This Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese recipe is so super easy – it takes well under 30 minutes and doesn’t involve making a roux, plus it’s a deliciously sneaky way of getting 1 of your 5 a day – perfect for fussy eaters!
I love the idea of adding butternut squash to macaroni cheese – not only is it a really easy and delicious way of getting 1 of your 5 a day, but also the sweetness of the butternut squash contrasts beautifully with the sharp saltiness of a good mature cheddar.
There are lots of recipes all over the internet for Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese (or Butternut Mac and Cheese as my friends over the pond prefer to say), but a lot of them are rather complicated, involve making a roux (which I know sends many otherwise perfectly competent cooks into a bit of a spin), or use far too many pots and pans for my liking! So I set about creating a really super simple version of Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese that could be made in minutes and using only 2 pans.
Many of the recipes I looked at started by boiling the butternut squash, then making a cheese sauce and then mixing the two together. It occurred to me that a step could be cut out easily by boiling the butternut squash in the milk itself, which would not only save on time and washing up, but also mean that more of the nutrients from the butternut squash would be saved (rather than being drained off in the cooking water) AND the butternut squash would act as a thickener, meaning there would be no need to make a roux.
I tried out my ideas, and it sort of worked, but my first attempt was a bit runny, so I came up with a rather ingenious solution to the problem. I part cooked the pasta the normal way and then let it finish off cooking in the sauce – the pasta itself absorbs some of the water, resulting in a macaroni cheese with a lovely soft saucy consistency, but without being too runny. I like this more saucy consistency to my macaroni cheese, however if you prefer a thicker sauce, you could always mix a tablespoon of cornflour with a little milk, and then add this to the sauce before adding the pasta.
Mostly in the UK we finish off our macaroni cheese under the grill or in the oven, but I notice that many American recipes don’t do that…and it made me wonder why we bother in the UK. Yes, it’s sort of nice to have those lovely crunchy bits on top, but it’s a lot of fuss and bother – not to mention extra washing up – AND an extra 10-20 minutes cooking time…I think I can live without those crunchy bits.
But if you simply can’t do without the crunchy crispy crust on top of your macaroni cheese, then simply tip the finished pasta into a shallow oven dish and sprinkle with a little extra cheese and/or bread crumbs, then place under a hot grill until golden and bubbling…then find someone else to tackle the extra washing up 😉
I think this works best with a simple salad, but you could always serve this up with a few veggies, if you prefer – a mix of peas, sweetcorn and broccoli would be nice. And wine wise, a lovely crisp sauvignon blanc would cut beautifully through the sweetness of the butternut squash.
If you like this recipe…
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Easy Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese
Ingredients
- 500 g butternut squash cut into 1cm / ½inch cubes
- 300 ml milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 300 g pasta any shape (I used spirals)
- 100 g mature cheddar cheese plus extra for sprinkling
- Salad or vegetables to serve
Instructions
- Place the cubed butternut squash and milk, plus some salt and pepper in a large deep saucepan (it needs to be big enough to fit all the cooked pasta later).
- Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 8 minutes until the butternut squash is tender.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta for about 8 minutes until it is nearly, but not quite, done to your liking, then drain.
- When the sauce is ready, use a hand blender to blitz to a smooth consistency (or a potato masher if you would prefer a slightly rougher consistency).
- Next add 100g cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
- Then add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir together. Cook on a low heat for 3-5 minutes, until the pasta is done to your liking and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve with a simple salad or vegetables.
Notes
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with a little milk and then add this to the sauce before you add the pasta.
- If you wish to make this into a pasta bake, tip the finished pasta into a shallow oven dish and sprinkle with a little extra cheese and/or bread crumbs and cook under a hot grill until golden and bubbling.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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ema says
a combination of 2 fabulous things! What a great idea 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Ema! I agree – I am such a huge fan of butternut squash and cheese, together they are fabulous!! Eb x
Mandy says
Great idea to cook the squash in the milk – I make this quite often but I usually do cook it separately and you’re right – it makes loads of washing up! And none of my pans can go in the dishwasher 🙁
Eb Gargano says
Eeek – none of your pans??? I don’t think I could cope with that!! I am all about minimising the washing up. Life is too short to spend more than is necessary on the washing up IMHO. I think that’s why I like traybakes and one pot recipes so much!! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Love the idea of using butternut in the sauce at the milk stage and more than a fan of avoiding extra work with a roux…… but I do like a good thick sauce, so would probably have to add the cornflour. I am also a lover of a crispy crunchy top……. It would have to go under the grill or back in the oven with a nice cheesy crumb topping in my house I am afraid!
Eb Gargano says
Haha – I do like a crunchy, cheesy topping…when I have the time, but on a busy school night I can do without it! And the extra washing up it entails!! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Corina says
I love the idea of making a sauce with the butternut squash and a great idea to save on pans by cooking it all together! I think it’s something I’ll have to experiment with for lunch before trying it out on the rest of the family though.
Eb Gargano says
I’ll do anything to save on extra work and washing up!! Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂 Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Absolutely LOVE this Eb, it’s ingenious! You’re so right about the nutrients from the squash largely disappearing into the cooking water (we tend to steam our vegies these days for that very reason and they end up far tastier than languishing in water for ages) …and reduced washing up too…simply genius! Pinning. Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Angela 🙂 I generally try and steam my veggies too…or else cook them into a soup or stew so I can keep all the nutrients. And totally with you on the tastiness – sooo much better…except green beans. For some reason I always think they taste much better boiled and can never get them to taste as nice steamed…no idea why! Thanks for your lovely kind comments and for pinning 🙂 Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
What a great idea! This is definitely going on my to try list, we love butternut squash. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Kirsty! Butternut squash is such a fabulous vegetable, isn’t it? I just can’t get enough of it at the moment 🙂 Eb x
apply to face blog says
What a lovely idea,I did try the same with cauliflower and it was good but I bet this is sweeter which would make a big difference with the kids!Looks delicious-Jenny x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny. I like the idea of adding cauliflower too – I love cauliflower cheese and I love macaroni cheese, so I expect I would love the two together…maybe I could add in some butternut squash too…mmm must test that one out! Eb x
cherri says
just finished lunch, wow, great combination, pumpkin and cheese . will be serving the leftovers for dinner tonight.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Cherri – thanks so much for this lovely comment. So pleased you liked it. 😀 I agree – pumpkin and cheese is such a great combo! Eb x
Choclette says
You’re a woman after my own heart Eb. Simple cooking and less washing up is definitely my thing. I’ve been meaning to try butternut mac & cheese for years. And now I’ve seen this, I might even get around to it.
Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says
I’m a big fan of any pasta bake that uses veggies to thicken the sauce! The peas would LOVE this! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Midge 🙂