"Giving you a twist to this extra-comforting mac and cheese. Butternut squash is roasted with garlic, pureed and added to a creamy, velvety Gruyere and white cheddar cheese sauce. This rich butternut squash mac and cheese is topped with browned butter sage breadcrumbs and baked until crispy on the top and lusciously smooth underneath."
Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 45mins
Serves or Makes: 6
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1 pound cubed 1 inch butternut squash
- 2 tablepoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons divided unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 minced fresh sage
- 1 pound short-cut pasta
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Method
Step 1
Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast about 25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and tender.
Step 2
Add the roasted squash to food processor and puree until mostly smooth.
Step 3
Make the Breadcrumbs: Melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally. Once the butter has turned golden brown and smells nutty, turn off the heat. Pour butter over the panko and sage in a small dish. Use a fork to toss it all together, and set aside.
Step 4
Make the Mac and Cheese: Preheat oven to 375 F. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add some salt and the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 3-4 minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and stir.
Step 5
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk, stirring well, until the flour is mixed in, and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Simmer, whisking often, smoothing out any lumps, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add two-thirds each of the Gruyère and cheddar. Stir until smooth. Add about 1 cup of the pureed butternut squash and stir to combine well.
Step 6
Pour the cheese sauce into the pasta bowl and toss to combine. Add pasta to a greased 13x9 baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining one-third Gruyère and cheddar and all of the Parmesan. Top evenly with the breadcrumbs.
Step 7
Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes or so. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.