Thursday, September 27, 2012

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese



I've been known to attempt to sneak veggies into my kids' meals, hey, I bought Jessica Seinfeld's book, just like we all did. But most of the time if just doesn't work.

This recipe is an example of how I really wanted to make this recipe that I originally found in Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals, 365, and I just call it "mac and cheese" or "orange mac and cheese" and leave out the whole veggie part. Plus, the silly part is that my kids will actually eat butternut squash on it's own, just not "in" something!

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:
Salt
1 lb macaroni
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups stock or broth
1 10-once box frozen cooked butternut squash
1 cup cream or half and half
2 cups grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
black pepper to taste

Steps:
Boil water with salt and cook pasta al-dente (with a bit of bite left). Heat
a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add EVOO and butter. Melt, and add thyme
and grate onion directly into pot with grater or microplane. Cook for 1-2
minutes, then add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk in stock then add
squash. {NOTE: I used 2 cups butternut squash soup in place of the stock and
squash separately. I then had to add about 1/2 cup stock to thin} Stir in
cream and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheese in figure-8 motions.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Drain pasta and combine with sauce, put in a casserole. Add a bit more
cheese on top and breadcrumbs if desired. Broil for a few minutes (or bake
in a really hot oven) to melt cheese. Freezes well, then defrost in fridge
for a day, then re-heat in oven for about 30 minutes.

Here's the step-by-step in photos in case you don't want to read the recipe above:)

Ingredients for Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Sautéing the onions in the butter.


Adding the tyme.



Add the flour to make the roux, which is just the fancy French word for "thick paste that becomes a sauce".



Butternut Squash soup in, then add the shredded cheese.

Making Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with soup from a box!


Pasta cooked al-dente (with a bit of bite to it), and drained.



Mmmmm, adding a touch of cream to the sauce.



Mix, mix, mix it all together.


Saving some of it in individual portions for my kindergartener's lunches. Still loving the Ball Plastic 8-Ounce Freezer Jars all the more when I make something like this.

Leftover mac and cheese for school lunch


I made a double recipe, which was enough for that night and another casserole for the freezer.

Double recipe of Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese


Garnish with parmesan cheese and sage!

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Also try my Pumpkin Mac and Cheese- It's a 2-step, 1-pot kind of meal!



Jessica


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21 comments:

Colleen said...

oh my, this looks good!! love squash as well as mac and cheese. pinning it!

the cape on the corner said...

oh my gosh, you are killing me with this! i would loooove this, butternut squash is my "thing" in the fall!

Linda @ it all started with paint said...

That looks heavenly! Yum! And thanks for the picture tutorial ... I'm a visual learner!

Oh, and I'm pinning this ...

:)

Linda

Karah @ thespacebetweenblog said...

i am a veggie sneaker, too ... and that's just for my husband. cabbage is my secret super food. it crunches like onion or cooks soft so you can't even tell it's there ... but I learned red cabbage is MUCH harder to camo. :)

Krystle @ Color Transformed Family said...

The other day at Whole Foods I saw all the squash out and thought I really need to find some recipes to incorporate all these yummy veggies. This looks perfect and so delish.

Kirby Carespodi said...

I am a squash-o-holic. This is like crack.

acasarella said...

Pinning! (And still loving the Ball jars!!)
--Elena

Unknown said...

This looks soooo good! I love the blend of ingredients, yay fall!

Hugs, Tanya :)

Carrie said...

Sounds good, looks good. I'm pinning it for later!

Melissa @ LoveBugLiving said...

Looks really good. Just pinned it.

thistlewoodfarm said...

Jessica,

This looks so delicious! I love new ways to make macaroni and cheese :)

Have a great day rock star!
karianne

Crafty Mischief said...

Ooh I've got to try this! I can't get my kids to eat squash but I bet they wouldn't even know it with a recipe like this. Thanks so much for sharing!

PaperVine said...

This looks delicious! thqnks for sharing and I love the tutorial too :-)
Lowri

Jenniffier said...

That looks so good. I just pinned you so I can come back :)

Unknown said...

This looks like the perfect dish for fall! I would love for you to come link up to my Get Social Sunday party and show off your awesome blog! http://alivedinhome.blogspot.com/2012/09/get-social-sunday_30.html

Shannah @ Just Us Four said...

Wow, this looks so good! I am starving after seeing those pictures.
Would you consider linking this up at my Pinworthy Projects Party? I hope to see you there!

The Style Sisters said...

I am drooling...this sounds awesome! Come link up to Centerpiece Wednesday and share this!
Karin

Marshall and Emily said...

This looks soooo yummy!

Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick said...

Looks delicious!
Hello, new follower here! I would love to have you link up with my Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/clever-chicks-blog-hop-2-featured-post.html

I hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Kathy
The Chicken Chick

Brandi said...

Looks so delicious! Pinning this for later.

DIYbyDesign said...

That looks so good. I will be pinning this. I would love for you to link this up to my Fall into Fall party that opens tonight at 8pm EST. Hope to see you there.

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