dinner, recipes, sides, vegetarian ·
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Please don’t let fall pass you by without making this butternut squash mac and cheese! It is creamy and cheesy and flavorful and yum. Plus it is surprisingly easy to make aka the perfect weeknight meal.
Trader Joe’s butternut squash mac and cheese can move over because there’s a new mac and cheese in town. You won’t need to buy the Trader Joe’s version anymore, and you’ll be able to eat it all fall and winter long!
ingredients needed for butternut squash mac and cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cups butternut squash
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb pasta
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups grated cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water
how to make butternut squash mac and cheese
We are keeping this mac and cheese as simple as possible! Start by adding the butter to a pot over medium heat. Add the cubed butternut squash and chicken broth, cover, and let it come to a boil. It needs to boil until the butternut squash is tender, about 10 minutes. While it cooks, fill a large pot with water and start heating it up to cook the pasta. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water (which we will add to our sauce later) then drain the pasta.
Once the butternut squash is fork tender, transfer the squash, along with any broth that hasn’t cooked off, to a blender. Add the milk and dijon mustard and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring to a medium low heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in the cooked pasta and stir again. If you want the sauce to be thinner, add pasta water until you get the consistency you want. Serve up and enjoy it while it’s hot!
how to store / reheat leftovers
If you think you’ll have leftovers, the best thing to do to get perfect reheated leftovers it to save some extra pasta water! Save it separate from the pasta, then when you’re ready to eat the leftovers, add them to a pot over low heat with some pasta water. As it heats up you can add additional pasta water until it is the consistency you want!
As for storing the leftovers, keep them in a sealable container in the fridge. It will stay good for 4-5 days in the fridge. Also, if you need to heat the leftover pasta up quickly, you can always pop it in the microwave. It just won’t be as creamy as heating it in a pot with the extra pasta water! But it will still taste delicious so that is most important
the secret to smooth, creamy mac and cheese
The biggest secret to getting smooth, creamy mac and cheese (no matter what homemade recipe you are using) is to grate your own cheese! Pre-grated cheese has preservatives like potato starch on the cheese to keep it from clumping together in the bag. But that starch works against you when you want it to melt down into a creamy sauce. So, you’ll be way better off to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself!
Another key to this mac and cheese specifically, is to make sure your butternut squash is fully cooked! If it has been fully cooked then it won’t be stringy at all like some squash. If it is really fork-tender, then it will blend up smooth as can be.
other recipes you will love
- butternut squash, kale, and farro salad
- creamy tomato basil soup
- pesto honey grilled cheese
- creamy carrot pasta
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Servings 4 – 6 servings
ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cups butternut squash cubed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb pasta any medium/smaller shape!
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups grated cheese i like sharp cheddar
instructions
Add the butter, butternut squash, and chicken broth to a large pot over medium heat. When the broth begins to boil, turn the heat to medium low, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes, or until the butternut squash is very tender.
While the butternut squash is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water then drain the cooked pasta.
When the butternut squash is cooked, transfer the squash, and any remaining chicken broth that hasn't cooked off, to a blender. Add milk and dijon mustard and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and put it back on the stove over medium low heat.
Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated. If you want the sauce thinner, add pasta water until your desired consistency is achieved.
Plate and top with black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
Keep any leftovers in a sealable container in the fridge. It will stay good for 4-5 days. If you know you will be reheating the pasta later, save some pasta water (in a separate container), then to reheat the pasta add it to a pot over medium heat and add some pasta water. As it heats up, stir and add more pasta water as needed.
