Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese

butternut squash mac ‘n cheese with buttery bacon breadcrumbs

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butternut squash mac and cheese

I’ve been making butternut squash mac and cheese for eons. Back when I taught cooking classes for kids, I used to make it on an almost weekly basis. It was a great way to get the kids sold on it and the parents always loved it, too. It’s still one of my most requested recipes from around the neighborhood.

My friend Anetra from Channel 9 News asked if I’d “come on the show and make something with butternut squash, and also maybe a healthier mac and cheese recipe, too?” I told her I had just the thing and agreed to come on and make it for their viewers. And since tomorrow morning is the show, I thought I should share it with you guys first! {scroll to the end for the video!}

There are two ways you can do this: lots of gooey cheese, whole milk & heavy cream plus the buttery bacon breadcrumbs. Or, for a healthy version, you can skip the bacon breadcrumbs, use whole wheat pasta and use low-fat milk in place of whole milk & cream. Heck, you can even make it as a “regular” mac n’ cheese by omitting the squash altogether. Any way you choose to make it, I promise that it will be delicious!

Here’s the recipe as I typically make it, but do feel free to sub some of the ingredients as you like. It makes for a great main or side dish as well as a great make-ahead weeknight meal, too.

butternut squash recipe

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Buttery Bacon Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

10-12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 T butter, divided (1 stick)
2 cups diced butternut squash
1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
2 cups shredded cheddar, jack or a mexican blend
2 cups shredded swiss or gruyere
1 pound small pasta (I like mini penne but macaroni also works well)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Place panko breadcrumbs and cooked and crumbled bacon into a food processor; blend until it is all roughly the same size. Melt 1/4 cup butter and, with the motor running, drizzle into bread crumb mixture and process until incorporated. Set aside. (Note: this step is optional. The texture of the breadcrumbs is recommended, however, but you could omit just the bacon or the entire mixture altogether if you desire).
Melt 1 T butter in skillet and add chopped onions and butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions and squash is very tender and beginning to brown. Using a meat mallet (or other utensil), mash squash thoroughly. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Set aside until sauce and squash mixture is done (you can drizzle a little olive oil on it to keep it from sticking).
Melt remaining butter in large saucepan; add flour. Stir to form a roux and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until flour smells nutty and is lightly brown. Whisk in milk and cream and bring to a simmer. Add cheese, a cup at a time, and continue stirring until cheese is completely melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Grease a 13x9 baking dish (I have used an 11x7 with no problems). Add cooked pasta and butternut squash/onion mixture to sauce; mix thoroughly. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle bacon breadcrumbs over the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it is hot and bubbling at the edges. Enjoy!

We had a great time yesterday over at Channel 9! My segment was cut at the last minute to a very fast two minutes so there’s not much actual cooking going on – but we adapted and it was a ton of fun anyway!

http://www.wusa9.com/video/1978993880001/45927990001/Thanksgiving-With-A-Twist-from-Wicked-Noodle