Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Sage and Caramelized Onions
- Prep Time 0:30
- Cook Time 0:25
- Estimated Cost $10.50
- 9 Comments
Hopefully you are not tired of my constant reinventing of mac and cheese because, frankly, it’s a lot of fun and it’s probably going to keep happening.
After my cousin Sarah mentioned to me that she had made my Brown Butter-Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, I found myself hovering near the squash at the grocery store last night. Before I knew it, my basket also held fresh sage, an onion, aged white cheddar and a box of macaroni elbows.
The resulting dish was hearty and warming on this chilly night, yet not overly filling and left my kitchen smelling of sage and sweet onions. Delish.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dried macaroni elbows, penne, shells or other small pasta $1 for 14 oz.
- 1/2 medium butternut squash, seeded, peeled and diced $2 for a whole squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Pantry
- 1/2 white onion, diced $0.50
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter $1 for a stick
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Pantry
- 1 cup milk $1.50 for a pint
- 4 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese, plus a few extra pinches for garnish $3.50 for 8 oz.
- 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped finely $1 for a bunch
- salt and pepper to taste Pantry
Recipe Serves 4
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Set aside.
- While pasta cooks, place the squash in a medium pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until squash is very soft. Drain and either puree (in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender) or mash with a fork until very smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Add the onions and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally or until onions are very soft and very fragrant. Turn off heat.
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat and cook just until lightly browned. Whisk in flour to form a sticky dough. Slowly whisk in the milk to form a very creamy sauce.
- Stir in the butternut squash and the cheese until completely distributed. Add the sage, caramelized onions and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be very thick and creamy at this point.
- Scrape the sauce into the cooked pasta and stir well to ensure all the pasta is coated. Transfer into 4 individual ramekins/oven-proof bowls or one large baking pan. Top with reserved shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve hot.
Leave a Comment
What They're Saying
Laura Hunter, on Nov 10, 09:44 AM, wrote:
This looks absolutely amazing. My husband loves butternut squash, I think I will definitely have to give it a go this week.
Garrett deRosset, on Nov 10, 10:11 AM, wrote:
So I’ve turned my roommate (1 of 7) on to this website. He took it back with him in Colorado and cooked for his family, and cooked for me last night. Now it’s my turn to find something good. I was browsing my google reader, came across this in minutes and said DONE! It’s pretty easy to find something delicious and fun to cook here, no?
Amanda, on Nov 10, 05:56 PM, wrote:
Made this tonight, even my picky housemates liked it! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I’m going to start promoting your blog to my friends, too.
gadi, on Nov 11, 12:52 PM, wrote:
looks great. Reminds me a dish my i used to make out of leftovers.
Clair, on Nov 11, 04:37 PM, wrote:
OMG! Just made this, with a can of butternut squash soup I had in the back of the pantry and even that was delicious!!! Can’t wait to try it w/fresh squash. I just found your site through CNN/Blue Kitchen…and I love it, can’t wait to try other things!!!!
Aislynn, on Nov 14, 03:07 PM, wrote:
Made this tonight! It worked beautifully, and can’t wait to use the rest of the stuff that I bought to make it again. Thanks for this website. So fantastic. Next time I’ll use a more flavorful cheese (maybe I used the wrong one?) because I am a cheese addict. There can never be enough cheese.
Megan, on Nov 24, 09:03 PM, wrote:
I made this for my roommate’s family Thanksgiving tomorrow and it came out amazing. I did add my own flare on it (vidalia onions, two types of white cheese, some tarragon, and I had to triple the recipe) and I put it in the crockpot to sit over night but it is making our whole apartment smell AMAZING. I also made the balsamic cranberry sauce but added some ginger to it too and it’s probably the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had. I absolutely adore your blog, thanks for satisfying my inner broke foodie :)
השכרה בנתניה, on Sep 15, 02:53 AM, wrote:
דירות למכירה והשכרה בנתניה
lavender and pepper, on Sep 29, 12:41 PM, wrote:
I just wanted to let you know that this is the THIRD YEAR I have come back to this recipe because it’s AWESOME. This year my catalyst is a danged butt-load of butternut squashes. YUM!!!