Approved by Michaelangelo Larive, OurCheff
Bright orange, ultra-creamy mac and cheese with a full pound of roasted butternut squash blended into the sauce. It tastes like the mac kids already love.
15 minPrep
30 minCook
45 minTotal
4 (to 10)Servings
At a glance
- Diet: Picky eaters, Vegetarian, Kid-friendly, Hidden veggie (Vegetarian with vegetable broth. Contains milk and wheat.)
- Estimated per serving: 490 calories, 20 g protein, 65 g carbs, 17 g fat
- Equipment: Rimmed sheet pan + parchment, Large pot, Colander, Blender (or immersion blender), Box grater, Small skillet
Step-by-step photos
1Step 1
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Toss the squash with the olive oil and roasting salt and spread in a single layer. Roast 22–28 minutes, flipping halfway, until fork-tender and browned at the edges.
2Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water 1 minute less than the package’s al dente time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. Don’t rinse.
3Step 3
Warm the milk and broth (about 60 seconds in the microwave). Blend them with all the roasted squash, the nutritional yeast, garlic, mustard, onion powder, salt and paprika on high for 60–90 seconds, until completely smooth. Vent the blender lid.
4Step 4
Pour the sauce into the empty pasta pot over medium-low heat and warm until steaming, 2–3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheddar a handful at a time until melted. Don’t let it boil.
5Step 5
Add the pasta and stir over low heat 1–2 minutes, until the sauce clings. Loosen with pasta water, 2 tbsp at a time. Taste and add salt if needed.
6Step 6
For the topping, toast the panko in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, 2–3 minutes until golden. Serve the mac topped with crumbs and chives, or with them on the side for kids to sprinkle on.
The full ingredient list and every step are in the recipe card below.
Chef tips
- Roast, don’t boil, the squash. It makes a sweeter, thicker sauce.
- Shred your own cheddar. Bagged cheese has anti-caking starch that makes sauces grainy.
- Blend until there’s not a single fleck. Picky eaters notice texture first.
- Make the sauce up to 4 days ahead, then reheat, melt in the cheese and add fresh pasta.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free elbows and GF panko. Add extra pasta water, since GF pasta absorbs more sauce.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened oat or soy milk and dairy-free cheddar shreds (or ⅓ cup soaked cashews + 2 tbsp extra nutritional yeast). Use olive oil instead of butter.
- Shortcut: Use 1 lb frozen squash cubes roasted from frozen (30–35 min), or 1½ cups canned pure pumpkin.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave at 50% power. The sauce alone freezes up to 3 months. Assembled mac freezes up to 2 months, with softer pasta.
Hidden-Veggie Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment. Toss the squash with the olive oil and roasting salt and spread in a single layer. Roast 22–28 minutes, flipping halfway, until fork-tender and browned at the edges.
- Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water 1 minute less than the package’s al dente time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. Don’t rinse.
- Warm the milk and broth (about 60 seconds in the microwave). Blend them with all the roasted squash, the nutritional yeast, garlic, mustard, onion powder, salt and paprika on high for 60–90 seconds, until completely smooth. Vent the blender lid.
- Pour the sauce into the empty pasta pot over medium-low heat and warm until steaming, 2–3 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheddar a handful at a time until melted. Don’t let it boil.
- Add the pasta and stir over low heat 1–2 minutes, until the sauce clings. Loosen with pasta water, 2 tbsp at a time. Taste and add salt if needed.
- For the topping, toast the panko in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, 2–3 minutes until golden. Serve the mac topped with crumbs and chives, or with them on the side for kids to sprinkle on.
Notes
- Roast, don’t boil, the squash. It makes a sweeter, thicker sauce.
- Shred your own cheddar. Bagged cheese has anti-caking starch that makes sauces grainy.
- Blend until there’s not a single fleck. Picky eaters notice texture first.
- Make the sauce up to 4 days ahead, then reheat, melt in the cheese and add fresh pasta.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free elbows and GF panko. Add extra pasta water, since GF pasta absorbs more sauce.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened oat or soy milk and dairy-free cheddar shreds (or ⅓ cup soaked cashews + 2 tbsp extra nutritional yeast). Use olive oil instead of butter.
- Shortcut: Use 1 lb frozen squash cubes roasted from frozen (30–35 min), or 1½ cups canned pure pumpkin.
FAQs
Can kids taste the squash?
Most can’t. The cheddar, nutritional yeast and mustard lead, and the color reads as ‘cheese’.
What is nutritional yeast?
Deactivated yeast flakes with a savory, cheesy flavor. They won’t make anything rise.
How do I scale it for 8–10?
Double the recipe, use two sheet pans for the squash, and blend the sauce in batches.
Approved by Michaelangelo Larive, OurCheff. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central. Images on this page are AI-generated illustrations, not photos of the tested dish. How we make our recipes.
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