Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese
One of our most popular school recipes. A very delicious and filling macaroni cheese with some ‘hidden veg’. A great way to sneak some veggies into children’s diets!
Prep time: 15 minutes / Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
350g macaroni pasta
50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
150g cheese, grated
500g butternut squash
METHOD:
1. Prepare the butternut squash: peel, cut in half, remove the seeds & cut into cubes.
2. Place butternut squash cubes in an oven tray, drizzle with some oil & season. Roast in a preheated oven at 190°C until soft & golden. Remove from the oven and mash using a fork or a potato masher until smooth.
3. Cook macaroni pasta: bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook following the manufacturer’s instructions. Drain and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, stir in the flour mixing constantly until you have a paste. Slowly add in the milk in batches, stirring constantly until smooth. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, season.
5. Add ½ of the cheese & butternut squash puree to the sauce, stir until cheese is melted. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Check for seasoning.
6. Transfer to a greased baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cook in the oven until the top is golden brown.
TIPS:
✔ If you would rather have a crunchy topping for your mac and cheese, grate any bits of hard bread, mix with some melted butter and grated cheese (you can add herbs too) and use as topping instead of just cheese. It will turn golden brown when cooked and give it a bit of a crunch, seriously delicious!
✔ You can use any other vegetables instead of the butternut squash, add some mashed carrots or sweet potatoes instead, like the butternut squash, they will give you a smooth sauce with no bits ideal for fussy eaters. If your family is happy with bits of veg, you can add some cooked broccoli, peas or sweetcorn in the cheese sauce.
✔ It is an awesome recipe to use leftover cooked meats that you may have in the fridge. Chop to bite size pieces and add them in with the pasta (step 6). Cooked sausages, bacon or ham would work really well.
✔ This dish is quite filling so would be best served with some green vegetables (broccoli, peas, green beans) or a side salad.
