As a great side dish for the holiday table, Butternut Squash gives this Mac and Cheese a Creamier Mouthfeel, Full of Cheesy, Nutty Flavor and a Hint of Fresh Sage for an Herbal Note.
For as long as I can remember, during this time of year when winter squash is in season, I have always wanted to try pumpkin mac and cheese. Never had it, nor have I found it grocery stores or in restaurants so like anything else, I had to make it on my own. Only thing is, this dish was somewhat made by “accident.”
Started grabbing all of the ingredients needed to prep but wanted to keep the purée in the fridge for as long as possible. Since I generally buy the 29 oz. cans, many of my recipes call for a much smaller amount therefore, I like to leave the extra in an airtight container in the back of the fridge (where it’s colder) for a longer shelf life.
At the moment of needing the purée, I reached towards the back of the fridge and I mistakenly grabbed the extra butternut purée made for this pie instead of the pumpkin! Immediately, as I was measuring the purée, I thought to myself, “Gosh, this looks awfully light in color.” Forgetting that I had extra butternut, it plopped into the sauce and then, BOOM! That’s when it clicked, I made a mistake. It was too late to pull back now. I was making a Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, instead.
And to be honest, it’s not much different than pumpkin. I later made this same recipe using pumpkin as you can see in this post here just to compare any differences. To some, butternut has more of a nutty and mildly sweeter flavor than pumpkin but with the cheese adding much savory taste, it is hardly detectable.
All-in-all, when wanting to feel the warmth and comfort of Fall, I would surely make this again. Great to use when you have extra purée and is a nice addition to the holiday table. One thing to note, there is no doubt in my mind, this mac n cheese is probably one of the creamiest made to date! And this comes directly from the butternut squash.
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
As a great side dish for the holiday table, Butternut Squash gives this Mac and Cheese a Creamier Mouthfeel, Full of Cheesy, Nutty Flavor and a Hint of Fresh Sage for an Herbal Note.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 grams) uncooked shell or elbow pasta
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) salted butter, divided
- 1 cup (240 grams) heavy cream
- 1 cup (230 grams) milk
- 2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) ground white pepper
- 1 cup (85 grams) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 15 oz (425 grams) butternut squash puree
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (7 grams) snipped fresh sage, divided or 1/2 teaspoon powdered sage
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup (21 grams) parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
- 1/4 cup (28 grams) chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot filled with boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and return to pot; set aside.
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter until butter changes from yellow to golden brown with a slight nutty aroma. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in heavy cream, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Return saucepan to stove over medium heat. Continuously stir and until sauce has thickened and is slightly bubbly. Decrease heat to low.
- Mix in cheddar cheese, squash and 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of sage. Continue to mix until cheese is fully melted. Turn off heat and mix in pasta. Transfer pasta into a 2 qt baking dish.
- In a small microwavable bowl, melt 1 tablespoon (14 grams) in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, stir until fully melted. Mix in bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and walnuts. Evenly sprinkle crumb mixture over the pasta.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese becomes bubbly and the top is golden. Let macaroni and cheese to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining fresh sage. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Cuisine: American
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Get out of town! How amazing does this look??? Such a great way to change up an oldie but a goodie. Love mac n cheese in my house and this is definitely making it to our dinner table!
How delicious and comforting – we love pumpkin recipes and this is our new favourite!
My goodness this looks addictive. Beautiful colour and beautiful photos – you’ve convinced me to try this out, especially because there’s sage involved.
Mmmmh, I love butternut squash, it makes everything creamy and super yummy. I like the idea of adding nuts, they create different textures that make this mac & cheese awesome