Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall flavors and I love incorporating it into different recipes. I think it's always nice to sneak veggies into recipes. Although you can taste a hint of butternut squash in this macaroni and cheese, you can't actually see it -- a nice trick for picky eaters.

Adapted from Lauren's Latest.

Ingredients:

-1 pound cooked pasta, some small shape

-1 tablespoon butter

-1/2 large onion, finely diced

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-2 cups roasted and pureed butternut squash 

-1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

-1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese

-1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese

-salt & pepper, to taste

-2 pinches nutmeg

-1 cup milk

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and then saute the onions and garlic over medium heat. Cook until tender and lightly browned, stirring as you go, about 6 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and reduce liquid by half. Add in the pureed butternut squash and stir to help the squash and vegetable stock combine.

Pour in cooked pasta and then the cheeses little by little, stirring as you go. Add splashes of milk to thin out melted cheese to create sauce. After all the cheese is melted into the pot, continue stirring and adding in milk until you've use one cup. This sauce will be very cheesy, so don't lose hope if it seems like a big mess of cheese -- it will melt. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

I really liked how this recipe turned out. The pureed butternut squash blended nicely into the cheese creating a nice velvety texture. The taste of the squash is subtle, a reminder that this isn't just macaroni and cheese. Adding sriracha over the top before serving added a nice element of heat, hot sauce would work nicely as well if you'd like to spice this up.