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Loaded with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, cheese and prosciutto, this baked butternut squash mac and cheese is a unique take on a traditional meal. It is also a great way to sneak in some fruit and vegetables.
Why am I sharing another mac and cheese recipe? Well because I absolutely love mac and cheese. But mac and cheese with a sauce that secretly gives you vegetables and tastes amazing as well? What could be better than that?
For the past few years I feel like every food blogger has come out with their version of butternut squash mac n cheese. I mean just Google it and you'll see a ton of different recipes out there! Naturally I felt like I had to join the party, however late I might be?
I've always been intrigued by combining my favorite comfort dish (mac and cheese) with my favorite fall vegetable - butternut squash. Until today I just unfortunately never got around to it. I don't really have a great excuse honestly. Maybe it's because if I make mac and cheese I usually just alternate between one of my go-tos I've posted in the past.
Well I can say, this baked butternut squash mac and cheese is officially going into the rotation. While I won't say it's super healthy like I've seen some blogs post, it definitely is lightened up compared to regular mac and cheese. Plus as I mentioned above, you are definitely getting your vegetables with this pasta.
For this recipe, I specifically used fall zucchette pasta from Trader Joe's. I thought it was appropriate to use as it's actually butternut squash pasta shaped in pumpkins! Don't worry if you're not around a Trader Joe's however. You can just use regular macaroni no problem and it will taste great. So if you're like me and have been waiting on giving a recipe like this a try, hopefully I've convinced you.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Macaroni - zucchette pasta works too.
- Butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, shallot, sage - hiding the veggies works great for kids.
- Unsalted butter - used to make roux and for topping.
- Panko breadcrumbs - gives a crunchy topping.
- Parmesan cheese - adds flavor to the topping.
- All-purpose flour - helps make a roux.
- Milk - whole fat is best.
- Sharp cheddar cheese - the sharper the better.
- Prosciutto - adds saltiness.
- Nutmeg, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place Brussels sprouts in food process to shred.
- Peel, seed and chop the butternut squash in 1" cubes. Place butternut squash chunks on baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the Brussels sprouts on a separate baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender. You might need to pull Brussels sprouts out early if they are browning too much. Once done reduce heat to 350°F.
- Melt 2 tablespoon butter in small pan over low heat. Once melted, stir in the panko, sage and Parmesan and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Add the butternut squash to a blender with ½ cup milk and puree until smooth.
- Heat 4 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat and add shallots and cook for about 2 minutes or until translucent. Add flour and nutmeg and whisk until smooth and mixture starts to bubble, about 2 minutes.
- While stirring, gradually add 2 cups milk and continue whisking until the sauce is creamy. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes until it thickens and you can coat the back of the spoon. While sauce is cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to instructions.
- After sauce has thickened, add butternut squash mixture, cheddar cheese, prosciutto and Brussels sprouts and stir until combined. Remove from heat and set aside. Mix in pasta until everything is coated.
- Grease a 11x7 inch baking dish and add pasta mixture. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F or until breadcrumb mixture starts to brown. Serve immediately.
Do I Have to Use Butternut Squash?
No. Another great option that tastes just as good is pumpkin. You can't go wrong with either.
How to Freeze
You can freeze the mac and cheese in the casserole dish you would bake it in. Make everything up to when you'd bake it. The cover with foil and place in the freezer. Just thaw in the fridge the night before baking in the oven.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Try to be consistent when dicing your butternut squash so it cooks at the same time. If you have larger cubes of butternut squash, it will take longer to cook which just delays you in getting to eat. You can also save time by buying pre-cut butternut squash.
- Use a food processor to shred your Brussels sprouts. It will save you 5-10 minutes in slicing the Brussels sprouts.
- When cooking the pasta, boil it until it is al dente as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
- Buy blocks of cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn't taste the same. Plus pre-shredded Parmesan cheese has wood pulp in it!
- When cooking the flour in the butter, stir constantly in a figure-eight motion with a wooden spoon for even cooking. You'll know the roux is ready for the milk when the butter/flour mixture has puffed slightly, about 2 minutes.
- When adding milk to the roux, slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition, until the roux forms a thin paste, then whisking in the remaining milk and bringing the mixture to a simmer.
- Skip the prosciutto if you are vegetarian but if you aren't, I highly recommend keeping it as it gives the butternut squash mac n cheese a great salty bite.
Other Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Baked Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Pesto Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Crab Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Baked Mac and Cheese Bites
- Three Cheese Mac and Cheese
If you’ve tried this butternut squash mac and cheese or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni ( I used fall zucchette pasta from Trader Joe's)
- 1 small butternut squash (4-5 cups cubed)
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced thin into shreds
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups milk, divided
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz prosciutto, julienned
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel, seed and chop the butternut squash in 1" cubes. Place butternut squash chunks on baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the Brussels sprouts on a separate baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender. You might need to pull Brussels sprouts out early if they are browning. Once done reduce heat to 350°F.
- Melt 2 tablespoon butter in small pan over low heat. Once melted, add panko, sage and Parmesan and toss to combine. Set aside.
- When butternut squash is done, add to blender with ½ cup milk and puree until smooth.
- Heat 4 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for about 2 minutes or until translucent. Add flour and nutmeg and whisk until smooth and mixture starts to bubble. (About 2 minutes) While stirring, gradually add 2 cups milk and continue whisking until the sauce is creamy. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes until it thickens and you can coat the back of the spoon.
- After sauce has thickened, add butternut squash mixture, cheddar cheese, prosciutto and Brussels sprouts and stir until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While sauce is cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to instructions. Grease a 11x7 inch baking dish and add the drained pasta and sauce. Mix thoroughly, making sure all the pasta is coated. Top with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F or until breadcrumb mixture starts to brown. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Try to be consistent when dicing your butternut squash so it cooks at the same time. If you have larger cubes of butternut squash, it will take longer to cook which just delays you in getting to eat. You can also save time by buying pre-cut butternut squash.
- Use a food processor to shred your Brussels sprouts. It will save you 5-10 minutes in slicing the Brussels sprouts.
- When cooking the pasta, boil it until it is al dente as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
- Buy blocks of cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn't taste the same. Plus pre-shredded Parmesan cheese has wood pulp in it!
- When cooking the flour in the butter, stir constantly in a figure-eight motion with a wooden spoon for even cooking. You'll know the roux is ready for the milk when the butter/flour mixture has puffed slightly, about 2 minutes.
- When adding milk to the roux, slowly add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition, until the roux forms a thin paste, then whisking in the remaining milk and bringing the mixture to a simmer.
- Skip the prosciutto if you are vegetarian but if you aren't, I highly recommend keeping it as it gives the mac and cheese a great salty bite.
Chris says
Hmmm butternut squash in mac and cheese is interesting!
Kristen says
This sounds so delicious! I am definitely going to have to try this, as I'd love something healthier for my kids other than Velveeta or Kraft Mac n Cheese. I had tried cauliflower mac and cheese but my kids refused to try it, but this sounds so much yummier than cauliflower!
LaRena says
Sounds so tasty and healthy! What a great idea!
Allison says
Yum! This looks and sounds delicious for winter evenings!