Sneaky Squash Mac And 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 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.

SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Make macaroni and cheese dinner as directed on box--except stir in squash purée with the milk.

SNEAKY SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• While the macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together, making a roux; cook for 1 minute. Add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly until incorporated. Cook and whisk until sauce is thick and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Drain pasta and add to sauce. Serve hot.

LOW FAT MAC AND FOUR CHEESE (WITH SQUASH) - HEALTHY!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

SNEAKY (HEALTHY) MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• •Put cauliflower florets in microwave safe dish and cook covered for 10 minutes, or until tender.
• •In a large pot, bring pasta water to a boil.
• •Add pasta, and cook until al dente, I recommend 2 minutes less than the package says.
• •Drain and add back to the pot, off the heat.
• •In another, small pot, boil milk and pasta water (scoop it out of the boiling pasta pot) with the butternut squash.
• •Add the butternut squash and milk mix into a blender with the cheeses.
• •Add the cauliflower.
• •Blend until smooth.
• •Taste, you will probably need to add a decent amount of salt.
• •Add the sauce to the pasta and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
• •Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed (yes again - this is your last chance to get it perfect!).
• Melt butter and mix with bread crumbs.
• Sprinkle bread crumbs over mac n cheese.
• Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden.
• Can be made ahead and refridgerated. Just cook 30 minutes.
• •Eat up! (And don't tell!).

MAC-N-CHEESE WITH ZUCCHINI AND SQUASH

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni per directions until tender.
• Saute the zucchini, squash, onion, and pepper in the oil until tender.
• in a sauce pan on medium heat add the milk and margarine and heat until margarine is melted.
• Cube the Velveeta and add to sauce pan. Stir with wisk until you have cheese sauce.
• Add the macaroni and the sauteed vegetables to your baking dish.
• Mix in the cheese sauce.
• Mix the bread crumbs and the parm and then top the dish with it.
• Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.