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This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a perfect Fall recipe. Butternut squash adds a creamy richness to classic mac and cheese sauce.
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This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe is a Fall staple for me. The sauce is so incredibly smooth and creamy. It is comfort food at its finest. The flavor combination of butternut squash, gruyere cheese, and sage is so good you won’t be able to put your fork down.
Ingredients in Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Butternut Squash – Butternut squash is mild in flavor but rich in vitamins and antioxidants. It’s so versatile and can be added to both sweet and savory recipes. In this recipe, it makes the cheese sauce so creamy and smooth. You can also use pumpkin in this recipe.
- Large Elbow Macaroni – You can use any short pasta shape, but I love the way the large elbows soak up all the sauce.
- Vegetable Broth – Some of the vegetable broth gets used to help puree the squash, and the rest is used in the sauce. Use low sodium broth if you want better control of the saltiness in this recipe.
- Aromatics – Shallots, garlic, and sage sautéed in butter make up the flavor base of this recipe.
- Flour – Flour acts as a thickening agent in the sauce.
- Whole Milk – For the creamiest sauce, make sure to use whole milk.
- Gruyere Cheese – Gruyere cheese is my favorite cheese to use in mac and cheese. It melts well and also has great flavor.
- Medium Cheddar Cheese – Medium cheddar cheese melts really well and adds great texture to the sauce.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – We keep it simple with salt and pepper in this recipe but you can also add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or cayenne pepper.
- Optional: If you like a crunchy topping on your mac and cheese, then add a breadcrumb topping. Pour mac and cheese into an oven safe dish. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and sprinkle over the top. Bake in the oven at 350 until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
All About the Cheese
When you’re picking out your cheeses, you have to consider two factors: melt-ability and flavor. Most cheeses are meltable, but stay away from crumbly types like feta or cotija. Also, avoid using pre-shredded cheese. It contains preservatives and coatings that will make your sauce turn out grainy. Some of our favorite cheeses are medium or sharp cheddar cheese (please don’t use mild – your taste buds will thank you!), gouda, gruyere, fontina, and parmesan cheese. The only cheese flavors that I don’t recommend is Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese – for some reason they’re just not right in mac and cheese.
Recipe Tip
Because the squash is hot and will release steam as it blends, the steam needs a place to escape. Remove the plug from the lid of the blender and loosely hold a dish towel over the hole while blending to avoid splatters.
Frequently Asked Questions about Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
I love using a milder cheese that melts really well for texture and then pairing it with a flavorful cheese for taste. See our notes above about what types of cheese work well in mac and cheese.
Using a sharp vegetable peeler, carefully peel the entire butternut squash. Cut the ends off and discard. Carefully cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out any seeds and stringy fibers. Cut squash into cubes.
This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese actually reheats better than any mac and cheese I have ever had. The squash keeps the sauce really creamy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about a week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a large saucepan. We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Yes. You can use gluten-free pasta. For the flour in the sauce, substitute a little bit of pasta water and cornstarch to thicken.
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 pound large elbow pasta
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 6 large sage leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup medium cheddar shredded
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add squash and cook for 7 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a blender. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. After pasta is cooked, drain it and place it back in the pot off of the heat.
- While the pasta cooks, blend the squash with ½ cup vegetable broth and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt butter. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Add garlic and sage and cook for another minute. Sprinkle flour into the skillet and stir until combined.
- Slowly add the rest of the vegetable broth and the milk while whisking. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes whisking frequently.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the butternut squash puree and shredded cheeses. Stir until smooth and the cheese is melted.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
- Because the squash is hot and will release steam as it blends, the steam needs a place to escape. Remove the plug from the lid of the blender and loosely hold a dish towel over the hole while blending to avoid splatters.
- This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese actually reheats better than any mac and cheese I have ever had. The squash keeps the sauce really creamy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about a week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- How I cut butternut squash: Using a sharp vegetable peeler, carefully peel the entire butternut squash. Cut the ends off and discard. Carefully cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out any seeds and stringy fibers. Cut squash into cubes.
I’m a big fan of butternut squash and mac and cheese so these two together equal perfection! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
This delicious! My kids love it and I love that I can sneak some vegetables into their meal.