Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese takes your favorite cheesy pasta dish and gives it a flavorful fall twist! In under 30 minutes, the smooth, and decadent butternut squash cheese sauce perfectly coats the al dente macaroni noodles and makes for a dreamy dish the whole family will love.
The bright, nutty flavor of this exquisite Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese is reason enough to make it every week!
Reasons You’ll Love This
Trader Joe’s Fans – Let me guess, Trader Joe’s is out of their Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese and you’re on the search to recreate it yourself? You’re in the right place!
Mac and Cheese Lovers – Nothing beats a homemade mac and cheese, especially one packed with tons of flavor and nutrients!
No Roux – Yep, sometimes that grainy texture bugs me too. This butternut squash mac and cheese recipe doesn’t need a roux to make it creamy!
Hidden Veggies – If you have kids, or adults in the house that aren’t about eating veggies, try hiding them with this recipe! They won’t notice one bit.
Fall Foods – During the fall season, everyone talks about the desserts. Today, we’re highlighting a savory food you can add some fall flavor to!
You might try this recipe thinking that you’re being slick sneaking veggies into your family’s food, and then you’re going to discover that it actually makes it taste even better. The butternut squash adds such a creamy, nutty flavor to this dish! You won’t wan’t to make another mac and cheese recipe again.
Ingredient Info
Let’s discuss how to make butternut squash mac and cheese, as well as the ingredients that are needed. Please take note that below you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about this recipe to help you recreate it in your kitchen. If you *just* want the recipe itself, scroll down. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.
- Macaroni – Macaroni noodles are the classic shape for any mac and cheese recipe. You can also use rigatoni, penne, rotini, cavatappi or bowtie noodles for this recipe.
- Butter – Use salted butter for this recipe. You’ll need to split the 4 tablespoons into 2 separate tablespoons.
- Garlic – Always recommend fresh, minced garlic. Of course, you can use the jar stuff if that’s all you have.
- Butternut Squash – Okay, butternut squash is not easy to cut up, so this recipe calls for frozen, cubed butternut squash. If you want, you can use fresh butternut squash, but if you do, you’ll need to let the squash simmer for an extra 15 minutes.
- Vegetable Broth – Veggie broth has such a depth of flavor that pairs well with the butternut squash. If you want you can use a low-sodium chicken broth instead.
- Whole Milk – Whole milk is the best milk option, because it’s a lot creamier than the other options. If you want your mac and cheese a bit creamier, you can try using half and half instead.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese will melt down a lot better than the pre-shredded cheese.
- Seasonings – For this recipe, you’ll need salt, pepper and garlic powder
Step By Step Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil, and cook your macaroni according to the package directions, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a separate large pot or dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of butter and let that melt over medium heat. Next, add the minced garlic. Let that cook in the butter for 1 minute, then add the frozen butternut squash and vegetable broth.
- Stir occasionally and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the squash in the broth until it becomes a smooth and creamy sauce.
- To the sauce, add the milk, remaining butter, grated cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until everything is combined, and the cheese melts down.
- Once combined, add the drained pasta and fold everything together until combined. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Tips and Advice
Storage – Store the leftover Butternut Mac and Cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat you can microwave a serving, or add it back to the pot over medium heat with a splash of milk and a little bit of butter. Cook until heated through then serve!
No Blender NO Problem!
If you don’t have an immersion blender to blend up the butternut squash with, don’t fret. You can use a can of pureed butternut squash instead, and whisk everything together. You can also use a regular blender, just be careful because the broth is hot!
Equipment
For this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, you’ll need or want a few of these materials:
FAQs
Butternut squash tastes reminiscent of a sweet potato, but a bit nuttier. It has a slightly sweet, earthy flavor. It pairs really well with the saltiness and umami flavor of the veggie broth, and of course, cheese just makes everything delicious!
You could totally top this mac and cheese with some fresh thyme or parsley, add some crunch with a breadcrumb topping, as well as some grilled chicken or even turkey!
Serves Well With
This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese would pair wonderfully with a couple of these main dishes and sides. You could also put this on the menu for your Thanksgiving celebration!
- Green Beans Almondine
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Jiffy Cornbread
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Glazed Carrots
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 10 ounces frozen butternut squash cubed
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil, and cook your macaroni according to the package directions, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a separate large pot or dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of butter and let that melt over medium heat. Next, add the minced garlic. Let that cook in the butter for 1 minute, then add the frozen butternut squash and vegetable broth.
- Stir occasionally and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the squash in the broth until it becomes a smooth and creamy sauce.
- To the sauce, add the milk, remaining butter, grated cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until everything is combined, and the cheese melts down.
- Once combined, add the drained pasta and fold everything together until combined. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Sandra Pronteau says
I will definitely try this recipe out; Nice adding Butternut Squash to the flavor;