Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Serves

4-6

Total Time

1 hr 45 min

Difficulty

Medium

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Summary

there's nothing i love more than making a hearty, delicious meal to share with family and friends, and this butternut squash mac and cheese is the ULTIMATE crowd-pleasing comfort food! roasted butternut squash serves as the base to create a smooth, creamy sauce with just a hint of sweetness, combined with all of the cheesy goodness you'd expect from a traditional baked mac and cheese. it’s the perfect cozy, filling dish to warm you up as the weather gets cooler. for this recipe, i like to roast my squash the night before to cut down on prep-time, though you can blend the veggies while they're still hot from the oven (just be careful!).

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 white or yellow onions
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. pasta of choice
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ⅛ tsp. nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. preheat oven to 350°F. peel and chop butternut squash, then roughly chop onions. arrange veggies on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. toss to coat.
  2. peel most of the paper off of the garlic, leaving the head intact with cloves connected. trim the top off the head of garlic (about ¼ inch) to expose the individual garlic cloves, then drizzle with olive oil. wrap garlic in aluminum foil and place on the sheet pan. transfer pan to the oven and roast for 1 hour.
  3. add roasted squash, onion, and garlic to a high powered blender. blend until smooth and creamy, then set aside.
  4. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. cook according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
  5. in another large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter then whisk in 2-3 tbsp. flour to make a roux. add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar, and half of the blended veggie mixture. stir in the heavy cream, whisking continuously.
  6. add the remaining blended veggies and season with garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. add in the pasta and mix until well coated with sauce.
  7. in a skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter. add panko breadcrumbs and toast 2-3 minutes.
  8. transfer pasta into a large casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and grated parmesan, then top with toasted panko. bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.