This butternut squash mac and cheese is a delightful twist on a classic comfort food. The recipe seamlessly blends the sweetness of butternut squash with the creamy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese.
Recipe Science
- Butternut squash is naturally starchy, so when cooked and pureed, it absorbs liquid from the milk and broth, creating a creamy, smooth cheese sauce without needing a flour-based roux.
- The rapid blade action in a blender creates a silky, smooth mixture with the squash, caramelized onions, milk, salt, and broth.
- Season the pasta with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 4 quarts of water. This ensures a savory taste through the dish.
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Featured Comment 25
“Having grown up with the boxed stuff, I was afraid that my teenage boys would not like it. I was wrong!! They loved it, and the winner for me is that it’s so much healthier and packed with vitamins. This one’s a keeper!”—Maxine
Why It Works
This dish offers a comforting blend of flavors, ideal for cold nights when you’re in the mood for something cozy yet refined. It presents a chance to create a wholesome meal featuring butternut squash, a favorite ingredient of the season.
Instead of the usual macaroni and cheese base of flour, butter, milk, and cheddar, this version incorporates pureed starchy butternut squash, sweet caramelized onions, and milk, blended until silky smooth. Just a tiny addition of sharp cheddar cheese ensures the beloved gooey consistency.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Use elbow macaroni for a classic look. Select gluten-free if you have dietary restrictions or whole-grain pasta for more fiber per serving.
- Butternut Squash: Purchase one about 2 pounds in size to yield 4 cups of diced pieces. Frozen butternut squash can also be used.
- Onions: Use thinly sliced yellow onions to caramelize. They have a good balance of savory and naturally sweet flavors.
- Butter: Cook the onions in butter to promote browning, but feel free to use olive oil.
- Broth: Use vegetable broth or stock to cook the butternut squash. The savory liquid infuses more flavor into the vegetable.
- Milk: Whole milk adds creaminess to the pasta sauce without making it too rich.
- Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese adds the right amount of tangy and salt flavor. Freshly grated cheese will have the best melt.
- Herbs: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This butternut squash mac and cheese recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty ideas:
- Pasta: Use other short-cut types of pasta, such as shells, cavatappi, fusilli, or penne. Add fiber with whole-grain or fiber-enriched pasta.
- Cheese: Pair the cheddar cheese with a mild Monterey Jack or white cheddar for a gooey melt. For sharp savory flavor, add aged Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, or add smoked gouda for a charred taste.
- Topping: Add homemade breadcrumbs, crushed Ritz crackers, or Chez-it’s.
- Seasoning: Make the dish spicy with Cajun seasoning or taco seasoning. Drizzle in truffle oil. Add in onion powder and garlic powder for a roasted allium note.
- Herbs: Add fresh herbs like chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, or basil.
- Seafood: Add canned tuna to make it a tuna mac, or add seafood to make lobster mac and cheese.
- Vegetables: Add steamed broccoli, peas, mushrooms, spinach, kale, or cauliflower.
- Meat: Add shredded chicken, leftover baked ham, turkey, pancetta, or crispy bacon.
How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Caramelize the Onions
This dish begins with slowly sauteing onions in a little bit of butter. Caramelized onions add a pleasant depth to this butternut squash macaroni and cheese recipe. The process takes about 30 minutes. While your onions are happily transforming in the pan, make the sauce.
Step 2: Cook the Butternut Squash
Boil cubes of butternut squash until fork-tender in vegetable broth for the base of the cream sauce. The natural starches in the squash activate when heated. It takes about 7 minutes to cook.
Ingredient Chemistry: Butternut is a type of squash considered a naturally starchy gourd. When cooked and pureed, the starch molecules absorb the liquid from the milk and broth. Then, it swells and holds the moisture in suspension without separating. You get a creamy, smooth sauce without making a roux base (cooked flour and butter plus milk).
Step 3: Puree the Squash
My blender is a pro at making purees, but you can also use a food processor if it’s big enough. Add the cooked squash, caramelized onions, milk, salt, and vegetable broth. The rapid mechanical shear from the blades, in addition to the liquids, helps to create a silky squash puree.
Step 4: Cook the Pasta
When cooking pasta, I like to season the boiling water, a habit I picked up in culinary school. I use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 4 quarts of water. Cook the pasta according to the packaged directions until al dente. Drain off the water, but keep the pasta in the pot.
Step 5: Make the Macaroni and Cheese
The beauty of this dish is that you can add whatever shredded cheese you like. I kept it simple with a sharp cheddar cheese so the squash and sweet onions shine through. Add the squash mixture and shredded cheddar to the pot of pasta. Stir until coated with the cheese sauce—season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Step 6: Toast the Breadcrumbs
For a little crunch, I toast Panko bread crumbs over medium heat until golden brown. It adds the perfect texture contrast, but it is optional.
Quick Substitution: Alternatively, you can use crackers like Ritz or Chez-Its; just crumble them up and use them as a quick topping.
Step 7: To Serve
Generously sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top before serving the butternut mac and cheese. I also add chopped parsley for a pop of color. If you love the traditional dish, this may not be an exact 1:1 replacement. However, it’s a fantastic vegetable alternative with plenty of creamy, cheesy goodness!
Frequently Asked Questions
Add the butternut squash pasta into a baking dish or cast iron skillet to make a baked macaroni and cheese. If desired, add more cheddar cheese for a gooey melt. Toss ½ cup panko with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Cutting butternut squash to incorporate into a pasta dish has impressive health benefits! It’s low in fat and packed with dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, and carotenoids in the orange flesh, like beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A. You can closely replicate the creamy texture without extra flour and butter.
Freeze a tray or individual portions for up to 3 months. Smaller servings can be reheated in the microwave. A baking dish can be warmed in the oven at 350ºF (177ºC) until hot. Cover the surface if it starts to brown too much.
Serve This With
If you tried this Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups sliced yellow onion, ⅛" thick
- 4 cups diced butternut squash, ½" dice
- 5 cups vegetable broth , or stock
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions – In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions in one layer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, keeping the onions in one layer. Reduce heat if browning too quickly.
- Cook the Butternut Squash – In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Add the butternut squash and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a blender and reserve the broth.
- Puree the Squash – To the blender with squash, add the caramelized onions, milk, salt, and ¼ cup reserved broth. Puree until smooth and creamy. If needed, add up to ¼ cup more broth to thin the sauce.
- Cook the Pasta – In a large pot, cook the macaroni in salted boiling water according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drain and leave the pasta in the pot.
- Make the Macaroni and Cheese – Pour the butternut squash puree over the cooked noodles in the pot. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted and combined. Add more milk if needed to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast the Breadcrumbs – In a small pan, toast panko breadcrumbs over medium heat until all sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally for even toasting.
- To Serve – Serve topped with toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 4 cups
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Storing: Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free macaroni and breadcrumbs.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Judy says
Do you think this could be baked in the oven for a bit to get it piping hot? Would the sauce hold up okay?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can definitely bake or broil for a bit to get the macaroni and cheese hot.
Jan says
Would there be a way to make this in the Instant pot? Somehow cook the broth, squash and noodles all together after sauteing the onions?
Has anyone tried?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jan- I wonder if you can make the sauce portion in the pot and pressure cook the vegetable, puree, and then cook the noodles on the saute setting until tender, then mix in the cheese.
Lauren says
What is the actual serving size for the nutritional value provided?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Lauren- great question! The serving size is about 1- 1 1/8 cups of butternut squash macaroni and cheese.
Sam says
I have made this three times now! Absolutely love this recipe and it is really easy to modify. (One time I put in almond milk, another time I put in some indian spices for flavor) This is also a really good recipe if you have some leftover veggies in your fridge (like yams or similar) and you don’t know what to do with them! Love love love this recipe. Thanks!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for your feedback Sam! I love how you’ve kicked it up a notch 🙂 I’ll have to give your modifications a try!
Morgan says
This is awesome! Definitely going to try with Banza pasta- so much more protein and better tasting than whole grain 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Morgan! I’ll have to try the banza pasta, always looking for healthier options!
Jo says
This was fantastic! My husband loved it, which is a great plus. I was in a hurry to find a side dish for a pork loin roast and discovered the pin for this on Pinterest. As I was short on time, I made several modifications but can’t wait to try the exact recipe. I did not use onions and instead added some garlic and instead of squash I used a can of pumpkin purée. Thanks
Jill says
This was just okay. I love caramelized onions and butternut squash but I felt like the onions were lost in this dish. It was a lot of work and mess and I would have rather had a plate with caramelized onions, butternut squash baked in the oven, and a protein like steak. This didn’t satisfy my Mac n cheese craving. It was more like butternut squash noodles, and I would have rather saved the carbs and had a protein. Overall, not bad- I’ll eat the leftovers, but I won’t be making it again.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jill! I truly appreciate your honest feedback on the butternut squash macaroni and cheese. It’s definitely a different spin on a classic. I would love to help improve the recipe anyway I can 🙂
Maxine says
Having grown up with the boxed stuff, I was afraid that my teenage boys would not like it. I was wrong!! They loved it, and the winner for me is that it’s so much healthier, packed with vitamins. This one’s a keeper! The leftover broth has now been enhanced and will make a great base for a soup. Thanks Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for the wonderful feedback Maxine! I grew up on the boxed too, and I definitely enjoy this recipe and so does baby James 🙂 Great use of the extra broth for a soup!
Stacey says
This sounds amazing! I love butternut squash and I love mac & cheese so I’m looking forward to trying the two together. I like to get extra veggies into meals where I can so this really appeals. ?
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Stacey! I really enjoy the combo. I love how my toddler can enjoy the recipe and get extra veggies too!
Nicole says
Hi my name is Nicole, do you have a cookbook?, I’m interested in buying one and recommending everyone to buy one.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Nicole! I have a FREE ebook if you sign up for my newsletter on the right side of my website, 25 recipes! I hope to create more cookbooks to share in the future 🙂 Your comment really made me smile!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Nicole! Check out my cookbook “easy culinary science for better cooking”. I think you and your friends will LOVE it!
Raquel @ My California Roots says
This looks so good!! I’ve been really wanting to make Mac n Cheese, but I just can’t bring myself to make it because it’s so unhealthy. But I think I could handle this 😉
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Raquel! Mac n cheese always seems like an indulgent treat, but happy to have this healthier version as an option!
Ann@CreatedToCook says
Jessica… You are such an awesome mom! I still make this for my boys (11 and 6), and because they’ve never had the stuff from the box, they don’t know the difference. Keep up the great work!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Ann! I get super happy when James like my cooking, especially when it’s a healthier version! We need to reconnect! How’d the blog going?
Trish says
Oooooh I love squash mac and cheese! Making me drool Jessica!