Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese combines the flavors of a homemade cheese sauce with pasta and morsels of tender butternut squash for a delicious mac and cheese that’s ready for cooler weather and brimming with fall flavor.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

There’s no denying that there’s nothing quite like the comfort of a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Enter fall, butternut squash and our mac and cheese casserole.

We dressed up our mac and cheese recipe with the fall flavor of butternut squash and comfort never tasted so good!

This recipe is so versatile that you can get daring and switch out the butternut squash for sweet potato, acorn squash or even fresh pumpkin! 

Panko breadcrumbs combine with Fontina cheese for a delicious crunchy topping.

I used cavatappi pasta because it has lots of nooks and crannies to catch our delicious cheese sauce made with mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Double cheese means double the flavor and cheesiness!

Shell pasta and elbow pasta will both catch the sauce too! But feel free to make this recipe with the pasta that’s your personal favorite.

Chunks of tender flavorful butternut squash are scattered throughout our baked macaroni and cheese. Your taste buds will be so happy!

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Prefer a creamy butternut squash cheese sauce? I understand because that will taste amazing and is so easy to make too.

So get out your immersion blender and puree the butternut squash mixture after cooking it in your skillet. Then stir the pureed butternut squash into the cheese sauce. Voila!

Our butternut mac and cheese is so delicious that you might even get your kids to eat their veggies tonight! You know they’ll say your vegetarian mac and cheese is fabulously delicious!

Be sure to check out the Swirls of Flavor Amazon Storefront for GG's kitchen recommendations!

How to make veggie mac and cheese

Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In large non-stick skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook butternut squash, onion, marjoram, kosher salt and pepper until mixture is just tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions; drain.
4. Combine vegetable mixture and pasta in prepared baking dish.
5. Reserve 1 cup Fontina cheese.
6. In the same large non-stick skillet heat evaporated milk until hot. Stir in mozzarella and remaining Fontina cheese. Reduce heat to medium; stir constantly until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour over pasta mixture in baking dish and toss until evenly coated.
7. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. 
8. Combine Panko and reserved 1 cup Fontina cheese. Sprinkle over pasta.
9. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, breadcrumbs are golden and mixture is hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Bake your macaroni and cheese in individual ramekins for personalized servings! So cute! Photo courtesy of Canva.

Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips

• Bake in small ramekins for personalized macaroni and cheese casseroles
• Make this recipe with shell pasta or elbow pasta
• You can puree some or all of the butternut squash mixture and add it to the cheese sauce
• Stir in fresh, or defrosted frozen, peas

Substitutions

• You can substitute these vegetables for the butternut squash:
  • Acorn squash
  • Fresh pumpkin
  • Sweet potato
• Substitute dried sage for the dried marjoram
• You can use regular Italian breadcrumbs in place of the seasoned panko breadcrumbs but you won't get as much crunch and texture

Ingredients for macaroni and cheese with butternut squash

• butter
• butternut squash
• onion
• dried marjoram
• kosher salt
• pepper
• cavatappi pasta
• Fontina cheese
• evaporated milk
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

Easy macaroni and cheese recipes

• Bacon Mac and Cheese Bites
• Chili Mac and Cheese
• Irish Cheddar Mac and Cheese
• Stovetop Mac and Cheese from Jersey Girl Cooks
• Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese from Half Baked Harvest

5 from 4 votes

Print

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 5 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese combines the flavors of a homemade cheese sauce with pasta and morsels of tender butternut squash for a delicious mac and cheese that’s ready for cooler weather.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut mac and cheese, butternut squash mac and cheese, vegetarian mac and cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 661 kcal

Author: Gwynn Galvin

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 lb. butternut squash cubes , about 3 heaping cups
• 1 onion , chopped, 1 cup
• 1 tsp. dried marjoram
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 8 oz. cavatappi pasta
• 8 oz. Fontina cheese , grated, 3 cups
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Coat 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In large non-stick skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook butternut squash, onion, marjoram, kosher salt and pepper until mixture is just tender, 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions; drain.
4. Combine vegetable mixture and pasta in prepared baking dish.
5. Reserve 1 cup Fontina cheese.
6. In same large non-stick skillet heat evaporated milk until hot. Stir in mozzarella and remaining Fontina cheese. Reduce heat to medium; stir constantly until cheeses are melted and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes.
7. Pour cheese sauce over pasta mixture in baking dish and toss until evenly coated.
8. Bake, covered, 30 minutes.
9. Uncover. Combine Panko and reserved 1 cup Fontina cheese. Sprinkle over pasta.
10. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, breadcrumbs are golden and mixture is hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Served as a main dish this recipe makes 4 servings.

When served as a side dish this recipe makes 8 smaller servings. 

Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips

• Make this recipe with shell pasta or elbow pasta
• You can puree some or all of the butternut squash mixture and add it to the cheese sauce
• Stir in fresh, or defrosted frozen, peas

Substitutions

• You can substitute these vegetables for the butternut squash:
  • Acorn squash
  • Fresh pumpkin
  • Sweet potato
• Substitute dried sage for the dried marjoram

Nutrition Facts

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 661 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 103mg34%

Sodium 1103mg48%

Potassium 663mg19%

Carbohydrates 66g22%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 13038IU261%

Vitamin C 26mg32%

Calcium 568mg57%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.