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Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces dry macaroni, shells, or other small pasta
  • 2 Tablespoons margarine, butter, or oil
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup pureed butternut squash (10 ounces frozen butternut squash heated and pureed)
  • 1 cup low-sodium broth
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (1 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1½ cups low-fat shredded cheese

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  2. If butternut squash is not cooked and pureed, cook it until tender, then puree in a blender or mash with a fork until smooth.  
  3. In a large skillet, electric skillet, or saucepan, melt margarine or butter, or add oil on medium high heat. 
  4. Once heated, add flour. Stir until combined and flour begins to brown, about 2 minutes. 
  5. Add butternut squash, broth, garlic, and black pepper. Stir until combined and heated through. 
  6. Lower heat to medium. Add milk. Heat, whisking constantly, until combined and warm. 
  7. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. 
  8. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until pasta is completely coated and heated through. 

Makes 9 1-cup servings

Twisted Mac & Cheese 3 Ways

Base Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 box pre-packaged mac n cheese
  • ½ pack cheese packet
  • ¼ cup low-fat or fat-free milk
  • 2 Tablespoons tub margarine

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. 
  2. Cook noodles as directed on package.
  3. After draining noodles, return to heat, stir in milk, margarine, and cheese packet.
  4. Twist it up! 
Tuna and peas mac and cheese in a white bowl

Tuna & Peas Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Base Mac & Cheese
  • 2/3 cup cooked peas
  • 1 5-ounce can tuna, drained

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. 
  2. Prepare Base Mac & Cheese. 
  3. Stir in peas and tuna.

Broccoli & Chicken Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Base Mac & Cheese
  • 1 cup cooked broccoli
  • 1 cup cooked chicken or 1 can chicken, drained

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. 
  2. Prepare Base Mac & Cheese. 
  3. Stir in broccoli and chicken.
Broccoli and chicken mac and cheese in a white bowl
Taco mac and cheese in a white bowl

Taco Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Base Mac & Cheese
  • ½ pound lean ground meat (turkey, lean beef, game meat)
  • ½ 10-ounce can tomatoes and green chilies
  • ½ 15-ounce can black beans
  • ½ Tablespoon taco seasoning or CNP Mexican Seasoning

Directions

  1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds. 
  2. Brown meat. Add tomatoes and green chilies, beans, and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add meat mixture to mac n cheese and stir well.
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