for the corner piece where the abundance of extra crispy elbow noodles could be found. I loved it the day she made it, yet I loathed it afterward for the endless leftover days that followed. No matter the method, mac and cheese the day after was far less superior.
In contrast to my mom’s mac and cheese, my stepmother made the boxed kind. And by “boxed” let me remind you it was the 80s, there was only one kind out there and almost no one read nutritional labels at the time. I found the florescent-orange “cheese” powder questionable, yet fascinating. There were no crispy corners, but the box-to-table speed was appreciated, especially to my six-year-old self.
Over the years I strayed away from mac and cheese, only to revisit it once I had kids. Truth be told, and much to my surprise, neither of my kiddos were big mac and cheese fans when they were little, homemade or store-bought. And trust me, it was not without me trying. If I had to bet, if you ask them now which kind they would prefer, they would likely say they prefer the boxed kind (meaning the slightly healthier, organic kind). This is mainly because it’s quick, they can make it themselves and perhaps, most importantly, they don’t have that dreaded casserole pan to clean afterward.
Despite dishes dictating their pallets, I will still occasionally make the homemade kind as a treat in the winter and no one complains. I was late to embrace the healthier squash version, but here we are. This is my version of butternut squash mac and cheese which has a subtle, nutty sweetness from the squash to balance the creamy cheese sauce. This recipe is not like my mom’s mac and cheese, nor the boxed stuff, I would say it falls in a wonderful, healthier category of its own, and I’m a fan. I will not tell you it tastes the same as traditional mac and cheese, because it doesn’t, but it’s rich, earthy, and incredibly satisfying in a whole different way, minus a lot of the calories.
Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large garlic cloves, grated
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and 1/-inch dice
- 1 1/2 cups good quality vegetable stock
- 1 pound medium pasta shells
- 2 cups milk
- 10 ounces, (plus more if needed) medium cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- Kosher sea, to taste
Directions:
- Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water for later in case it's needed.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a medium stockpot, add the butter and place over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds without browning. Next, add the butternut squash and stock, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the squash is tender.
- Carefully transfer the squash mixture and liquid to a kitchen blender, such as a Cusinart fitted with a blade attachment. Add the milk and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Return the butternut squash mixture to the pot and place over medium-high heat. Stir in about 8 ounces of the shredded cheese, and cook until completely melted and smooth. Season, to taste, with salt.
- Pour the cooked pasta into the butternut cheese sauce and use a rubber tip spatula to mix. If the sauce is too thick, and you wish to thin it out, add in some of the pasta water and mix to combine. If you would like it thicker, add a little more grated cheese.
- Serve the mac and cheese warm, garnished with the remaining shredded cheese on top.
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