Easy Butternut Squash Mac N' Cheese
Mac n’ cheese is one of my all time favorite dishes and as a result, I’ve come up with a couple of recipes for it over the years. One, I only make during the holidays because it has five cheeses and is about a million calories per bite. The other, is a more of a classic mac n’ cheese made with elbow macaroni that’s easy to whip together on a week night. This fall I began to dream up a third version that’s a combination of my other recipes. Because I now have a toddler to cook for, I’m always looking for ways to add a wider variety of healthy ingredients into his diet, so I wanted this recipe to work with butternut squash. The secret ingredient in the dish is definitely the can of condensed tomato soup. It’s an old school trick, but it’s a quick and easy way of adding a lot of extra flavor. I hope you’ll enjoy this sweet and savory dish as much as our family does. It’s become one of our go to comfort dishes and I can testify that my 18 month old gobbles this down!
Easy Butternut Squash Mac N’ Cheese
TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour
SERVES 8
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, cubed into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
1 small onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 lb penne pasta
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups milk
1 can condensed tomato soup
2 cups extra sharp cheddar, grated
2 cups Gruyère, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread crumbs (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tbsp of olive oil, dried thyme and salt, then place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta per package instructions. Drain when finished.
In another large pot heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic and thyme and cook for another minute. Add dry ingredients (flour, paprika and cayenne) and whisk together until they clump.
Gradually whisk in the milk followed by the condensed soup, stirring until all clumps are gone. Add in butternut squash cubes to mixture and bring to a simmer, cook for 5 minutes. Mix in 1 cup each of the cheddar and Gruyère and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer the pasta, sauce mixture and remaining cheese, making sure the top of the dish is fully covered with cheese. Top with bread crumbs and extra pats of butter if you wish.
Place dish on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown on top.
