macaroni and cheese

Nate and I both agree that this is some of the best macaroni and cheese ever. The base for the sauce is butternut squash, chicken stock, and milk, rather than a flour-butter-milk white sauce. For me, the healthy addition of the squash makes it totally acceptable to add more cheese 😉 If you want a creamy sauce (or want to disguise the fact that there’s a vegetable hidden in it!), puree it in a blender. For more texture and evidence of squash, mash roughly with a fork or potato masher. Both ways are delicious. Although it probably doesn’t actually make a difference in taste, my favorite pasta to use for this is large shells. For the picture above, I stirred about 1/3 cup of chopped cooked bacon into the sauce. Pasta plus cheese plus bacon equals love 🙂

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Modified slightly from my good friend Martha’s recipe

2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

3/4 cup milk

Combine the above in a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat (to avoid boiling over). Turn to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from the heat, mash/puree, and add:

A dash each of nutmeg and cayenne (or chipotle powder)

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or a mix of your favorite easily melted cheeses)

1/2 cup ricotta or cream cheese

Meanwhile, cook pasta:

about 3 cups raw/dry if the pasta is large (such as large shells or penne)

OR about 2 cups raw/dry elbow macaroni (or other short, dense pasta such as small shells)

OR enough to fill up a 9” square baking dish slightly less than halfway, as you end up with twice as much pasta when you cook it

OR if you’re being precise and like to weigh things, about half a pound of pasta 😉

(Thanks Katy for the clarification tips!)

Place drained pasta in a 9” square baking dish, pour sauce over, and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, mix together: