Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

What You'll Love

• Quick and easy. This is a simple enough recipe, featuring butternut squash roasted, pureed, and folded into a cheese sauce that's then swirled with your choice of pasta and baked a little while longer. To save time, make the sauce and pasta while the squash roasts.
• Makes a ton! You'll get an enormous amount of mac here - a family of four could get about two dinners out of this recipe, which is super helpful when meal planning.
• Easy to make gluten-free. I've included instructions for making this dish gluten-free or not (spoiler: you'll just need to change out the type of pasta and flour depending on your needs. That's it!).
• Kid-friendly. This macaroni and cheese has a slight sweetness from the squash, and if your kids are anything like mine, they will LOVE that aspect and gobble it up. It's a nice way to add a little extra veg without being in their faces about it.

Ingredients Needed

Here's a quick look at what you'll need for this dish. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Butternut squash
• Pasta - Use elbows or your favorite "nooks and crannies" pasta. For gluten-free, I love Jovial brand brown rice pasta, which works really well in baked pasta recipes.
• Butter - Use unsalted butter or non-dairy butter.
• Flour - If you don't need to keep gluten-free, use all-purpose flour. If you are making this recipe gluten-free, use sweet white rice flour, a starchy, glutinous gluten-free flour.
• Milk - I used a blend of whole milk and 2% milk. For more richness, you can use half-and-half, cream, or all whole milk.
• Cheddar cheese - I love really sharp cheddar cheese here, but you can use any variety you prefer. I shred my own cheese rather than buying pre-shredded cheese, which can include anti-caking agents.
• Mozzarella cheese - If needed, swap another cheese or use all cheddar if needed.
• Parmesan - A bit of shredded or grated parmesan sprinkled over the top adds a nice finishing touch.
• Salt and pepper

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Don't overcook the pasta. Follow the instructions on your box of pasta, then cook for about 1-2 minutes less time so that the pasta is al dente (slightly firm). It will soften in the oven as it bakes and soaks up the sauce.
• Rest after baking. Allow the baked mac and cheese to rest for about 5-10 minutes after it comes out of the oven so that it is not overly goopy.
• Try different pasta shapes. You can use any kind of pasta shape here, though I prefer tubed or shaped "nooks and crannies" pasta like penne, ziti, or macaroni.
• Add breadcrumbs. For a little crunch, mix 4 tablespoons of melted butter with ¼ cup of gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs, then scatter this mixture over the top of the pan. before baking.
• Different cheese. These are my favorite cheeses to use, but feel free to try others. Gruyere is nice, and Jack cheese will add a mellow smoothness.
• Try sweet potatoes! Swap the pureed butternut squash for about 1-2 cups of pureed sweet potatoes (depending on how much you want to add).
• Or a different squash. All winter squashes are lovely here - try acorn squash, kabocha, or even pumpkin!

Proper Storage

• Fridge - Transfer any cooled leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing leftovers because the pasta can get mushy after defrosting.
• To Reheat - Place the leftover mac and cheese in an oven-safe dish and bake at 350F until warmed through, or place a portion on a microwave-safe plate or in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes until hot.