Butternut Mac and Cheese with roasted butternut squash. This recipe takes a spin on an iconic American dish.
Fall and comfort food go hand in hand. The first time I made this dish my husband came home and didn't look super excited.
Most of the time he's super easygoing and open to trying new things. But when I told him that we'd have Mac and Cheese for dinner ... he wasn't impressed.
To him, Mac and Cheese is kid food. And while there's nothing wrong with that, it's also not something he'd ever choose to eat.
But he's a good sport and tried it. After the first few bites, he sheepishly grinned at me and said: 'Okay, so this will have to go on our dinner rotation.'
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash
- Elbow Pasta Barilla makes great gluten-free elbow pasta
- Flour If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cheddar Cheese
- Butter
- Milk
- Vegetable Broth
- Spices. Nutmeg, dried mustard, salt, and pepper.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese - Quintessential Comfort
If you've tried or read the Roasted Butternut Squash Salad recipe you already know that butternut squash has some amazing health benefits. As far as nutrition goes I'd call this one 'comfort food'.
In other words, it's not the healthiest dish I've ever shared. But then how much fun would it be if we all ate perfectly each and every day.
What to do leftovers
These days I mostly cook for my husband and myself which means we often end up with leftovers. And I love that you can freeze Mac and Cheese!
Shop the Tools
These are some of my favorite cooking tools I used to make the Mac and Cheese recipe.
How to Freeze Butternut Mac and Cheese
Allow the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese to completely cool down.
While you can certainly use Ziplock bags to portion out and freeze your leftovers I actually prefer freezer-safe glass containers.
More simple Recipes
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Butter
- Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
- Roasted Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Sausage and Lentil Stew
- Roasted Salmon
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Roasting the Butternut Squash
- 32 ounces butternut squash diced
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup vegetable broth
Making the Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free) millet or almond flour will work too
- 4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups milk
- 12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese I used sharp
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoons dry mustard
Instructions
- Cook your gluten free pasta according to the instructions, BUT SUBTRACT 3 minutes from the recommended boiling time. This will prevent the pasta from becoming mushy later. Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Rinse pasta and set aside.
Making Butternut Squash Puree
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Put the diced butternut squash in a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss and make sure the pieces are evenly coated. Next transfer the butternut squash onto a baking sheet and roast 25-30 minutes.
Once you've removed the roasted butternut squash reduce the heat to 350°. - Once the butternut squash is soft, take it out of the oven and transfer it into a food processor. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth to the food processor. Blend until the butternut squash turns into puree. Set aside.
Making the Cheese Sauce
- In a large sauté pan (or Dutch oven) melt your butter over medium-low heat, add the gluten free flour and stir constantly until the butter and flour have created a paste (roux).
- Now slowly pour the milk into the mixture. Stir frequently until the milk has warmed and the mixture has thickened (about 7-10 minutes) Then it's time to add salt, pepper, and dry mustard to the mix. Add ¾ of the shredded Cheddar to the sauce. and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Take the cheese sauce off the stove and add the cooked pasta to the mixture. Now transfer everything into a large rectangular baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Next set your oven to broil and broil for about 5 minutes or until you see a nice brown crust. ~ Time to enjoy.
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