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Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I love this lightened up version of traditional mac and cheese! It's so creamy with a crunchy panko top! | @tasteLUVnourish

Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese

February 22, 2016 By Caroline 13 Comments

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Macaroni and cheese is probably my most requested comfort food in need of major lightening-up.  To be honest, I actually have a few versions that I think are delicious.  This one, with creamy butternut squash, is really wonderful.  What I love, is that it’s not just lightened up, but the squash adds so much nutritionally speaking and quite a bit in the flavor department.

 

The butternut creates a creamy texture and a very slight sweetness. I like to compliment that by using the sharpest white cheddar I can find and balance it all with a few shakes of Tabasco and a pinch  of mustard powder.

Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I love this lightened up version of traditional mac and cheese! It's so creamy with a crunchy panko top! | @tasteLUVnourish

Feel free to add some greens to this to amp-up the veggie factor even more! Try adding coarsely chopped broccoli, spinach or kale.  This makes a great side-dish or make it a complete meal by serving with a nice big salad.

Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I love this lightened up version of traditional mac and cheese! It's so creamy with a crunchy panko top! | @tasteLUVnourish

Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese

You'll love this lightened up version of traditional mac and cheese! It's so creamy and satisfying with a crunchy panko top!
Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound butternut squash cubed into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cup milk see Notes
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry ground mustard
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1 pound uncooked whole grain rotini pasta
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat panko

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 12 inch round or 13x9 inch baking dish and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, over medium high heat, combine the squash, garlic, vegetable broth and milk. Bring to a boil and reduce to a light simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool as you boil the pasta.
  • Over high heat, bring a pot of water to a boil with a few pinches of sea salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
  • In a blender, or with an immersion blender, blend the squash mixture along with the Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, Tabasco and dry mustard. Add the grated cheese and just stir in.
  • Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and stir to coat.
  • Pour the pasta mixture into the greased baking dish.
  • In a small bowl, combine the panko with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Mix to combine using your fingers.
  • Top the casserole with the panko mixture.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and slightly bubbly.

Notes

Use any milk you love. Keep things light by using a non-fat or low-fat milk or your favorite unsweetened and unflavored almond milk. I use 2% milk in this.
I love full fat Greek yogurt best, but lower fat or non-fat work well, too. Fage is my yogurt of choice. It isn't overly tart and adds a nice creaminess.
Super sharp white cheddar works so well with this, but I've also used a spicy Pepper Jack that is really nice. You might even try a reduced-fat cheese.
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Adapted from Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese by Cooking Light

Butternut Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I love this lightened up version of traditional mac and cheese! It's so creamy with a crunchy panko top! | @tasteLUVnourish

Filed Under: Dinner, Fall, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter Tagged With: baked mac and cheese recipe, butternut macaroni and cheese, butternut squash, cayenne, dry mustard, easy healthy macaroni and cheese, easy mac and cheese recipe, garlic, Greek yogurt, healthier comfort food, healthy cheese sauce recipe, healthy comfort food, healthy macaroni and cheese, light cheese sauce recipe, light macaroni and cheese, lower fat macaroni and cheese, mac and cheese, mac and cheese recipe, milk, olive oil, panko, pasta, recipe, rotini, sharp cheddar cheese, sharp white cheddar cheese, the best healthy mac and cheese recipe, whole grain rotini

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa Stephens

    March 6, 2016 at 8:01 pm

    Caroline, this was delicious! I tried something different and
    roasted the butternut squash with some onion first until tender.
    I added some chopped fresh sage, which I love with butternut squash, to the liquid mixture and simmered the all the ingredients another 10 minutes. I will definitely make this again! Thanks.

    Lisa

    Reply
    • Caroline

      March 7, 2016 at 11:29 am

      Lisa! I love your version! I’ll have to try that. Roasted butternut is so tasty…especially with sage! Thanks for sharing that! Miss you…let’s get together soon!

      Reply
  2. Rachel - A Southern Fairytale

    March 2, 2016 at 1:51 am

    Sharp white cheddar is one of my top 5 cheeses, and the pairing of the butternut squash sweetness and the sharp bite of the cheddar… brilliant, and it makes me want to dive into an insane amount of this dish! This paired with some delicious sourdough and herb butter.. yes, please!

    Thank you so much for letting me feature this recipes in the relaunch of the Weekly Meal Plans! http://asouthernfairytale.com/2016/03/02/weekly-meal-plan-week-32/

    Reply
  3. Lynne

    February 26, 2016 at 7:47 pm

    Pasta and butternut squash seem to have a natural affinity. I saw your image on Instagram and had to come find the recipe. It’s on the menu!

    Reply
    • Caroline

      February 27, 2016 at 4:02 pm

      Hi Lynne! So glad you clicked over! Yes…I never realized just how well the butternut would pair with pasta…it’s wonderful! Hope you love it! :)

      Reply
  4. Letty / Letty's Kitchen

    February 23, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    I have been meaning to try a butternut squash mac and cheese for some time now. This is the one!

    Reply
    • Caroline

      February 23, 2016 at 6:31 pm

      Yay, Letty! Yes, me too! I’ve been meaning to test this out for ages…glad I did…it’s so good! Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  5. Traci | Vanilla And Bean

    February 23, 2016 at 10:40 am

    I sooo need this right now, Caroline! Butternut squash Mac and Cheese is pure comfort and so delicious. What I love about your recipe is the addition of Tabasco and a bit of tangy yogurt! So smart! And of course, the sharpest white cheddar. Tillamook’s white cheddar is my favorite and I know it would be divine in this! Thank you my dear! :D Delicious!

    Reply
    • Caroline

      February 23, 2016 at 6:30 pm

      Thanks so much, Traci! Yes! I am such a Tabasco fiend, so it may have made it’s way on this no matter what! Ahhhh…Tillamook is a perfect choice! That’s exactly the flavor I’m talking about…that sharpness works so well to balance out that slight sweetness of the squash. Thanks for stopping in sweet friend!

      Reply
  6. Jess @ Nourished by Nutrition

    February 23, 2016 at 8:37 am

    I love your version of this mac and cheese! Great recipe! One question. I noticed in the recipe the milk says “see notes” but I don’t see any notes on it. Does a certain milk not work in this recipe? I typically only have nut milk in my house.
    xx, Jess

    Reply
    • Caroline

      February 23, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      Ah! Thanks so much for catching that, Jess! I actually woke up this morning remembering that I never added my notes! Updated now! You can absolutely use any nut milk as long as it’s unflavored or unsweetened…well, you already know that! ;)

      Reply
  7. Joanne

    February 23, 2016 at 7:12 am

    I love mac and cheese however I can get it, but especially stuffed with butternut! Total comfort.

    Reply
    • Caroline

      February 23, 2016 at 6:25 pm

      Thanks, lovely! Yes…total comfort! :)

      Reply

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