Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash

  roasted or boiled
• 8 oz. pasta

  cooked al dente, and drained, (I used piccolini – miniature penne_
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

  divided use
• 2 tbsp. self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp. green onions

  diced
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

  I used white pepper
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/4 cup kikkoman panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup 6-cheese Italian cheese blend

  shredded, (Parmesan, Fontina, Asiago, Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano)
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese

  shredded
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley

  for garnish, if desired.

Instructions

• 1 Roast butternut squash.
• 2 Remove peel and seeds and cut down in small dice—about 1/3” cubes.
• 3 If boiling instead of roasting: peel butternut squash.
• 4 Cut in large 2-3” chunks and bring to a boil with water.
• 5 Boil until done—about 15-20 minutes.
• 6 Drain.
• 7 Dice in 1/3” cubes like above.
• 8 Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in large stock pot.
• 9 Add pasta and cook until al dente.
• 10 Drain and set aside.
• 11 In a saucepan on top of the stove over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter.
• 12 Add onions and sauté a few minutes.
• 13 Whisk in flour and continue whisking and sautéing about 2 more minutes.
• 14 Add cream slowly—about 1/8 to ¼ cup at a time and continue whisking until all
  the cream is added and no lumps remain.
• 15 Reduce heat to low and add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• 16 Allow mixture to thicken before removing from heat.
• 17 Add Monterey Jack cheese and stir to combine.
• 18 Add drained pasta and stir to combine.
• 19 Add cubed butternut squash and stir very gently to combine so butternut squash
  maintains its shape.
• 20 Spray an 8x12” glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• 21 Pour macaroni mixture into casserole dish.
• 22 Melt remaining 1 tbsp. butter.
• 23 Stir in panko bread crumbs.
• 24 Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of casserole.
• 25 Bake at 375° about 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned on
  top.

Nutrition Info