Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese upgrades this classic family-style recipe. Mild and slightly sweet, roasted butternut squash makes for a decadent cheese sauce, and is an easy way to add hidden veggies to an already kid-friendly side dish. Serve it straight out of the pot, or bake as a casserole with a bread crumb topping.
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This might be a controversial recipe – I put veggies into the mac and cheese. Look, I know there is a contingent of easily-agitated folks who stand by one thing and one things only – “Don’t mess with the mac and cheese” And here I am brandishing a butternut squash mac and cheese recipe on their internet. By folks, I mean my kids, and by “their internet”, I mean their plates.
But when a certain quirky grocery store offers said twist on mac and cheese, and you have a teenager who’s somewhat obsessed with every seasonal offering said grocery chain offers…well. You learn to get adventurous in your own kitchen.
While I respect that traditional baked macaroni and cheese is generally not to be trifled with, I am…let’s say, up for the challenge of toeing the line. But also I have a recipe for crab mac and cheese, so I’m also willing to go straight over that line.
But butternut squash isn’t shellfish, so I consider this recipe a reasonable compromise. Roasted butternut squash is tender, mild and sweet, and it easily breaks down into a silky puree. And when it gets blended with just the right amount of cheese and cream, you get an elevated dish, not an egregious one – coincidentally, that is also the line my picky kids are willing to toe, so we all win!
A Better Baked Butternut Squash Mac n’Cheese
As the saying goes, if you can roast a vegetable, you should roast a vegetable. Roasted butternut squash is so much more complex than steamed or boiled squash. Hot, dry heat caramelizes the natural sugars, making the roasted butternut squash sweeter and richer.
Like our roasted butternut squash soup recipe, we cook the squash with supporting aromatic vegetables (onions and garlic) in a casserole dish. This method ensures the vegetables won’t over-caramelize or burn, plus it builds up steam to get the onions and garlic get nice and tender for pureeing into a silky smooth sauce.
How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a veggie-packed twist on everyone’s favorite pasta recipe. Roasted butternut squash seamlessly elevates this traditional recipe without overpowering it. Serve it stovetop style, or make baked mac and cheese with buttery breadcrumbs.
- Combine diced butternut squash with sliced onions, and whole garlic cloves in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with dried thyme and sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and toss until well combined.
- Transfer to a 400°F oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.
- While the vegetables roasted, cook 1 pound of pasta to 1 minute below al dente; reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor; add heavy cream and half a cup of pasta water, then blend until smooth.
- Slowly add the cheese, half a cup at time, and blend until smooth after each addition. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper until the cheese sauce tastes just right.
- Pour the butternut squash cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and toss until well combined. At this point, you can serve as-is stovetop style, or proceed as directed to make baked mac-and-cheese.
- Transfer the mac and cheese to a lightly greased casserole dish.
- Combine panko bread crumbs with parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl; mix until the bread crumbs are evenly moist, then sprinkle over the casserole dish.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
Essential Notes and Tips
- Casserole dish > baking sheet. Reach for a casserole dish to roast the squash and vegetables. You’ll still achieve plenty of caramelization while preventing the edges from burning. Plus, a casserole dish builds up just enough steam to soften the vegetables into the perfect texture for blending.
- Use the right pasta. Choose a short, ridged pasta, which will adhere to the thick cheese sauce better than a smooth shape. We used rigatoni, but we also like shells and penne.
- Undercook the pasta. Cook the pasta to one minute below al dente – it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Reserve the pasta water! Pasta water is a terrific binder because it’s contains tons of starch released by the pasta while it cooks. Use the pasta water to blend the sauce.
Choosing the Right Cheese
Sharper, harder cheeses melt with and will balance out the sweetness of the roasted squash; we use a combination of cheddar, gruyere, and fontina. Try gouda or taleggio if you’d like a milder cheese and want to highlight the sweetness more. Avoid extra sharp or aged cheeses – they’re simply too strong and will overpower the sauce.
Make Ahead Instructions
- The sauce: the sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Since you won’t yet have pasta water, substitute with cornstarch water (preferred) or broth (chicken or vegetable). To make cornstarch water, whisk ¼ teaspoon cornstarch into one cup of near boiling water to mimic the properties of pasta water. Cornstarch must be hot in order to be activated, so you must use near-boiling water.
- The casserole: prep the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance, but omit the bread crumb topping. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, remove the cover, sprinkle with the bread crumb topping, and bake as directed. You may need to add 5 minutes to the cook time.
Did you make this butternut squash mac and cheese? We’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (Baked or Stovetop)
Description
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 pounds, or 4 cups of peeled, seeded, and diced squash
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced to ¼"
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound short, ridged pasta, like rigatoni, shells, or penne
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese, sharp or mild cheddar, gruyere, and/or fontina
Topping for Baking
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon melted butter, or olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Arrange the butternut squash, sliced onion, and garlic cloves in a casserole dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season with the thyme, sage, pepper, nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Transfer to the oven and roast 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelize around the edges.
- While the vegetables roast, cook the pasta. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil, then season the water with the remaining tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook to 1 minute below al dente for casserole style (check the package instructions for specific times) or to 2 minutes past al dente for stovetop style; see Note 1. Reserve 1 cup pasta water (see Note 2), then drain and transfer to a casserole dish (for the baked version) or back into the pot or a mixing bowl (for the stovetop version).
- Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add the heavy cream and ½ c pasta water, then blend until very smooth. Add the cheeses in ½ cup batches, blending until smooth after each addition. If the mixture becomes too thick, add 2-3 tablespoons pasta water. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. At this point, the mac and cheese can be served as is, or you can proceed to the next step for the baked casserole version.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a small bowl, then mix until the breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the mac and cheese, then transfer to the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. If you’re preparing baked macaroni and cheese, undercook the pasta to prevent it from becoming too soft while it bakes. The pasta will continue to absorb moisture from the cheese sauce while it bakes, and cooking to 1 minute below al dente will allow it to absorb just enough water. If you’re preparing this recipe stovetop style, cook 2 minutes past al dente for tender pasta that’s ready to eat as soon as it’s sauced.
- Note 2. Dip a ladle into the pot and transfer pasta water to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Reserve at least 1 cup in case the sauce is too thick and requires thinning.
- For the sauce: the sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Substitute the pasta water with cornstarch water (preferred) or broth (chicken or vegetable). To make cornstarch water, whisk ¼ teaspoon cornstarch into one cup of near boiling water to mimic the properties of pasta water. Cornstarch must be hot in order to be activated, so you must use near-boiling water.
- For the casserole: prep the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance, but omit the bread crumb topping. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, remove the cover, sprinkle with the bread crumb topping, and bake as directed. You may need to add 5 minutes to the cook time.
Elaine
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been thinking about doing a butternut mac n cheese for Thanksgiving and this is great timing.
Meg
Can you freeze this after it’s baked like a casserole? I had a little before baking it and it’s sooo good! Will bake later and maybe freeze it if it won’t ruin.
Thanks!