Above: Buttery Macaroni & Cheese served with pureed butternut squash, braised kale and fresh tomato
| “Buttery” Baked Macaroni & Cheese |
Recipe Type: Main
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6
The secret ingredient is the butternut squash! I’ve tried other vegetable fillers but this is the best.
Ingredients
- 1 box of macaroni
- Sauce:
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
- 1 cup lowfat milk
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crumbled farmers cheese like Queso Fresco
- 1 tsp pureed horseradish
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- dash of hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- Topping:
- 1 cup panko
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, boil the onion, butternut squash and pinch of salt with enough water to cover it
- When squash is soft, drain the water into a separate bowl and set aside
- In a blender, add the cooked squash and onion with all the rest of the ingredients for the sauce
- Blend well — sauce should look like melted Velveeta
- In cooking pot, pour in the water saved from the squash plus enough extra for the macaroni and a another dash of salt.
- When water is boiling, add macaroni and cook until nearly tender, just underdone.
- Drain water and pour macaroni into a lasagna pan. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix well.
- Crumble topping over macaroni and bake in a 400º oven until bubbly and topping is browned (about 15 minutes)
Notes
Serve with braised greens or a salad for a truly guilt-free comfort food meal.
One of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese and I was determined to find a recipe that was both delicious and cut down on the fat. This is my all time favorite — buttery taste but if you can believe it: no butter! The key: butternut squash in the cheese sauce.
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