Butternut Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Donal's Notes
I’m always looking for family winner dinner recipes and mac and cheese hits the spot almost every time. It’s the perfect vehicle for some hidden vegetables and in this recipe, butternut squash provides both colour and sweetness. A great recipe to use up any leftover cheese in the fridge so although I’ve specified gruyere and cheddar here, anything goes!
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Large pot
Small pot
Colander
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Grater
Measuring jug
Hand-held stick blender or food processor
20x30cm baking dish
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel and chop the butternut squash into cubes. Peel and thinly slice the shallot.
2
Grate the gruyere, cheddar and parmesan and set aside.
3
Add the pasta to a pot of salted, boiling water and cook for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. When cooked, drain and put back into the pot.
4
Meanwhile, place the cubed butternut squash into a pot, cover with cold water and set to boil. Simmer for 9-11 minutes until tender.
5
Drain with a colander and return most of the butternut squash back into the pot, reserving some for later. Use a stick blender to puree until smooth and then remove to a bowl and wipe out the pot.
6
Place the pot back onto a medium heat and add in the butter. Once foaming, add the shallots and fry until soft with no colour for 1-2 minutes. Add the flour and allow to cook out for 1-2 minutes.
7
Turn the heat off and slowly add the skim milk, whisking between each addition. Return the pot to a low heat and allow to bubble for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
8
Add in the gruyere and cheddar along with some salt, pepper, and the pureed butternut squash. Stir well to combine.
9
Mix the reserved butternut squash chunks and cheese sauce in with the cooked macaroni.
10
Pour the lot into a baking dish.
11
In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
12
Sprinkle this over the pasta and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
13
Finely chop the chives while the pasta is in the oven.
14
Serve sprinkled with finely chopped chives and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
