Butternut Squash Panko Crusted Mac N Cheese Food

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.
• While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.
• Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies and top with thyme leaves picked from remaining sprigs (Boo would also have a little extra sprinkle of that cheese, please!)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine squash, water (or stock) and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
• Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30-40 minutes more.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place butternut squash, cut-side down, on a baking sheet.
• Roast squash in the preheated oven until soft, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove squash flesh from skin and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour and mustard into melted butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture until the mixture has the texture of heavy cream, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir butternut squash, white Cheddar cheese, and Cheddar cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted. Stir rotini into cheese mixture. Pour cheese mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with bread crumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs are golden, about 10 minutes.

GOURMET BUTTERNUT SQUASH MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Season the squash with salt and pepper as desired.
• Spread water and butter on a sheet pan. Place the squash, flesh side down, on the pan.
• Roast until the squash is tender (fork-able) them remove from oven and cool.
• I guess if you're using frozen squash, you can skip the next step.
• Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor, pulse until the squash is pureed. Measure out 1/2 cup puree; save the remainder for soup or another use.
• Cook pasta al dente in salted water, and drain.
• For the sauce: Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Whisk in the flour and dry mustard.
• Add the milk slowly, whisking continuously until smooth.
• Add some nutmeg and cook on low heat until the sauce thickens and the flour taste dissipates.
• Whisk in the cheese, a little at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated. Fold in the 1/2 cup squash puree. Season with salt and white pepper.
• Stir together the pasta and sauce in a large mixing bowl. Spread in a greased shallow baking dish.
• To make the topping, melt the butter in a pan then stir in the pank and mix until the crumbs are well coated with butter. Stir in the cheese.
• Sprinkle the topping evenly over the pasta.
• Bake at 350 until golden brown, probably 25-35 minutes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PANKO-CRUSTED MAC 'N CHEESE

Steps:

• Make Breadcrumbs and set aside. Heat oil in skillet over med.-high heat. Add shallots and rosemary; sauté about 5 minutes. Mix in breadcrumbs. Cook another couple mins., just to give panko a little color/flavor; stir in parsley & pour mixture in bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9 baking dish. Caramelize butternut squash in butter with sage. (start early so you can cook it well enough). Cube up about 2/3 to ¾ of a med. butternut squash into ½" cubes. Tear up 6-8 fresh sage leafs into 1/2"+ pieces. Heat several tbls butter in large skillet over med./med.-high heat (enough to generously coat whole skillet). Cover about 80% of skillet with single layer of squash cubes. Toss in a pinch or two of the sage leaves. Allow the squash to cook down and caramelize. Stir/flip INFREQUENTLY (do not mash the cubes - let them cook.). You want the cubes to get a nice, caramelized look to them - not burnt, but definitely starting to brown. When they are about half-way there, throw in a few more larger leafs of sage. Set the finished squash cubes aside in a bowl. Cook macaroni until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Make Mac 'n Cheese sauce. Melt 3 tbls butter in large pot over med. heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; stir constantly 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture begins to boil, about 5 minutes. Add Monterey Jack and Gouda gradually, stirring until cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Gently mix butternut squash/sage in to cheese sauce. Stir macaroni into warm cheese sauce, mixing gently. Pour Mac 'n Cheese into buttered 13x9 baking dish. Evenly spread breadcrumb mixture on top of Mac 'n Cheese in baking dish. Bake mac and cheese until breadcrumbs are golden, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. EAT THAT JUNK!