Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

4.5
(65)
57 Reviews
17 Photos

Butternut squash mac and cheese is a great way to incorporate cooked squash into a family favorite pasta dish. It's rich, cheesy, and absolutely delicious!

Submitted by bwayfreak3
Updated on August 28, 2024
Tested by
Allrecipes Test Kitchen
Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen
The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself.
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butternut squash mac and cheese
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
10
Yield:
1 (9x13-inch) casserole
Jump to Nutrition Facts

This butternut squash mac and cheese is rich, creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak some healthy vegetables into your favorite comfort food!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make butternut squash mac and cheese: 

  • Pasta: This recipe calls for rotini pasta, but you can use whatever pasta shape you like (such as shells or elbow macaroni). 
  • Butter and flour: The roux for the cheese sauce starts with equal parts butter and all-purpose flour. 
  • Seasonings: Season the sauce with garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, nutmeg (optional), salt, and black pepper. 
  • Milk: Two cups of milk ensures a smooth, rich, silky cheese sauce. 
  • Butternut squash: Learn how to cook and mash the butternut squash in the instructions below. 
  • Cheese: A blend of white and yellow Cheddar cheese creates a perfectly balanced flavor. 
  • Bread crumbs: Use store-bought seasoned dry bread crumbs or make your own at home. 

How to Prepare Butternut Squash

This recipe calls for cooked and mashed butternut squash. Here’s how to prepare it at home: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 
  2. Place squash, cut-side down, on a lined baking sheet. 
  3. Roast squash in the preheated oven until soft, 40 to 50 minutes. 
  4. Remove squash flesh from skin. 
  5. Process squash in a food processor or with a potato masher until very smooth. 

How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade butternut squash mac and cheese: 

  1. Boil the pasta, drain, and return to the pot.  
  2. Make the roux, then whisk the milk into the roux and cook until thick. 
  3. Stir in the squash and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 
  4. Stir the sauce into pasta and transfer to a baking dish. 
  5. Top with bread crumbs and bake until the topping is golden brown and bubbling. 

How to Store Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Store your leftover butternut squash and mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. We don’t recommend freezing this dish, as the noodles likely won’t thaw well. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“So easy,” according to Scott Quinn. “I would make this again!! Girlfriend loved it. Served with sauteed pistachio crusted chicken breasts on the side!”

“Huge hit!” raves another reviewer Dana. “My 9 year old picky eater was concerned that he would taste the squash but he devoured it. We are all lactose intolerant so I made it with lactose free butter, cheese, and milk. Will absolutely be making it again!!”

“The squash makes the mac and cheese so much creamier,” says Kelly Lupo. “It's a great way to incorporate a vegetable. This will now be my go-to mac and cheese.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings

  • 1 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (Optional)

  • 2 cups milk

  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash, cooked and mashed

  • 6 ounces shredded white Cheddar cheese

  • 6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • ¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs, or as needed

Directions

  1. Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

    all ingredients to make butternut squash mac and cheese gathered on a kitchen counter.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain pasta and return to the pot.

    tender pasta in a small pot.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard, and nutmeg; cook for 1 minute.

    flour and butter cooking in skillet.

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  4. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture and cook until bubbling and thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

    milk added to butter flour mixture in skillet.

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  5. Stir squash, white Cheddar cheese, and Cheddar cheese into milk mixture until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

    cheese and squash puree added to thickened cream mixture.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Add cheese sauce to pasta and stir to combine; transfer mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with seasoned bread crumbs.

    sauce covered noodles placed in a baking dish and topped with breadcrumbs

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

    butternut squash mac and cheese baked until golden-brown.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Recipe Tips

Use whole grain pasta and add peas or vegetables to boost the fiber. 

Use frozen cubed butternut squash. Cook 1 pound according to package directions and mash before using.

“I would double the squash and add crispy sage leaves to really boost the squash experience,” says recipe tester Kathryn Hendrix. “Yummy with some brown butter garlic bread.”

To make this vegan: Substitute two cups of cashew cream for flour, butter, milk, and cheese. Blend the squash into the cashew cream for an extra smooth sauce. 


248 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

297 Calories
15g Fat
27g Carbs
13g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 297
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 44mg 15%
Sodium 286mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 13g 26%
Vitamin C 9mg 11%
Calcium 336mg 26%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 303mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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