Side or Main Dish? This Delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Will Impress

It's confession time. My guilty pleasure is macaroni and cheese. Now, not just any macaroni and cheese, but the boxed kind. Yes, the one with the packet of powdered cheese that probably has a lot of weird and unnatural stuff added to it. But, hey, what you don't know won't kill you, right? I like to live life on the edge, and if that means I get my dose of happiness from a box of powdered cheese and elbow macaroni, why not. But that's not to say every once in a while I don't like to indulge in a really lavish and gourmet version of mac and cheese.

Since it's the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice and, of course, gourds, there's no better time or place than now to bring butternut squash into the cheesy mix. I love combining sweet notes with the nutty ones that are already in mac and cheese from the nutmeg and unique selection of cheeses. If this hasn't been torture enough yet, let's get cooking so we can sink our forks into this immediately. Whether you're making this as a side for Thanksgiving or as a main dish for a Fall-inspired dinner, it'll be a hit!

I Want More! Get our newsletter by tapping the button below. Instant Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms & to receive emails from POPSUGAR. Cook the pasta.

For this recipe, you will need 16 oz (uncooked) of elbow macaroni. Add 4 to 6 quarts of water in a large bowl, generously add salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Throw in the pasta and cook for 7 minutes to al dente, making sure to stir occasionally. Once the pasta is done, immediately turn off the heat and drain pasta.

Grate cheeses.

Trader Joe's is famous for its frozen butternut squash mac and cheese during this time of the year, so we used it as inspiration for picking this recipe's cheese blend. You will need three types:

Repeat after me. The quality of your mac and cheese is dependent on the quality of your cheeses. If you are a mac and cheese snob like me, make sure you don't go cheap when selecting your cheeses. Buy the finest your eyes, taste, and touch can get. Shred and grate all three and set aside.

Roast butternut squash.

You can either purchase pre-made butternut squash puree or make your own. Simply roast two cups of cubed butternut squash drizzled in olive oil at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.

Blend roasted butternut squash.

Allow the butternut squash to cool to room temperature after roasting and blend in a food processor until creamy and smooth.

Gather all your spices to make the bechamel.

Now, for the best part of mac and cheese, after the cheese, of course — béchamel. Bechamel is just a creamy white sauce like Alfredo. Here's what you will need to make it:

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan. Then add the flour and stir until it thickens into a roux. This process should take about 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk a cup or two at a time and stir to incorporate the roux. Once all the milk is in, bring to a boil and lower the heat. Add all your spices and adjust taste as needed. If you like a little kick, add cayenne pepper. Lastly, add the cheese and butternut squash puree and mix until fully melted.

Assemble and cook.

Add the cooked macaroni into a ceramic baking dish or skillet. Pour the bechamel over until fully coated.

Now it's time for the secret to my mac and cheese. Can you guess? It's garlic parmesan croutons. Forget the breadcrumbs and Panko. Just throw croutons that you'd typically put in your Caesar salad into a food processor. Sprinkle generously on top of the macaroni if you like a lot of crunch. Then, bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the top is slightly golden brown.

Serve and enjoy.

Scoop out mac and cheese, making sure to get a bit of the crispy crust on top with each serving. Last but not least, enjoy every bite!

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