Gourmet Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese Recipes

BUTTERNUT MACARONI CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the squash with the olive oil and some seasoning, and roast on a baking sheet for 15-20 mins until tender. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni following pack instructions, then drain.
• Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour and mustard powder to make a paste. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer to thicken to a smooth sauce, stirring constantly.
• Take the sauce off the heat and mash in a third of the squash with the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Season, then stir in the drained macaroni with the remaining squash. Tip into an ovenproof dish, scatter with the remaining Parmesan and bake for 15 mins until golden and bubbling.

FONTINA MAC WITH SQUASH AND SAGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, shape Parmesan into 8 2-inch rounds. Bake until golden, 10 minutes; remove from sheet to cool. Cook pasta as directed on package; set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 teaspoons butter. Cook whole sage leaves until crisp, 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving butter. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until light brown, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook, 5 minutes. Add squash, garlic, reserved butter and salt. Cover; simmer until squash is very soft, 25 minutes. In a food processor, puree squash mixture. In a pot over medium-low heat, heat squash puree, Fontina, Swiss, chopped sage and cayenne; stir until cheese melts. Stir in pasta. Serve with Parmesan crisps and sage leaves.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.
• While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.
• Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies and top with thyme leaves picked from remaining sprigs (Boo would also have a little extra sprinkle of that cheese, please!)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water,then add the pasta and cook al dente, about 8 minutes.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a Microplane or grater. Cook the onions for a minute or two.
• Add the flour and cook with the onions a minute or two more.
• Whisk in the stock, then add the squash and cook until warmed through and smooth.
• Stir in the cream and bring to a bubble.
• Stir in the cheeses in a figure eight motion and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste to adjust seasonings.
• Drain the cooked pasta well and combine with the sauce. Serve.

GOURMET BUTTERNUT SQUASH MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Season the squash with salt and pepper as desired.
• Spread water and butter on a sheet pan. Place the squash, flesh side down, on the pan.
• Roast until the squash is tender (fork-able) them remove from oven and cool.
• I guess if you're using frozen squash, you can skip the next step.
• Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor, pulse until the squash is pureed. Measure out 1/2 cup puree; save the remainder for soup or another use.
• Cook pasta al dente in salted water, and drain.
• For the sauce: Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Whisk in the flour and dry mustard.
• Add the milk slowly, whisking continuously until smooth.
• Add some nutmeg and cook on low heat until the sauce thickens and the flour taste dissipates.
• Whisk in the cheese, a little at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated. Fold in the 1/2 cup squash puree. Season with salt and white pepper.
• Stir together the pasta and sauce in a large mixing bowl. Spread in a greased shallow baking dish.
• To make the topping, melt the butter in a pan then stir in the pank and mix until the crumbs are well coated with butter. Stir in the cheese.
• Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pasta.
• Bake at 350 until golden brown, probably 25-35 minutes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SAGE MACARONI CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss two-thirds of the butternut squash with the olive oil and seasoning, and roast for 20 mins until nearly tender (it will finish cooking later). Chop the remaining squash coarsely, put in a heatproof bowl with 100ml water and cover with cling film. Microwave on High for 8-10 mins until tender. Drain and mash.
• Fry the onion in a knob of butter until softened but not browned, about 5 mins. Stir in the chopped sage and cook for 1 min more, then add the remaining butter to melt. Stir in the flour and mustard powder, and cook for 1 min until it forms a paste. Gradually whisk in splashes of milk (you can add in bigger additions as you go) until you have a smooth sauce. Bubble, stirring constantly, for 3-5 mins until thickened. Take off the heat and whisk in the mashed squash, 200g of the cheddar and half the Parmesan. Season to taste.
• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions. Drain well, then stir into the sauce with the roasted squash. Tip into a baking dish and scatter with the remaining cheese and sage leaves. Can be made up to a day ahead at this point - cool and keep in the fridge. If freezing, don't add the whole sage leaves.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 again. Splash the sage leaves with oil and bake for 40 mins until bubbling and golden on top.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Place cooked squash in the bowl of a food processor; process until pureed. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in cooked pasta, milk, cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, bouillon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper until completely blended and creamy. Serve immediately.

CAVATAPPI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• While heating water for pasta, pulse squash in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add squash, water (1 cup), sage, and salt and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add butter and stir until incorporated.
• Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in squash mixture, cheese, and pepper to taste until combined well. Season with salt and add some of reserved cooking water to moisten if necessary.