Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is a healthy-ish holiday side dish. Campanelle pasta is tossed in a butternut squash sauce, made with 1% milk, a lighter cream cheese, a little Monterey Jack, topped with panko bread crumbs and a sage brown butter. It’s kind of like a hidden veggie mac and cheese because the squash is nearly undetectable as it’s blended with the other ingredients.
Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Some years ago, my amazing, older brother, Kevin, set the tone for the perfect baked mac and cheese.
He had the ratios down to a science…and made the ingredients all gather in harmony without being too cheesy, liquid-y, or dry. How’d he do that?!?!
That science is what makes or breaks the impressionable mac and cheeses of the world.
He had it down.
I’ve tried to make it like him, but to no avail.
But then, at Thanksgiving a few years ago, something magical happened.
The magic was in the butternut squash.
I started my sauce base with butternut squash, and it gave it a creamy boost before adding any fat.
So, the squash replaced a good portion of cream AND cheese found in traditional baked mac and cheese.
Not only did I nail the consistency with this method, I made it healthier-ish.
How to cook pasta for baked mac and cheese
al dente. Period.
I highly recommend you undercook the noodles juuuust enough so they’ll finish cooking in the final bake.
The sauce-to-noodle ratio: remember this when you’re making baked mac and cheese.
Liquid that gets cooked has two destinations:
- 1. it gets absorbed by the noodles
- 2. evaporation
In this recipe, I had them both in my corner and nailed the proper consistency…finally!
I know, this sounds a bit science-ey, but it worked and I’m going with it!
What do you put on top of baked mac and cheese?
The toppings are the deal-maker for me when it comes to baked mac and cheese!
I used panko bread crumbs, finely chopped walnuts, and butter-fried sage leaves.
Somehow I managed to NOT eat all of the leaves before using them in this dish. They’re that good!
How to make browned butter sage topping
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 8-12 Sage Leaves
In a skillet on medium heat, add BUTTER and heat until it releases a nutty fragrance (2-3 minutes).
Add SAGE LEAVES and sauté about 1 minute, enough to crisp but not burn; remove leaves and place on a paper towel.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- pasta (I used campanelle, but any shell will work)
- cubed butternut squash
- cream cheese
- half and half
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- nutmeg
- jack cheese
- 1% milk
- panko bread crumbs
- cup walnuts
- sage leaves
- butter
Recommended tools
- conventional oven (or countertop oven)
- skillet (to cook sage leaves)
- 3.5 quart sauce pot (to boil pasta)
- colander (to rinse pasta)
- potato masher (to mash cooked squash)
- 10.5 x 7 baking dish
Grab these healthy holiday recipes!
Make my No Cook Cranberry Pomegranate Relish to serve atop warm, brie cheese with bread or crackers.
And for the perfect side salad, consider Arugula Sweet Potato Salad or Brussels Sprout Slaw. Both are made with healthy ingredients that burst with holiday flavor.
For a healthy spin on a traditional recipe that’s uniquely healthy, try my I Can’t Believe Its’ Vegan! Green Bean Casserole.
Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups Campanelle Pasta Shells or any shells
- 3 cups Butternut Squash 1.5 lb squash peeled, cubed
- 4 oz 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese softened
- 1/3 cup Half and Half
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- pinch Nutmeg
- 3/4 cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 3/4 cups 1% Milk
- 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/4 cup Walnuts finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 10 fresh Sage Leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
Boil the pasta
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, but leave slightly undercooked (al dente); drain pasta, saving al of the cooking water; set aside.
For the sauce:
- Return the pasta water back to the saucepot over high heat.
- To the water, carefully add raw BUTTERNUT SQUASH; boil until it's fork-tender (about 10 min).
- Remove from heat and drain cooked SQUASH in a colander; return cooked squash to the empty sauce pot.
- To the squash, add CREAM CHEESE, HALF AND HALF, SALT, PEPPER, and NUTMEG; use a potato masher to mash and combine ingredients, creating a semi-smooth texture.
- Stir in CHEESE and MILK; continue heating and stirring until well-combined.
For the mac and cheese casserole
- Fold cooked NOODLES into sauce; pour into a prepared 10.5" x 7" baking dish; sprinkle more JACK CHEESE over the surface; then distribute PANKO BREAD CRUMBS, WALNUTS, and FRIED SAGE over the entire surface.
- Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and top is golden brown; carefully remove, cool for 10 minutes; serve warm, garnished with crispy sage pieces scattered on the surface.
For the crispy sage topping
- In a skillet on med-high heat, melt BUTTER; add SAGE LEAVES to the skillet and fry until crispy and slightly browned (1-3 minutes). Remove and transfer to a plate to cool
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
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Jere Cassidy says
09/28/2018 at 7:46 pmThis is a must try mac and cheese. I love butternut squash and the sage topping.
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 9:41 pmThanks Jere…hope you get to try it sometime!
Suzy says
09/28/2018 at 2:50 pmWhat a great idea! And I love the addition of sage!
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 6:01 pmThanks Suzy…the sage rounds out the flavor perfectly 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
09/28/2018 at 2:44 pmThis sounds absolutely perfect! And since it’s healthier, I can eat more!
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 6:01 pmHaha, I’m right there with you Allison! Thanks for the compliment 🙂
Karl says
09/28/2018 at 2:37 pmThis is such a grown up edition of Mac n cheese, I love butternut squash and with the addition of sage and walnuts its a winner
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 6:00 pmThanks Karl, it’s totally the grown up edition. Love that! 🙂
rebecca says
09/28/2018 at 2:23 pmohhhhhh yes! love the fried sage on top, looks delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 6:00 pmThanks Rebecca…that might just be my favorite part! 😉
Catherine Brown says
09/28/2018 at 2:00 pmMmmm, this looks perfect! I love butternut squash, but haven’t used it in mac ‘n cheese yet. Theat pinch of nutmeg is everything…. and fried sage is the bomb!
Traci Antonovich says
09/28/2018 at 5:59 pmThanks Catherine…I’m right there with you on the fried sage love 🙂
Valentina says
11/16/2017 at 8:17 amWow, those fried sage leaves are the icing on the cake! I love that idea, and the flavor is so delicious with the squash, I’m sure. Lovely.
Traci Antonovich says
11/16/2017 at 9:23 amThank you for such a lovely comment 🙂 They ARE the icing on the cake…and we ate so many of them before they made it to the dish!
cakespy says
11/14/2017 at 4:52 amOh nooooooo. I wish I hadn’t seen this (not really ha) because my life won’t be complete until I’m enjoying it!!! This looks and sounds incredible.
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:55 amHaha Jessie! Yessss…I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes LOL. And thank you for the compliment 🙂
Maria | passion fruit, paws and peonies says
11/13/2017 at 11:58 pmLove this – especially with the sage butter – yum! x
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:54 amThanks Maria! The sage butter makes it…takes it to a new level 🙂
Emily says
11/13/2017 at 11:56 pmThis sounds utterly delicious, I love squash and sage it’s the perfect combo!
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:53 amThanks Emily…I love hearing this! 🙂
Brian Jones says
11/13/2017 at 10:48 pmI love the topping of sage, it is a perfect accompaniment to squash and pumpkin, superb!
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:53 amThanks so much, Brian! The sage, in my opinion, seals the deal on this dish! 🙂
Amanda | Chew Town says
11/13/2017 at 10:08 pmI love the addition of butternut to this! In Australia, we don’t really eat mac and cheese but I’m absolutely loving this idea!
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:52 amOh Amanda…it’s crazzzy good! I love it because it adds so much nutrition to mac and cheese 🙂
Anjali says
11/13/2017 at 9:53 pmi love an awesome veggie mac n cheese! Never tried with butternut squash!
Traci Antonovich says
11/14/2017 at 10:51 amOh mannnn, do it! It’s a whole new level of mac and cheese!
Brooke says
12/22/2015 at 7:38 pmTraci, the mac n cheese you brought Ian and I was delicious! It definitely did not make it home with us… we ended up eating it all for breakfast.
Thanks and happy holidays!
Traci Antonovich says
12/23/2015 at 8:04 amOk, Brooke…this makes me happy! Your timing was perfect b/c I don’t always have that stuff “laying around” 🙂 Have a super-duper holiday with the family…and thanks for dropping by and commenting! oxoxo
Jane, The Heritage Cook says
12/18/2015 at 10:06 amThis is such a sweet and touching story – I have lost three of my family members too and the memories are lovely now. I love that you finally nailed this long time goal and it sounds fabulous!! Congratulations and big hugs!
Traci Antonovich says
12/18/2015 at 4:51 pmAwww Jane, big love and hugs to you too! And you’ve been on my mind. I’m so very glad we met this year. We’ve barely scratched the surface and yet I feel like we’re family. Thank you for the comfort and encouragement. oxoxo