I truly believe there are some dishes that just shouldn’t be messed with. Cheesecake and mac & cheese are at the top of that list.
But I will admit, the fact that there’s three-quarters of butternut squash in this mac & cheese makes eating a quarter of the pan while hovering over the stove with a fork feel less wrong – even at 10AM with a cup of coffee. I speak from experience as this is precisely what happened in my kitchen yesterday morning. I will also admit I completely forgot I was eating a vegetable.
I’ve seen recipes for butternut squash mac all over Pinterest and decided to give this one a try. After thoroughly analyzing the adorable Kelly‘s photos for texture, I decided to add extra squash, broth and Greek yogurt for a touch more creaminess.
Over the years I’ve grown to prefer my mac & cheese without breadcrumbs sprinkled on top – no offense Mom, yours was delicious every time. Instead, I sprinkled a cup of White Cheddar over the entire pan and popped it under the broiler for the last few minutes. Three-cheese anything tastes better than two-cheese – am I right?
The best part about this dish? You completely forget you’re eating a vegetable – which is just how eating mac & cheese should be.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny
Serves ~8
- 4 cups (generous) butternut squash, cubed and peeled
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups low fat milk
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup grated White Cheddar cheese
- 1 box (1 lb) large elbow noodles, cooked al dente
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large pot, combined cubed butternut squash, chicken broth, milk and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until squash is tender.
Remove from heat. Add Greek yogurt, salt, pepper and using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir in Gruyere and Romano cheeses until melted and then fold in pasta. Pour everything into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish lightly greased with olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn oven to Broil (Low setting). Sprinkle cheddar cheese over macaroni and return to oven for an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese has browned and some edges of noodles are crisp.
Have you ever added veggies to your mac & cheese? I might never go back to the regular unhealthy stuff.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I love that you still put cheese in it. :) I made a vegan version once, but then I later made one with a little bit of freshly grated parm added, and the parm version was lots more interesting. Yum!
I couldn’t ever leave the cheese out of mac & cheese. :) Parm is my all-time favorite!
I’m so glad you posted this!! It looks delicious and I will definitely be trying ASAP :)
I could def eat this for lunch breakfast and dinner. So Creamy and I would def love veggies
This looks amazing :) Was it kind of expensive to make?
I love the variety of recipes!!! I just made a really delicious vegan butternut squash mac and “cheese” from Oh She Glows! http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/03/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze/
Mmmm… I love butternut squash in anything! Do you have a recommendation for a cheese to use to sub for Gruyere?
o yum!
mmmm! I totally agree 3 cheeses are better than 2
Mac n cheese is my ultimate comfort food craving. I love that it’s loaded with squash. Then I don’t feel QUITE as guilty :)
Uhhh YUM! I was about to frown when you said you didn’t add a breadcrumb topping, but when I saw what you added instead – a crunchy CHEESY topping – all was forgiven. Because the crunch is what it’s all about, right??
This looks fan-freakin-tastic. I’d totally hover over the stove to eat this at 10am, too.
Yum! That’s a must-try!! :)
Oh my goodness I am drooling!! This sounds so amazingly delicious. I’ve tried broccoli in my mac and cheese and loved it. But squash? Sounds a million times better!
I’m not sure that I can get to the store fast enough to buy the ingredients for this one. UH-MAZING looking :)
Oh yum! Can’t wait to try this. I made mac and cheese with sweet potato once and it was creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love the addition of the white cheddar topping – nice touch!
This is going on my list of things to try. I really didn’t like spaghetti squash but I think this one I might actually like!
I used to fill my bowl half-broccoli and half-mac and cheese to make it healthier but I like this version much better! I adore butternut squash and I’m sure it contributes more to the flavor than plain old broccoli. ;)
Just made this and added a cup of spinach.
Omg, so good!
Just made a smaller version of this with a few minor alterations due to what was available in my fridge…and proceeded to eat 1/4th of it with a fork standing over my stove while I was waiting for my Brussels sprouts to roast! Looks like a 2 course dinner tonight :)
Definitley making this!!! Yum!
I am eating this right now! It turned out very well. I added sage,chopped sun dried tomatoes and broccoli. The cheese on top adds great flavor. I can’t wait to make this for my vegetarian son when he comes home! Thanks!
Wow, that seriously looks awesome. I love mac and cheese, butternut squash, and white cheddar entirely too much. I wish I weren’t a poor college kid with none of these ingredients. :(
I love that! Glad you and your wife enjoyed it :)