If your family loves creamy, cheesy pasta and you’re looking for a simple way to up their veggie intake—because aren’t we always?!—this super simple 5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese needs to be on your menu asap!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
The beauty of this recipe is that the squash adds that classic orange color and nutrients, but the kids just get the cheesy pasta flavor and texture that they love. And the method is so simple since everything cooks in the same pot, so it’s a perfect option for a busy weeknight.
TIP: Pick up a bag of precut butternut squash and you literally just need to fill a pot with water to get this recipe started!
Healthy Mac and Cheese
You can make this with any pasta shape that your family prefers—elbows would be a great choice if your kids are used to the classic boxed variety—and you can add in broccoli or peas if you want to up the veggie intake even more. This butternut mac and cheese recipe is easy to scale up and you can make it gluten-free if needed by selecting a favorite GF pasta.
TIP: We love the Barilla gluten-free pasta—though I recommend cooking it for 1-2 minutes less than the box says for the best texture…it can start to fall apart if you cook it for the full time!
Butternut Mac and Cheese with Canned Squash
If you have a can of butternut squash, you can sub that in and skip the step where you’d otherwise need to cook the squash. Simply add it to the blender and blend it up!
What else can I use the cheese sauce for?
The simple butternut squash cheese sauce is also a wonderful topping for steamed broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or any other veggie that your kids might need a little extra encouragement to gobble up! (P.S. What to Do When Your Toddler Won’t Eat.)
Tips for Making the Best Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Use the type of pasta your family prefers, whether whole wheat, gluten-free, bean-based, or traditional.
- Try serving the cheese sauce as a dipping sauce for other cooked veggies.
- You can use canned butternut squash puree if desired.
- Use orange cheese for the most vivid orange color.
- Stir in frozen peas (which will thaw in the warm pasta) to add an easy veggie.
- Try with sweet potato or another favorite winter squash.
- Trade in cauliflower for the squash to make Cauliflower Mac and cheese.
I’d love to know how your family enjoys this recipe, so please comment below to share!
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Use your family’s favorite shape and type of pasta in this recipe. (We like elbows or mini shells!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3/4 cup grated yellow or white cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the squash and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork.Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the squash to a blender, draining off all of the liquid.
- Add the milk, cheese, and butter, and puree until completely smooth.Meanwhile, bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce, season to taste with salt, and serve! Variations:
- To make this for 6-8 people, simply double all the amounts using a full pound of pasta. You can also add more cheese if you’d like.
Notes
Use the type of pasta your family prefers, whether whole wheat, gluten-free, bean-based, or traditional.
Try serving the cheese sauce as a dipping sauce for other cooked veggies.
You can use canned butternut squash puree if desired.
Use orange cheese for the most vivid orange color.
Stir in frozen peas (which will thaw in the warm pasta) to add an easy veggie.
Try with sweet potato or another favorite winter squash.
Trade in cauliflower for the squash to make Cauliflower Mac and cheese.
My 16 months old love it . I don’t have butternut squash at home so I use sweet potatoes instead and I steam some spinach, finely chopped it and add it to the lentil pasta. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that!
It’s a winner! My almost 2 year old, who doesn’t like Annie’s or homemade mac and cheese, he actually ate it!!! 🥳🎉 MOM WIN! My husband and I ate it too! I made extra of the cheese sauce to try on broccoli. I made the pasta in my instant pot because it’s faster than cooking it on the stove and I ensure that it’s perfectly cooked. Thank you so much for your recipes and your blog!!!
★★★★★
Yay, I’m so glad!
Can this dish be baked?
My 19m old son wolved it down and the little bit of leftover I added some ham and had it for lunch the next day. It was supereasy to make and so few ingredients. A definite winner!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that!
This was so easy and delicious! I loved it as much as our three year old who happily ate 2 bowls. This is a keeper!
★★★★★
I’m so glad!
My 16 mo old daughter is currently housing this right now! Awesome
Recipe! Thank you!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that!
Thank you sooo much for a guilt-free mac n cheese recipe! Love it…and so does my picky toddler!
★★★★★
I’m so happy your family enjoyed it!
She stole this recipe and photo too… https://mylittleyum.com/butternut-squash-mac-cheese/
She stole one of my recipes and images and I made it clear that this isn’t legal or acceptable. She took her version of my post down, but hasn’t removed the other stolen posts.
This was soooo delicious! My 1 year old loved it.
★★★★★
This is so yummy! The whole family loves it – mom , dad, 4 year old and 15 month old! Easy to do vegan too – we use vegan butter, soy or almond milk and vegan mozzarella. Yum!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad!
I am not sure what I did wrong but mine did not come out very good 🙁
Can I use frozen squash?
Yes, that should work fine. It may not need quite as long to cook though.
Absolutely delicious and a hit with my 4 year old! Also super easy – took basically the same time as making a box of Mac n cheese.The cheese I used was mild so I added a little salt. This is going in the regular rotation.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that feedback Leah and I’m glad that your kiddo enjoyed it!
This is super tasty, when I cut my squash I had double
So I doubled the recipe, do you think this can freeze?
Thanks for this. Also made the spinach pesto and it’s a massive hit with my 11 month old!
★★★★★
Hooray! I’m so glad these worked out. I haven’t tried freezing the whole finished dish but I would think it should work fine. The pasta may soften a bit further but your kiddo might not mind!
Can I freeze the cheese sauce?
Yes. Place it into an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and then warm to use again.
Thank you, Amy!
How many days can it last in the fridge?
3 days is probably best in an airtight container!