Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (gluten-free option)
Light and creamy, cozy and full of flavor. This baked butternut squash mac and cheese is an easy, wholesome twist on classic comfort food and it can easily be made gluten free. Make as side dish or as the star of the meal.
Servings 10 side servings
Calories 417kcal
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 large stock pot
- 1 baking dish
Ingredients
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about a 2lb squash)
- 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic (4 if on the small side)
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- 16 oz penne noodles (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 16 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh sage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
- Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix squash with olive oil to evenly coat. Add garlic cloves (with paper skin ON) to the baking sheet. Bake squash and garlic for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. Remove garlic from skin after it’s roasted (you can easily squeeze the garlic from the skin once it's roasted).
- While the squash is roasting, using a large stock pot, cook the pasta to el dente (or even slightly under el dente as it will continue to cook when it's baked). Drain and set aside. Return stock pot to the stove as you'll use this to make the sauce.
- Once the squash is cooked, add the cooked squash, roasted garlic (skin removed), onion powder, nutmeg, salt, and broth to a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- To the large stock pot, add the milk and heat over medium-low heat. Stir in 12 oz of the shredded cheddar and mix until the cheese is fully melted. Turn off the heat and add the butternut squash puree - mix until combined. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning if you'd like (add more salt, pepper, nutmeg).
- Return the noodles back to the pot and mix noodles with sauce. Pour noodles into a 2-3 quart sized baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 4 oz of cheese and the chopped sage.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are bubbly. Lastly, broil for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to buy block cheese and shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt as well.
- I prefer Penne noodles, but any tube shaped noodle will work. Use gluten-free noodles for gluten-free. I prefer brown rice noodles (GF) or whole wheat noodles.
- Chicken bone broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth can be used (just don't use beef broth).
- If you have extra squash, throw the roasted squash cubes in with the noodles before baking. The chunks of squash with the mac and cheese is amazing!
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 399mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6467IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 409mg | Iron: 1mg
