This healthier Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is creamy, flavourful and so easy to make. Comfort food at it’s finest, this is the perfect cozy fall week night meal that the whole family will enjoy!
A few months back, I shared this delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese on my IGTV, and it was very popular! I saw that many of you were making the recipe (and your creations looked so good). I wanted to share the recipe and take some proper photos here on the blog, since it turned out to be such a hit.
Family Friendly
Who doesn’t love a good mac and cheese? Sometimes, all you need is comfort food. And this year, it seems that we could use a whole lot of comfort food!
This mac and cheese tastes super cheesy – but with less cheese than a traditional mac and cheese. It’s lighted, but still packed with flavour and veggies. But don’t worry, your kiddos won’t be any the wiser! I’ve served this to family without telling them that the main ingredient is butternut squash, and they would have never guessed.
I also like to use gluten-free brown rice noodles for this recipe. This kind is really delicious, and doesn’t sacrifice any flavour!
How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This is such an easy week night meal! I recommend roasting the squash well in advance of preparing this recipe to make things easier. If you work from home, you can pop it in the oven mid afternoon to roast and save time once you’re ready to prep dinner. Or, roast it the night before and store in the fridge overnight.
Once the squash is roasted and cool, scoop out 2 cups of the flesh and add to a food processor. Add the roasted garlic (peeled), chicken broth, and cream (or coconut milk for a dairy free option). Blend until it reaches a smooth consistency.
While the squash is roasting, prepare the macaroni pasta as per the directions on label. I like to used gluten-free brown rice macaroni! Once cooked, set aside and drizzle with some olive oil so it doesn’t stick together.
In a medium pot on medium heat, melt the butter and blended butternut squash mixture. Add in the nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. If the consistency is a little thick, you can also add some water or chicken broth to water it down a little. Let it simmer and let the ingredients melt together.
Pour the mac & cheese sauce over the elbow pasta and mix thoroughly! You can serve as-is, or put the mac & cheese in a pyrex dish and top with nutritional yeast and parmesan to bake for extra flavour!
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Equipment
- Food processor
- Medium pot
- Pyrex baking dish
Ingredients
- 450 g Elbow pasta
- ½ Of a butternut squash roasted (about 2 cups)
- 3-4 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Chicken broth or veggie broth
- 1 cup Cream or full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon Grass fed organic butter
- ¾ cup Nutritional yeast
- ½ cup Grated parmesan
- ½ Sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Water
- 1 Avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Cut the butternut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with avocado oil or olive oil to coat the surface of the cut side.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay the butternut squash cut-side down, and stash the garlic cloves in the hole of the butternut squash. They will roast in there giving the squash extra flavour! Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until squash is fork tender.
- Once the squash is roasted and cool, scoop out 2 cups of the flesh and add to a food processor. Add the roasted garlic (peeled), chicken broth, and cream (or coconut milk for a dairy free option). Blend until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the elbow pasta as per the directions on label. Once cooked, set aside and drizzle with some olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
- In a medium pot on medium heat, melt the butter and blended butternut squash mixture. Add in the nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. If the consistency is a little thick, you can also add some water or chicken broth to water it down a little.
- Let it simmer and let the ingredients melt together.
- Pour the mac & cheese sauce over the elbow pasta and mix thoroughly.
- You can serve as-is, or put the mac & cheese in a pyrex dish and top with nutritional yeast and parmesan to bake for extra flavour!
Highly recommend serving with a side of kale caesar salad with my Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing. Thanks for reading and watching my first ever IGTV! I hope you enjoy and please tag me @nourishmintkitchen and share on your IG stories if you make this, I want to see your creations!
So glad you added it to the blog! It is so good! I made it months ago and my family was hesitant at first but thumbs up all around! Definitely going on the menu plan for this week!
Thank you so much Laura!! So glad you + the fam enjoyed!
This recipe is now a favourite in my house! Thank you for sharing! We love it & it has been a great way to use our plentiful crop of butternut squash this fall!!