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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Square
4.82 from 11 votes
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Servings: 8
Author: Lisa Lin

Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This butternut squash baked mac and cheese is great with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped broccoli florets on the top, too. Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450g) gluten-free penne pasta (use regular penne if not gluten free)

Cheese Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose blend (or use regular flour if not gluten free)
  • 2 cups (475ml) low-fat milk (I used 2% milk)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree (pumpkin puree also works)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 1/3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
  • olive oil for greasing baking dish

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water.
  • Position an oven rack to the center. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Set aside.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir immediately until a soft paste, or roux, forms. Add milk and begin to stir everything immediately to prevent the roux from clumping up too much.
  • Once the milk boils, reduce heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for about 3 to 4 more minutes, until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
  • Add the oregano, thyme, black pepper and salt and stir. Add the butternut squash puree and mix until everything is incorporated. Mix in 2/3 cup of mozzarella, 2/3 cup of white cheddar. Save the rest of the cheese for topping later. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cooked pasta, until it's well coated with the butternut squash cheese sauce.
  • Pour mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and white cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for about 3 to 4 minutes to brown the cheese on top. Check the mac and cheese after 3 minutes to see if it has been adequately browned.

Video

Notes

In the original method, I made a butternut squash puree by sautéing 2 cups of cubed butternut squash (11 ounces) in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, a few cloves of crushed garlic, a splash of water and salt. The squash will need 10 minutes to cook, covered. If the water evaporates before the squash is ready, add another splash of water. Then, I blended everything in a food processor until smooth. I thought that this method was more time consuming than adding pre-made butternut squash puree into the cheese base, so I rewrote the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17.6g | Saturated Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 644mg | Fiber: 9.4g | Sugar: 10g
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