Healthy Mac and cheese and Cheese: one heaping cup of comfort food for just 350 calories. The butternut squash puree made it so creamy in combination with the cheese. This is my new go-to mac and cheese recipe! Like mac and cheese that is healthy.
Noodles with sauce that will secretly give you vegetables. Creamy sauce without boatloads of butter and flour. Favorite comfort food that packs a little nutrition. It’s getting to that time of year when WINTER IS TOO COLD. I say that with a massive amount of guilt as I recall the many times that I begged the weather gods to send a polar vortex to the Philippines last year.
But we’ll leave that in the past. This is the now, and right now, I’m done being cold. Also please add this to the list of things I’m done with: having a cold. The bad news is it will not be done with me. And to make matters all the more winter-dramatic, as I was writing this I just used the last Kleenex in the house and sent Bjork a panicked text to please pick up some Kleenex right now. I like to ease my soul with foods like healthy macaroni and cheese. I’ve been making variations of this recipe for the last few years, but always with extra stuff in it, because, you know, the whole food blog thing.
For example, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Apples, and Bacon. Or White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Squash and Toasted Walnuts. At the moment, I’m getting sort of annoyed of my toasted-walnuts-in mac-and-cheese ways, so I’m giving it to you straight up, in all it’s plain creamy wonderfulness: Healthy Mac and Cheese. Which, if you are, please just come over and we’ll eat this and watch the Cesar Milan being the amazing Dog Whisperer and feel glad that just have colds and not red zone dogs. This healthy mac and cheese is perfect for times when you don’t want anything really far outside of the box. Like, literally, nothing too far from the powdered cheese noodle dinner that comes in a blue box.
Just maybe a little healthier and homemade. And more vegetables and less butter. The flavor gets a warm depth to it without the issue of the caramelized onion pieces floating around in there. Heeey now, don’t look at me like that. Because normally I love things like pieces of caramelized onion and maybe when this cold leaves me alone I’ll be back to that sort of bold, dangerous eating. I can feel the sun on my face right now.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Cut the onion into thin rings and add to the butter in the pan, sauteing over low heat until fragrant and golden, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skin and the seeds from the squash.
Cut the flesh into small cubes. Bring the broth to a boil and add the squash. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender. 2 cup broth, and transfer squash to the blender. Add the onions, milk, salt, and reserved broth and puree until completely smooth and creamy.
This should yield about 4 cups sauce. Pour the pureed sauce over the cooked noodles and add the shredded cheese. Serve with parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. The deeper the golden color, the more flavorful they will be. Healthy Mac and Cheese – A classic dish made with butternut squash for a healthy twist! I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job.
I love talking with people about food, and I’m so glad you’re here. Instagram so we can find you! I love the fact that healthy and mac and cheese are in the same sentence! So brilliant to add caramelized onions right into the pureed sauce! Fully rooting for this mac and cheese to be at my kitchen table. I would have never thought of that!