Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a tasty 30-minute homemade cheesy pasta dish with a bit of subtle sweetness from the butternut squash. A wonderful twist on classic Macaroni and Cheese.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese | Dreamy!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is what dreams are made of. Sweet from the squash, salty and creamy from the cheese, and all with a nice bite from the pasta. Like Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, this is a slightly healthier recipe, but not because of all the cheese!

Main Ingredients Needed

My guess is you probably have to go shopping for butternut squash and some different types of cheese for this recipe, but other than that, all of the other ingredients are pantry staples. Here’s what you need to make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese:

• Pasta – I used rotini pasta but the traditional elbow noodle works too.
• Butter, Onion + Garlic – this is the base of the sauce, lots of simple good flavor here.
• Butternut Squash – this is a winter squash that has a slightly sweet nutty flavor.
• Chicken Stock – if you want this to be a vegetarian meal, consider using vegetable broth instead.
• Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella + Parmesan Cheese – I used three types of cheese in this recipe but feel free to swap them out for other kinds or use less overall.
• Salt, Pepper + Nutmeg – simple seasonings to bring out the flavor.
• Milk – this fills out the rest of the creamy cheesy sauce!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Variations

Now that you’re ready to make the pasta and sauce, consider making some changes to my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Add Protein: consider adding a protein to this meal such as shredded chicken, bacon, or a good quality sausage!
• More Veggies: look through your fridge and see what you have on hand. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or even asparagus all sound great.
• Gluten-Free: the sauce is already naturally gluten-free so just make sure your pasta is and you’ve got yourself a super yummy GF dinner.

If you love Butternut Squash and pasta be sure to check out these recipes: Crockpot Butternut Squash Alfredo, Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce, 30-Minute Butternut Squash Pasta, and Pan Fried Sesame Butternut Squash Noodles.

How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I opted for making this without flour because I ran out but feel free to make a roux and stir all the cheese into that. For full details on how to make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese see the recipe card down below.

Cook Pasta

Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. Strain in a colander when ready to do so and set aside.

Saute Veggies + Mash (Optional)

Dice up some onion pretty finely along with some garlic and butternut squash. So you’re going to want to saute all these veggies in butter until the squash starts to soften and the onions get a little color on them.

To the veggies, add in some chicken broth and let this reduce by half. Then if you like, mash this all up so it mixes in well to the overall sauce. Totally optional step that I took so my daughter wouldn’t know there was something different in with the pasta.

Add Cooked Pasta + Make Sauce

Stir in the cooked pasta and start stirring in the cheese bit by bit. I used cheddar, mozzarella, and real parmesan.

So, once you get all the cheese in, add in some milk too. You may notice a big ol’ glob of cheese get melty in the middle, but as you stir and add more milk, a sauce will start to form and bring everything together. It may not seem like it’s coming together and your life might feel like it’s going to end, but I promise it will work! Keep stirring!

After about 3 minutes, it should be all ready to eat! Top with nutmeg, salt, and pepper then serve.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try!

If you loved this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe, I just know you’ll swoon over these ones too!

• Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese
• Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Camping Mac and Cheese
• Pimento Mac and Cheese
• Broccoli Mac and Cheese
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Oh, did I mention this was super cheesy?!

You guys will just DIE over Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese! Dish it up and dive on in! Feel free to make it look pretty with parsley.

The printable recipe card is below, I hope you guys enjoy this one! We love love loved it!! 🙂

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5 from 22 votes

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a tasty 30-minute homemade cheesy pasta dish with a bit of subtle sweetness from the butternut squash.

servings 4 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 pound cooked pasta {such as macaroni or rotini}
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1/2 large onion finely diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 cups butternut squash diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
• ▢ 1/2 pound cheddar cheese grated
• ▢ 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese grated
• ▢ 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano grated
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 pinches nutmeg
• ▢ 1-1 1/2 cups milk

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Saute onions, garlic and squash in butter over medium heat. Cook until tender and lightly browned, stirring as you go, about 6 minutes.
  
• Pour in chicken stock and reduce liquid by half. If desired, mash the squash and onions together using a potato masher to help dissolve into the sauce.
  
• Pour in cooked pasta and the cheeses little by little, stirring as you go. Pour in splashes of milk if needed to thin out melted cheese to create sauce. After all the cheese is melted into the pot, continue stirring and adding in milk. At first there may seem like a big wad of cheese melted in the middle, but as you keep stirring and adding in the milk bit by bit, it should come together to form a very cheesy sauce.
  
• Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 877mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 8660IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 779mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash mac and cheese