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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe

I don’t make macaroni and cheese that often, but when I do, I go all out.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is rich, creamy and infused with all sorts of autumn.  The base starts with onion, garlic and thyme sizzling in a pan of hot butter.  A cheese sauce is then made with the addition of flour, milk and grated Kerrygold Aged Cheddar.  Before the cooked shells are folded into the mix, the sauce is flavored with butternut squash puree, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and black pepper.  Finished with a layer of fresh breadcrumbs, chopped sage and Parmesan cheese, the casserole cooks in the oven until golden and bubbly.  This mac and cheese is tangy, earthy and peppery with wonderful pops of crunch and herb from the breadcrumb topping.  This is comfort food to the max.  Like a warm blanket on a cool autumn evening.  Continue reading for the recipe.

Mac and Cheese Ingredients

I recently discovered that Whole Foods carries canned butternut squash puree (Amazon too)!  I don’t mind breaking down and cooking a whole butternut squash, but the use of canned puree here really makes this cheese sauce E. Z.  It comes together in under 10 minutes.  If you can’t find canned butternut squash, there are a number of substitutions available.  First, you could try canned pumpkin puree, and the final mac and cheese will have a similar flavor.  Or, you can roast cubed butternut squash in a 425°F oven and puree in the blender or food processor until smooth.  You’ll want to start with about 2 pounds of pre-cubed butternut squash or a 3 pound whole squash that you peel and cube.  I’ve been seeing many other interesting types of squash at the market that could be used instead of butternut, including Hubbard, Red Kuri, Tahitian Butternut and Fairytale.

Shells

Stirring Sauce

Sauce Zoomed

Shells and Sauce

Halloween is rapidly approaching, and if you’re planning a party, this mac and cheese would be a perfect addition to the savory table.  It will be equally loved by both kids and adults.  The entire casserole can be prepared earlier in the day and baked off right before guests arrive.

If you want to up the Halloween vibe of the dish, you can certainly make the canned pumpkin substitution mentioned above, and perhaps call it Jack and Cheese?  Or Jack-o-Lantern Mac and Cheese?  Pumpkin Brains maybe?

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Unbaked

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe

Servings 8 servings
Author Brandon Matzek

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese:

  • 1 pound of dried pasta (I used shells here)
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk, at room temperature
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) grated aged/sharp cheddar (I used Kerrygold Aged Cheddar here)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans butternut squash (canned pumpkin would work here too!)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

For the breadcrumb topping:

  • 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water, and drain 2 minutes shy of the package instructions. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Preheat an oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the milk and cook until just starting to thicken (about 3 minutes). Take the sauce off the heat, then stir in the cheddar until fully incorporated. Add butternut squash, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne and black pepper, stirring to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt.
  3. Pour cheese sauce into the bowl with the cooked shells until the macaroni is sufficiently coated in sauce. You may not use all the sauce (I had a little leftover). Using a spatula, transfer shells and sauce into a 9" x 13" baking dish.
  4. Combine breadcrumbs, sage, Parmesan cheese and melted butter in a medium bowl, tossing until crumbs are evenly coated in the butter. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and several turns of black pepper. Sprinkle breadcrumb topping evenly over the shells and cheese. Bake in the oven until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and sauce bubbles around the edges (25 - 30 minutes). Let cool for a few moments before serving.

Recipe Notes

* This mac and cheese can be prepared up to a day in advance up to step 3. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Let come to room temperature then continue on with step 4.

I partnered with Kerrygold on this article.  They provided me a selection of their delicious cheeses to sample. #KGgrassfed.

Here are some other comfort food recipes found on Kitchen Konfidence:

Beet and Turnip Gratin

Beet and Turnip Gratin

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Rice Krispie Topping

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Rice Krispie Topping

Parchment Roasted Potatoes

Parchment Roasted Potatoes

Stuffed Cabbage with Rosemary Brown Butter

Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Brown Butter and Rosemary

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet Spices, Chile and Lime

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sweet Spices, Chile and Lime

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. This mac and cheese looks so gourmet….because it is! The Kerrygold Aged White Cheddar (love that stuff), the butternut squash puree, the toasted breadcrumb topping, now THIS is some mac & cheese! Love it!

    • Haha, thanks Averie! Gourmet, but still doable. And yeah, I think the Kerrygold aged cheddar may just be my favorite.

    • HA!! When I first posted this article, no 😛 I’m pretty sure I had my AC on while burning a harvest-themed candle to simulate an actual autumn day. So glad for cool weather now!

  6. The canned puree really is a great option. Thanks so much for pointing this out to me and for this amazing recipe.

    • Squash pairs really nicely with the sharp cheddar. It’s a fun, unexpected combination!

  13. I love the richness of the butternut squash with the cheese. I am also a huge fan of big shell noodles. My kids like to put them on their fingertips when they come out of the water. LOL! Can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving! I am also currently crushing on your beet and turnip gratin! That might make the table too! So gorgeous!

    • Haha, I really do enjoy shells. There’s something nostalgic about them 🙂 Thanks Jennifer!

  15. What a great idea to use canned butternut squash puree. I didn’t even know they made that. I will have to look at Whole Foods for it. I bet it makes the sauce so creamy and smooth!

    • Yeah, it definitely helps with the creamy factor. You don’t have to use as much cheese! Thanks Julia.

  17. Wow, I LOVE this twist on Mac and cheese! It looks delicious. I don’t have it that often either, but I’m the same, when I do I go all out and make it the most decadent, delicious thing ever!

    • Give this one a try. I’ve made it a few times, and it always turns out well. Thanks Brandy!

  24. I just spotted that canned butternut squash at my WF too! I think I’ll need to try it out with some mac and cheese soon, I love all the combinations here, especially that kerrygold cheese.

    • It’s useful to have around! I’ve also successfully used canned butternut squash in pies and soups. Thanks Susan!

  25. I just made this recipe for dinner and added some wilted baby spinach. I also used pumpkin instead of butternut since that’s what I had. It came out totally awesome! I had my doubts that the pumpkin puree would blend that well with the cheese, but it really was like eating a slightly less heavy mac and cheese. Thanks!

  26. DANG this looks like I wanna dive right on into it. All that delicious cheese and sage and breadcrumbs? Yes, please. And I feel you on the canned squash thing. Sometimes you just don’t wanna fight with that knife and peel and then hallelujah jones—somebody created canned food. Hooray for this casserole of wonder!

    • Haha it’s the peeling that gets me :P. I wonder if there’s a trick to make that easier? Thanks Lily :)!!

  28. We made this tonight and it’s the best Mac ‘n cheese I’ve ever had.! We added caramelized onion. The smokiness of the roasted butternut squash added great depth of flavour!

  29. I made this recipe yesterday for a Football Sunday gathering and it was PHENOMENAL. The massive tray I made got devoured in about three minutes! I was really looking for a mac and cheese recipe that screamed autumn, and this was the perfect blend of uniquely seasonal and comfortably familiar. The only change I made – out of necessity – was that I roasted and pureed my own squash because my grocery store didn’t carry the puree. Thank you for the fantastic recipe! I will certainly make this again.

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