Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Featuring a cheesy butternut squash sauce and a buttered Parmesan cheese topping, it’s hard to go wrong with this decadent dish. Not to mention, it’s a great way to sneak in extra veggies and makes the perfect side for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
For the mac & cheese
- 2 cups butternut squash puree see notes below for how to make homemade butternut squash purée
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 8oz block sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. short-cut pasta of choice regular pasta or whole wheat both work great!
For the breadcrumb topping
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese + extra for sprinkling on top. Optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook your pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Drizzle the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat and add the butter (for the mac and cheese). Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously. Add squash puree, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and continue whisking until thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and stir in the ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Whisk until completely melted. Add half of the shredded cheddar, whisk until completely melted, then repeat with the remaining cheddar.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture. Stir until all the noodles are completely coated.
- Transfer to a 9×13 glass baking dish, and set aside while you make the breadcrumb topping.
- In a small bowl, combine the panko, shredded Parmesan, and melted butter. Mix until the panko is evenly coated. Sprinkle the mixture over the mac and cheese, doing you best to it as evenly speard over the pan as possible. If you’d like, you can sprinkle additional shredded Parmesan on top too!
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. At this I like to switch my oven to broil and broil my mac and cheese until the cheese is bubbly and golden on top. But you can easily skip this step.
- Remove from the oven and let cool briefly before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Any leftover butternut squash mac and cheese can be tightly covered with plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Homemade mac and cheese can easily be reheated in the oven or on the stovetop.
Like most homemade mac and cheese, you can easily swap out the cheese called for in this recipe for any of your faovrite cheeses! White cheddar cheese, Colby, Montery jack, and mozzarella would all be delicious! Again, though, I would highly recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding your own cheese; pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t seem to get as melty and gooey.
Feel free to add any addtinal spices or herbs to the butternut squash cheese sauce! Fresh sage, Dijon mustard, thyme, paprika, red pepper flakes, or even nutmeg would all be delicious. For extra flavor, you can also cook your pasta in chicken stock or vegetable broth.
Not sure if you can find canned butternut squash puree at the store? No worries—you can easily make it at home!
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Cut your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, place cut-side down on the baking sheet, and roast for 40–60 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Allow to cool slightly, then peel off the skin and discard it.
- Purée the flesh using a food processor, immersion blender, or even a potato masher in a pinch.
Nutrition
Calories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 13gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 357mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3394IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 222mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!