photo by Lauren Volo
by guest blogger Candice Kumai for EatClean.com
Not excited about fall yet? This is the mouthwatering recipe that will change your mind. Homemade mac and cheese gets a clean makeover with sweet, velvety-smooth butternut squash and a crispy golden topping.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Macaroni
- 2½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, halved, and seeded, then quartered and sliced into triangles
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or mini shells
- 2 Tablespoons grated Gruyère
Herbed Bread-Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In a large saucepan, add the butternut squash, garlic, thyme, almond milk, and stock. Cook until the butternut squash is fork-tender. Remove the sprig of thyme. Transfer squash mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.
3. Spread out the macaroni in a lightly greased 13″ x 9″ pan. Pour the squash puree over the noodles.
4. Combine all ingredients for herbed bread-crumb topping.
5. Cover the mac and cheese with foil, place in the oven, and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and evenly spread bread-crumb topping and Gruyère over the top. Transfer to the broiler and broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.
MORE: Apple-Walnut-Clove Mac and Cheese
Candice Kumai is a celebrated clean-eating chef and author of 5 best-selling cookbooks, including Clean Green Eats. Find more of her recipes at candicekumai.com, and follow her on Instagram.
Adapted from the article Clean Comfort Food: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, which originally ran on EatClean.com.
I made this this weekend (with gluten-free pasta and breadcrumbs). It was yummy, but needed more cheese! That might make it less “clean” – but probably more delicious, too. 🙂 I think next time I’ll add some cheese in with the squash puree mixture as well as on top. But either way, it hits the spot on a cold day.
I definitely pkeicd a fancy one to share this week, haha. Days like this make up for days when I pull out a sad bag of an apple and three day old breakfast hash leftovers! Risotto was new for me too and I’ve become an addict it has all the makings of a perfect fall dish.