| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- Deselect All
- 12 ounces macaroni
- 1 butternut squash
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed for thinning
- 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
- Carefully cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Drizzle half of the squash with olive oil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet cut-side up (reserve the other half of the squash in the fridge for another use). Roast, watching to make sure the surface doesn’t get burned (it should have some brown areas, however), until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Scrape out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
- While the squash is roasting, add the onions and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large, ovenproof skillet over low to medium-low heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they’re deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove them to a plate.
- In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk it to make a thin paste. Cook it for 2 minutes, then whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking gently, until slightly thick, a couple of minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You’ll probably want to add more salt!
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the mashed butternut squash. When it is warm, stir in the cheese. If the sauce is overly thick when the cheese is melted, add a splash of milk. Keep stirring until the sauce is nice and hot, then stir in the macaroni. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a pan and combine it with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the macaroni and bake (I do it straight in the skillet) until the crumbs are golden and the edges bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 286 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 29 mg |
| Sodium | 358 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 286 |
| Total Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 29 mg |
| Sodium | 358 mg |
Reviews
I’d never cooked butternut squash prior to this recipe. I don’t know if my squash was under ripe but it took far more than 20-25 minutes to roast. I finally gave up and gave my kids regular max and cheese and skipped the squash. Maybe I’ll try again another time. ☹️
I cubed the butternut squash and roasted it w/a teaspoon of garlic chili sauce for 30 min. before I puréed it. Delicious! 🙂
This mac and cheese recipe is beyond delicious. I loved the onions in it.
OMG! I had to use red onions because I didn’t have any yellow ones, but holy cow this is the best mac and cheese I have ever had in my life!
I went ahead and roasted both of the squash halves,mashed them, then froze half for next time- saves a lot of time! I really enjoyed this recipe as written. I may try it with canned pumpkin puree at some point.
For someone who hates squash, I was surprised how much I liked this recipe. I’ve made it 3 or 4 times now but I have added hot sauce and pepper the last two times because I felt the mac and cheese was just a little one dimensional and the heat really amped it up
Having a little one who runs every time she sees a veggie, this was an awesome recipe! Great flavor and consistency. She even asked for seconds!!! 🙂
This was a HUGE hit at our football party! I was nervous about it but it was delicious. I actually left out the onions after sweating them but you could still taste the flavor within the dish. I’m going to keep this recipe- perfect for fall!
I saw this on the show today and it was delicious. The recipe leaves out the directions for the onions which go in after the squash. I turned the oven down to 350 to bake at the end and was glad I did since the macaroni absorbed so much of the sauce. Will definitely make again.