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Gallery Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Credit: Sang An Recipe Summary Servings: 6

Ingredients Ingredient Checklist 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of cayenne pepper 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound elbow macaroni 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup) 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce) 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon olive oil Olive-oil, cooking spray 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Gallery Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash Credit: Sang An

Recipe Summary Servings: 6

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash      Credit: Sang An

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Credit: Sang An

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

Recipe Summary Servings: 6

Recipe Summary

Servings: 6

Servings: 6

6

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of cayenne pepper 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound elbow macaroni 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup) 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce) 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon olive oil Olive-oil, cooking spray 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.

Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Reviews (19)

 Add Rating & Review     783 Ratings   5 star values:        96    4 star values:        151    3 star values:        337    2 star values:        162    1 star values:        37

Load More Reviews

Reviews (19)

Add Rating & Review     783 Ratings   5 star values:        96    4 star values:        151    3 star values:        337    2 star values:        162    1 star values:        37

Add Rating & Review

783 Ratings 5 star values: 96 4 star values: 151 3 star values: 337 2 star values: 162 1 star values: 37

783 Ratings 5 star values: 96 4 star values: 151 3 star values: 337 2 star values: 162 1 star values: 37

783 Ratings 5 star values: 96 4 star values: 151 3 star values: 337 2 star values: 162 1 star values: 37

  • 5 star values: 96 4 star values: 151 3 star values: 337 2 star values: 162 1 star values: 37

    Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       02/19/2017   Made it exactly as recipe says , I found it quite bland and on the dry side . I have a feeling that the cooking time is too long .  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 5 stars       09/24/2013   This recipe is excellent -- SO flavorful and rich. However, instead of boiling the squash, I cut it lengthwise and roasted it cut side down at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The aroma was heaven! And next time I will add mozzarella, as it was just slightly less creamy than traditional Mac. I analyzed the recipe at Calorie Count and one serving has about 460 calories, 10 grams of fat, 70 grams of carbs, and 21 grams of protein. I ate this with a salad and it was a good meal!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 4 stars       07/25/2013   Loved this recipe! and so did my family! My 7 year old proclaimed "this was the best macaroni & cheese he's ever had in his whole 7 yrs! Much better than the box!" I actually did not use the ricotta cheese ( not a family favorite) or oil and it still turned out great.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       12/30/2012   Loved the recipe and will make it more often. The flavors re amazing. Instead of Parmesan with the bread crumbs I used Gruyère.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/27/2012   This has almost no flavor! What flavor it does have is nice, but, it needs a lot of help, definitely more nutmeg and cayenne, maybe some asiago and romano. I don't see how anyone can "love" this recipe unless they love plain pasta. But, maybe my squash was just a dud.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       02/25/2012   I have become a big fan of this recipe, but if you are looking for a little more flavor you gotta be heavy handed with the cayenne! I actually add the cayenne, nutmeg, and another "everyday use" (trader joe's brand) spice while it cooks in the milk and stock. It really gets that flavor in, and gives it more punch when you eat it.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/17/2011   My family LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this recipe. No one even suspected there was the healthy addition of squash. It was like about the best Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. I did add a wee bit of Dijon mustard. Not so much that you even knew it was there, but it added a complexity to the dish. This one rises to our favorites list!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       09/19/2011   Love this, but with a few variations. I didn't have ricotta on hand so I substituted cream cheese, and liked the texture before baking it. Next time I'll stop there - it was a little dry after baking. Also I won't use a whole pound of macaroni next time. I prefer more sauce.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       08/29/2011   This was super easy but it tasted so unbelievably bland. And pretty dry. I added garlic and onion and double th cayenne. I also added some sage to the bread crumb topping. Still not worth making again.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       05/30/2011   I thought this recipe was great! Just enough squash making it perfectly creamy. I guess the amount of cheese and squash depends on your preferred texture, but I thought this was just perfect. I also added some fresh sage and found it a tasty savoury addition.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 2 stars       04/19/2011   The one I made ended up too squashy - next time I will halve the squash and double the cheese. It wasn't bad, but was more like macaroni and squash than macaroni and cheese. This is the second macaroni I've tried that included squash - I do like that it seems like the squash keeps the ingredients from separating when reheating. I hate when you reheat cheese or cream sauces and the grease separates from the solids - probably helps that there is not a lot of grease in this to begin with.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       02/04/2011   Overall this was a good dish. It came out on the dry side. I mixed the leftovers with some ground turkey and vegetables and it was very good!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       10/27/2009   http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-macaroni-and-cheese?autonomy_kw=macaroni and cheese is my daughter's FAVORITE, but I wanted a healthier version that I could sneak by my kids. My daughter asked for seconds and 5 year old son declared it "yummy." If I hadn't cut up and pureed the squash myself--I'd not know it was in there either (and I hate squash!)  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       02/10/2009   This was surprisingly delicious! You can use a 10-oz. package of frozen squash, just throw it in a pot with the milk and broth and heat until it thaws completely. It will seem like a lot of liquid but if you cook the macaroni only to very al dente, the pasta will soak up the liquid during baking and you won't have a runny casserole.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/23/2009   I've adapted this recipe to accommodate my daughter's dairy allergy. I substitute Light Soy Milk, Goat Cheddar, Chevre and Pecorino romano cheese. Plus I add soybeans and broccoli along with sauteed onions, bell pepper and mushrooms!! Who said Mac and Cheese can't be healthy?!!?  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       01/23/2009   This was delicious, but a bit dry. It was a great way to sneak squash past my picky eaters. I added roasted tomatoes to the dish. It was a perfect rainy day meal.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       11/11/2008   A great way to get nutrition into a favorite meal. Way more nourishing than anything from a box or freezer, and even more delicious. I've even sneaked some greens into this, both pureed and sauteed with even more delight!  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       04/02/2008   This is wonderful, especially when made with whole grain macaroni. It is easy, light and filling.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       11/30/2007   Lindsey made this for Christian and Tara......Dec. 1,2007

    Martha Stewart Member

    Rating: Unrated 02/19/2017

Made it exactly as recipe says , I found it quite bland and on the dry side . I have a feeling that the cooking time is too long .

Rating: Unrated

Rating: 5 stars 09/24/2013

This recipe is excellent – SO flavorful and rich. However, instead of boiling the squash, I cut it lengthwise and roasted it cut side down at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The aroma was heaven! And next time I will add mozzarella, as it was just slightly less creamy than traditional Mac. I analyzed the recipe at Calorie Count and one serving has about 460 calories, 10 grams of fat, 70 grams of carbs, and 21 grams of protein. I ate this with a salad and it was a good meal!

Rating: 5 stars

Rating: 4 stars 07/25/2013

Loved this recipe! and so did my family! My 7 year old proclaimed “this was the best macaroni & cheese he’s ever had in his whole 7 yrs! Much better than the box!” I actually did not use the ricotta cheese ( not a family favorite) or oil and it still turned out great.

Rating: 4 stars

Rating: Unrated 12/30/2012

Loved the recipe and will make it more often. The flavors re amazing. Instead of Parmesan with the bread crumbs I used Gruyère.

Rating: Unrated 10/27/2012

This has almost no flavor! What flavor it does have is nice, but, it needs a lot of help, definitely more nutmeg and cayenne, maybe some asiago and romano. I don’t see how anyone can “love” this recipe unless they love plain pasta. But, maybe my squash was just a dud.

Rating: Unrated 02/25/2012

I have become a big fan of this recipe, but if you are looking for a little more flavor you gotta be heavy handed with the cayenne! I actually add the cayenne, nutmeg, and another “everyday use” (trader joe’s brand) spice while it cooks in the milk and stock. It really gets that flavor in, and gives it more punch when you eat it.

Rating: Unrated 10/17/2011

My family LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this recipe. No one even suspected there was the healthy addition of squash. It was like about the best Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. I did add a wee bit of Dijon mustard. Not so much that you even knew it was there, but it added a complexity to the dish. This one rises to our favorites list!

Rating: Unrated 09/19/2011

Love this, but with a few variations. I didn’t have ricotta on hand so I substituted cream cheese, and liked the texture before baking it. Next time I’ll stop there - it was a little dry after baking. Also I won’t use a whole pound of macaroni next time. I prefer more sauce.

Rating: Unrated 08/29/2011

This was super easy but it tasted so unbelievably bland. And pretty dry. I added garlic and onion and double th cayenne. I also added some sage to the bread crumb topping. Still not worth making again.

Rating: Unrated 05/30/2011

I thought this recipe was great! Just enough squash making it perfectly creamy. I guess the amount of cheese and squash depends on your preferred texture, but I thought this was just perfect. I also added some fresh sage and found it a tasty savoury addition.

Rating: 2 stars 04/19/2011

The one I made ended up too squashy - next time I will halve the squash and double the cheese. It wasn’t bad, but was more like macaroni and squash than macaroni and cheese. This is the second macaroni I’ve tried that included squash - I do like that it seems like the squash keeps the ingredients from separating when reheating. I hate when you reheat cheese or cream sauces and the grease separates from the solids - probably helps that there is not a lot of grease in this to begin with.

Rating: 2 stars

Rating: Unrated 02/04/2011

Overall this was a good dish. It came out on the dry side. I mixed the leftovers with some ground turkey and vegetables and it was very good!

Rating: Unrated 10/27/2009

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-macaroni-and-cheese?autonomy_kw=macaroni and cheese is my daughter’s FAVORITE, but I wanted a healthier version that I could sneak by my kids. My daughter asked for seconds and 5 year old son declared it “yummy.” If I hadn’t cut up and pureed the squash myself–I’d not know it was in there either (and I hate squash!)

Rating: Unrated 02/10/2009

This was surprisingly delicious! You can use a 10-oz. package of frozen squash, just throw it in a pot with the milk and broth and heat until it thaws completely. It will seem like a lot of liquid but if you cook the macaroni only to very al dente, the pasta will soak up the liquid during baking and you won’t have a runny casserole.

Rating: Unrated 01/23/2009

I’ve adapted this recipe to accommodate my daughter’s dairy allergy. I substitute Light Soy Milk, Goat Cheddar, Chevre and Pecorino romano cheese. Plus I add soybeans and broccoli along with sauteed onions, bell pepper and mushrooms!! Who said Mac and Cheese can’t be healthy?!!?

This was delicious, but a bit dry. It was a great way to sneak squash past my picky eaters. I added roasted tomatoes to the dish. It was a perfect rainy day meal.

Rating: Unrated 11/11/2008

A great way to get nutrition into a favorite meal. Way more nourishing than anything from a box or freezer, and even more delicious. I’ve even sneaked some greens into this, both pureed and sauteed with even more delight!

Rating: Unrated 04/02/2008

This is wonderful, especially when made with whole grain macaroni. It is easy, light and filling.

Rating: Unrated 11/30/2007

Lindsey made this for Christian and Tara……Dec. 1,2007

All Reviews for Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

  • of Reviews Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

All Reviews for Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash

  • of Reviews

    Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful     Most Positive     Least Positive     Newest