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Butternut Squash and Gruyere Mac and Cheese | This dish is the ultimate mac and cheese! Pureed savory roasted butternut squash is mixed with an ultra creamy Gruyere and white cheddar sauce!
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3.67 from 3 votes

Butternut Squash, Gruyere and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This dish is the ultimate mac and cheese! Pureed savory roasted butternut squash is mixed with an ultra creamy Gruyere and white cheddar sauce!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

  • ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH:
  • 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1 cubes
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • BROWNED BUTTER SAGE BREADCRUMBS:
  • 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs one third
  • 2 Tbsp browned butter
  • 1/2 tsp fresh sage minced
  • MAC AND CHEESE:
  • 1 lb pasta short cut (I used campanelle)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/2 stick
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk I used whole
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg preferably freshly ground
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • TO ROAST THE SQUASH:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Toss butternut squash with olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour out onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Roast about 25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and tender.
  • Add roasted squash to food processor and puree until mostly smooth.
  • TO MAKE THE BREADCRUMBS:
  • Melt 2 Tbsp butter over MED heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally. Once the butter has turned golden brown and smells nutty, turn off the heat. Pour butter over the panko and sage in a small dish. Use a fork to toss it all together, and set aside.
  • TO MAKE THE MAC AND CHEESE:
  • Preheat oven to 375 F.
  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add some salt and the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 3-4 minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and stir.
  • Heat a medium saucepan over MED-HIGH heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk, stirring well, until the flour is mixed in, and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Simmer, whisking often, smoothing out any lumps, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add two-thirds each of the Gruyère and cheddar. Stir until smooth. Add about 1 cup of the pureed butternut squash and stir to combine well.
  • Pour the cheese sauce into the pasta bowl and toss to combine. Add pasta to a greased 13x9 baking pan (or any pan from 2.75-3.3L capacity). Sprinkle the remaining one-third Gruyère and cheddar and all of the Parmesan. Top evenly with the panko breadcrumbs.
  • Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes or so. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

Notes

** Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma
** If desired, garnish with crispy prosciutto and fresh minced sage or parsley
** To save on time the squash can be roasted ahead of time.