This mac and cheese is a twist to an all-time favorite comfort food. I always thought it was an American dish but no it is said to originate in Italy in the 14th century. It became a staple here popularized by Thomas Jefferson who served a version (macaroni pie) at a state dinner in 1802. When Jefferson lived in France he learned about a number of dishes with his enslaved chef, James Hemings which included a version of mac and cheese. Much later it was even mass produced by Kraft in the 20th century. The inexpensive boxed version launched during the Great Depression was a good choice to feed your family. Kids in my family loved it – didn’t care for my homemade version! Now-a-days everyone has their own version but there is always cheese and pasta.
Needless to say I don’t have a favorite. I like to experiment and besides cheese include different ingredients such as matcha, kimchi, lobster and today butternut squash. See bottom of post for recipes.
Butternut squash has a bell shape with a long straight neck and a small seed cavity at the bulbous end. It has a sweet, nutty taste with a smooth thick, yellowish skin and vibrant orange flesh. When cooked it is often compared to a mix of sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Great in sweet and savory dishes with lots of nutritional benefits. One good thing I especially like is that you can buy the flesh already cubed often in 4 cup increments, perfect for this recipe.
This recipe is cooked stove top and uses only 1 pan except for heating up 4 cups of water and a can of evaporated milk. The sauce maintains its creaminess even after warming up leftovers (adding more warm water). As of late when a recipe calls for a pound of pasta I cut it back to 12 ounces. Worked great as I did not have to add any more water.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Recipe by Jesse Szewczyk of Food52, Adapted by Judi Graber
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into cubes (I buy it pre-cut)
- 2-1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided (I did not use this much)
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups warm water (more as needed)
- 1-1/2 cups (12-oz. can) full-fat evaporated milk
- 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 lb. (I used 12 oz.) dried pasta (I used medium shells, lumache would be great too) or elbows
- 12 oz. sharp white cheddar, grated (3 cups)
- 2 oz. Parmesan, grated (2/3 cup) more to garnish
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven and add the squash and 1 tsp. salt. Stir often for about 15-20 minutes or until very tender. Occasionally smash the squash pieces to blend together. It will start to brown and then add the fresh rosemary, sage and garlic; cook for another minute.
Increase the heat to high and add the warm water, evaporated milk, 1-1/2 tsp. salt (I did not add) and 1 tsp. pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and add the pasta (I only used 12 oz.). Boil over medium heat stirring often until the pasta is al dente and about 2/3’s of the liquid has evaporated, 12-14 minutes. Add more water if needed. As a general rule I cut back the amount of pasta in a recipe, usually from 1 lb. to 12 ounces. The sauce is always better, in my opinion when there is not so much pasta to cover.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheeses. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and is a beautiful creamy sauce. Allow the pasta to sit for 10 minutes. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding more warm water.
Adjust seasonings and move the mac and cheese to a serving dish. Garnish with more cheese, sage and rosemary.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Zingerman’s Roadhouse Mac and Cheese
Such a comforting and delicious dish! The butternut squash mac and cheese looks like the perfect cozy meal.
I enjoyed the addition of the squash, not just the flavor but the “orange” color it gave to the pasta 🙂
Ooooh. I would not have thought of the combination, but it sounds wonderful! Hugs.
Thanks Teagan – it’s a delicious twist on mac and cheese and perfect for the Fall 🙂
Looks so creamy and delicious! Adding butternut squash to the sauce is such a brilliant idea. 🙂
Yes, I loved the texture of the sauce and with a little warm water it reheated beautifully 🙂
I tried to cook with butternut squash once but it was too hard to cut up the squash so I gave up – great to hear you can buy it precut. This sounds like a great and healthy addition to a decadent side dish, just in time for Thanksgiving!
cookingwithauntjuju.com
11/09/2025 at 7:14 am Edit
Butternut squash is hard to cut partly due to its length. Now, I always buy it pre-cut. Getting a vegetable in mac and cheese is a win for sure 🙂
yes i buy it pre-cut at the supermarket too. Kraft mac and cheese in the blue packet was a staple of childhood.
sherry
I didn’t grow up eating Kraft but homemade. I first ate the powdered cheese version when I was a poor student in college. The addition of squash makes this a special dish and perfect for the Fall 🙂
So creamy and delicious! I love buying pre-cut peeled squash too.
Hi Julie – this is a great Fall version of mac and cheese. When I grew my own butternut squash I cut it but now that I don’t I always buy it pre-cut. Saves work and fingers 🙂