Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
(250)
  • Minutes to Prepare:
  • Minutes to Cook:
  • Number of Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and diced (about 3 cups)1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups skim milkPinch of nutmegPinch of cayenne pepper3/4 teaspoon saltFreshly ground black pepper1 pound whole wheat spirals 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese2 tablespoons breadcrumbs1 teaspoon olive oilOlive-oil cooking spray, for baking pan
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add noodles to boiling water; cook according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Drain pasta, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with olive oil spray and pour in the noodle mixture.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodles.

Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 20 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Serves 8!
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 230.0
  • Total Fat: 4.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 10.5 mg
  • Sodium: 305.7 mg
  • Total Carbs: 35.8 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 5.2 g
  • Protein: 13.2 g

Member Reviews
  • KRISHAL
     This was really good. My family wants it again.
    They didn't care for the topping though, but no big deal, I'll just skip it.
    I used a frozen pkg of squash from the grocery store, it worked great.
    - 1/29/09
  • SURFIE
     This was good. Not very cheesy and I could definitley taste the squash, but I LIKE butternut squash so this was fine. Might add more cheese next time and puree squash mixture in blender to make it less noticeable so my husband won't know it's there. Wish the recipe was less time consuming though. - 12/8/08
  • TBONE23
     This turned out delicious!! I would totally make this agian!! I substituted reduced fat cream cheese for the ricotta and used reduced fat mexican shredded cheese we had in the house.I blended the mixture with a hand mixer before mixing it with the pasta. Turned out amazing! Thanks!! - 10/5/10
  • NANA2ABBY
     This was really tasty, although I might use an even sharper cheese the next time. Substituted tofu for ricotta to avoid a trip to the store, left off the crumbs,sprinkled parmesan on the top cooking cooking spray to help the top brown. - 10/2/10
  • LOLA_98CHIC
     This was great! I used frozen yellow squash instead of butternut squash (it was what I could find), and shells instead of spirals, but it still worked out. I'll definitely hold onto this recipe! - 4/6/09
  • SUNMAC79
     I would definetly make this again! It has plenty of cheesiness to it and the added flavor of the squash is awesome! It does taste better fresh than re-heated so make sure you have plenty of people to share it with! - 12/29/08
  • AUDRETOBURRITO
     Eccellent way to sneak in the veg. I made this but added extra cheese and spices and it came out great. Even tastes good the next day which is important for me since I'm the only one eating it so have to make good left overs. - 10/10/10
  • ORCA0406
     Delish!!! For a smoother consistency, I put the squash and about 1/4 of the liquid in my food processor after cooking. Hubby wants more chunks next time, lol. YUM!!! - 3/19/10
  • SWKOWK
     Yum! I didn't have ricotta & left it out, still came out tasty. Mine ended up filling a 9X12 pan, so I added a bit more cheese & doubled the topping. Would add more cayenne or a bit of chili powder next time, but this one is a keeper! - 9/28/09
  • MAERETH
     This was ok. I love squash and I love mac and cheese, and this was a decent combination of both, but it lacks that creamy gooey goodness of conventional mac and cheese. If I were to make it again I would add more cheddar. - 9/13/09
  • VANESSAVOS13
     This was amazing. I made it a little differently and just used this recipe as a guideline, and it was just phenomenal! My boyfriend had NO IDEA what the "secret ingredient" was. When I told him it was butternut squash he was blown away! Yum, Yum, YUM! - 10/12/10
  • NIBOR1
     A little dry, needs more sauce and flavor - 10/14/10
  • MAURMAUR
     i am a mac & cheese fanatic. with that being said, this is a very good recipe...if you like butternut squash (and i do, so i really like this recipe). but for the mac & cheese part, it's not cheesy enough for my taste. i used about 6 oz (calls for 4). next time add more. maybe 1/2 cheddar & 1/2 moz. - 3/23/11
  • KRISTEN_SAYS
     SO GOOD. I double the amount of cheddar, sprinkled some part-skim mozzarella on top and then some bread crumbs. I make this once a week. - 10/21/12
  • CHEARIO
     Took very long to make but tasted delicious. Omitted the bread crumb layer on top. Next time I will make two layers of cheese. The recipe is unclear, should I have cooked the macaroni in the milk? - 3/10/09
  • BRAINYLADYBUG
     I made this for dinner last night. Even my husband, who hates squash, loved it and my 10 month old grand daughter ate it right down and wanted more. - 1/10/09
  • MHOFFMA35
     Not bad, but my kids were not impressed. I am trying to find ways to sneak veggies in their diets and thought this was an ingenious way, but my kids are too smart & it didn't taste like Kraft Mac 'N Cheese so I guess its back to the drawing board for me. For those less picky eaters - its good. - 12/11/08
  • CASEYNEVADA9
     Very good recipe - a little dry so I will add more milk or maybe some velvetta next time. A great way to sneak in some veggies for the picky eaters! - 11/28/08
  • KINGTERMITE
     Wowzerz.....this was awesome!!!! - 11/25/08
  • MAURIZIA
     Enjoyed this very much. I cut back on salt but will use the recommended amount. Also I used already shredded sharp cheddar, but would recommend the extra sharp for more flavor. Will definitely make it again! - 11/23/08
  • JILLINWONDER
     I'm on a gluten and dairy free meal plan temporarily (I hope!) and I find myself thinking about mac and cheese as fall gets cooler. This sounds very good. I'll try it as soon as I get back to dairy. I can always use gluten free pasta! - 10/12/10
  • JANEYJ.
     I definitely will make this again! - 12/9/08
  • ROMNEY3
     Made this for the farm hands everybody loved it. Including the teenagers. - 12/8/08
  • FERIHEARTED
     that was so good!! - 11/25/08
  • CANDOLA3
     My family and I loved it! Will surely make again! - 11/20/08



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