Butternut or Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Give it a healthy twist by adding butternut squash or pumpkin to the sauce!
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Course: Lunch & Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy, grain
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry macaroni, shells, or other small pasta try whole-grain
- 2 Tablespoons margarine, butter, or oil
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup puréed butternut squash (10 ounces frozen butternut squash heated and pureed) or 1 cup canned puréed pumpkin
- 1 cup low-sodium broth
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic or 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 11/2 cups low-fat shredded cheese
Instructions
- Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- If butternut squash is not cooked and puréed, cook it until tender, then purée in a blender or mash with a fork until smooth. If using canned pumpkin, go to the next step.
- In a large skillet, electric skillet, or saucepan, melt margarine or butter, or add oil and heat on medium high.
- Once heated, add flour. Stir until combined and flour begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add butternut squash or pumpkin, broth, garlic, and black pepper. Stir until combined and heated through.
- Lower heat to medium. Add milk. Heat, whisking constantly, until combined and warm.
- Reduce heat to low. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until pasta is completely coated and heated through.