Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

1 lb whole-wheat macaroni, cooked

1/2 roasted butternut squash, pureed (directions below)

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, small diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T butter

3 T whole-wheat flour

1 C chicken stock

1-1/2 C milk

S&P, to taste

Pinch nutmeg

1/2 C parmesan cheese, grated

2 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450F.

Split the squash down the middle and scrape out the seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and roast in a oven for about 45 mins. 

When you can easily pierce the squash with a fork, it’s ready.  Set it aside and allow it to cool. 

Once it’s cooled, scrape the squash out into a bowl and puree it with an immersion blender (use a regular blender if you don’t have an immersion blender or you could even use frozen pureed squash).  Set aside the puree until ready for use. (You'll only need 1/2 the puree for this recipe, so just freeze the rest for later use)

Heat the oil in a large pan over med-high heat.  Saute the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the butter and allow to melt.  Once melted, add the flour and cook a couple minutes.  Add the stock and milk using a whisk and mix well.  Season with S&P, and nutmeg and cook 3-4 more minutes. Stir in the squash puree and mix well.  Once it starts to bubble take it off the heat and add the parmesan cheese along with 1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese.  Once the cheeses have melted, stir in the macaroni. 

Pour macaroni into a casserole dish & top with remaining 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes.