Name: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 roasted butternut squash; 1 lb cooked pasta; tbsp unsalted butter; 1 yellow or white onion, diced; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 tbsp fresh sage, minced; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 1/2 c broth (vegetable or chicken); 2 c mozzarella, freshly shredded; salt and pepper to taste

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Butternut squash mac and cheese is a healthier version of macaroni and cheese. It’s creamy, delicious and a recipe the entire family will love!

hand with black fork grabbiing a bite of butternut squash mac and cheese

If you have never tried butternut squash macaroni and cheese, you are simply missing out! This is a guilt free mac and cheese recipe. It’s a comfort dish in a bowl, without all the guilt!

I will tell you, the first time I made this mac and cheese recipe, the entire family devoured it! They never knew it was healthy for them!

Related: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

HOW TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH?

butternut squash sliced open on cutting board

Begin by slicing the squash in half, lengthwise (see in the video below). Then scoop out the seeds. Place face down on a baking sheet. In a preheated 400° oven, roast the squash 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 8-10 minutes so that you can handle the squash. Using a spoon, remove the squash from the skin.

Why is my cheese stringy?

stringy cheese mixed into mac and cheese

There’s a few reason why cheese becomes stringy while making homemade macaroni and cheese. It can be from adding the cheese at a high temperature the protein structure begins to break down making the cheese stringy. I always recommend using freshly grated cheese, however, sometimes it’s not readily available.

The way to fix stringy cheese is by adding a little bit of heavy cream. Add 1/4 cup at a time, off the heat and stir. Continue to add in the heavy cream until you get a smooth texture and the cheese has fully broke down and combined into the macaroni.

Ingredients for Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

ingredients for butternut mac and cheese

roasted butternut squash
pasta
butter
onion
garlic
sage
chili powder
broth
mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Start by bringing a lot pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. You want to ensure you have an al dente noodle and not over cook the noodle, resulting in a mushy macaroni and cheese. To keep the pasta from sticking together, after you’ve drained the water off, drizzle with olive oil and gently toss together.

Place cooked squash in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

melted butter and diced onions sauteeing in dutch oven

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, until softened.

diced onions, garlic and fresh sage cooking in dutch oven

Next, add the garlic and sage. Cook for another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.

butternut squash, chili powder, broth and salt added to dutch oven

Stir in the cooked butternut squash, chili powder, broth and salt. Be sure to scape up any browned btes off the bottom of the pot, as this contains a lot of flavor.

butternut squash after it's been blended smooth in dutch oven

Using a food processor, blender or an immersion blender, blend until smooth.

mozzarella cheese being added to butternut squash mixture

Turn the heat off and add the cheese in thirds, stirring well between each and allowing the cheese to fully melt.

pasta noodles being added to butternut squash mixture

Fold in the pasta to the mixture.

overhead vertical shot of butternut squash mac and cheese in dutch oven

Garnish with sage and serve!

Check out more delicious Pasta Recipes:

Yield: 4