Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

close up shot of butternut squash mac and cheese in pot with wooden spoon digging in

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This roasted butternut squash mac and cheese is loaded with so much flavour and couldn't be more simple to make!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Western

Servings:

Calories: 902kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Large Pot & Wooden Spoon (for mac and cheese)
Baking Tray (for roasting squash)
Large Pot & Colander (for boiling macaroni)
Food Processor/Blender (for blending sauce)
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Cheese Grater

Ingredients

1lb / 500g uncooked Macaroni
1x 2lb/1kg whole Butternut Squash
2.5 cups / 250g freshly grated Cheddar
1 cup / 100g freshly grated Gouda
1/2 cup / 120ml Milk (preferably whole milk)
1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock
6 - 8 slices Streaky Bacon, diced
1 small bulb of Garlic, halved through the centre to expose the cloves (see notes)
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or to spice preference)
Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Olive Oil, as needed

Instructions

Prep Squash: Slice off the firm stalk at the end of the squash, then carefully slice it in half lengthways. Use a spoon to gut out the seeds.
Roast: Place on a baking tray flesh-side-up. Drizzle over a good glug of olive oil then sprinkle over 1/4 tsp salt & 1/8 tsp black pepper. Brush or rub into the squash. Place each half of the garlic bulb into the base of each squash with the exposed cloves facing down. Place in the oven at 190C/375F for 45-60mins, or until very soft and lightly charred/caramelized.
Blend: Squeeze out the garlic into a food processor or blender, then scoop out the squash and add that in too (discard skins). Add milk and stock then blend until completely smooth.
Pasta: Add macaroni to well-salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain when needed, reserving 1-2 cups of starchy pasta water.
Bacon: Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp with the fat rendered. Remove and place to one side.
Mac and Cheese: Add in the sauce and reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese until it melts, then stir in dijon, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt & black pepper (to taste, I typically do 1/4 salt tsp at this point). Stir in the cooked pasta alongside a splash of starchy pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Stir the bacon back through and check for seasoning/spice. If it's still a little thick continue stirring through the starchy pasta water a splash at a time until your desired consistency.

Video

Notes

a) Starchy Pasta Water - This is a key ingredient as it not only thins out the sauce but also helps emulsify the fats and bind everything together. If you just add more stock or milk the sauce is just going to get more watery and potentially more grainy. I typically drain the macaroni over a jug or bowl to collect all of the water. Just make sure the water is well-seasoned so it doesn't dilute the flavour of the sauce.

b) Garlic - Using one whole bulb will give a fairly prominent garlic flavour. It does mellow out in the oven as it roasts, but if you're not a garlic lover I recommend just using two large cloves (one in each squash).

c) Cheese - I love a combo of cheddar (which adds the bulk of the flavour) and some Gouda (for a touch of creaminess). I'd keep the cheddar, but you could sub the gouda with gruyere and I imagine it'll work perfectly. In all cases, it's important to grate the cheese yourself; the pre-grated stuff can turn the sauce grainy.

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 5 assuming 1 tbsp olive oil and 8 slices of bacon total.

Nutrition