Seasonal, cozy comfort that's a little healthier than the usual, this butternut squash mac and cheese just feels like the perfect autumn dish.
Hello Fall!
This past week I made something that just felt quintessentially fall in nature. The coziness of homemade macaroni and cheese. The fall flavor of butternut squash. Together, they are delicious.
As I looked at other recipes for butternut squash macaroni and cheese, I kept seeing people talk about how people would never know there was any squash in it. I disagree. Happily. The squash gives a good flavor, and it creates a sauce that doesn't feel so heavy. It's still rich and delicious, but not as heavy. This is definitely a great addition to my fall dinner recipes.
*adapted from preppykitchen.com
1 large butternut squash
1 white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
2 bay leaves
salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
pepper to taste (I used about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 lb. short cut pasta
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup gruyere shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan
3 slices white bread
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon grated parmesan
Peal the butternut squash. Cut in half and clean out the seeds. Dice into cubes.
Add butter to a large pot over medium heat and let melt. Add onion add cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Add butternut squash and stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Add salt and let come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until squash is tender; about 30 minutes.
While the squash is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.
Make bread crumbs while squash is cooking. Crumble bread into crumbs, or cut into small bits. To a frying pan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add crumbs. Stir to coat with butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Continue to cook and stir until bread crumbs start to brown. Add 2 tablespoons of parmesan and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once squash is soft and tender, drain the squash, reserving the liquid. Remove the bay leaves. Add squash mixture to blender, as well as the milk, nutmeg and 3/4 cup of the reserved liquid. Blend until smooth. If sauce seems thick, you can add more of the reserved broth. This is a good time to taste and add salt if needed.
Pour the sauce over the pasta. Stir in the 1 cup gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan, stirring until cheese has melted. If it is too thick, you can add a little milk to thin out sauce. Transfer mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of pasta. Bake for 15 minutes at 350. Serve.
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