Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese plus a give-away!

OK, it is officially fall. I am pretty sure that means it is time to break out the comfort food, right?

This is delicious. And I am not going to pretend for one minute that it is healthy, (even if it is full of tender bites of butternut squash and onion)- cause it’s not. It is packed with cream and butter and cheese. But I just can’t apologize for it, because this Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese tastes so dang good.

I have made pasta with butternut squash before, (and that was healthier) but that was made with a butternut squash puree. This time, I wanted the cheese to be the star, with chunks of butternut squash.

I also have never made macaroni and cheese with a breadcrumb topping- but that was a wonderful addition. I love the crispy caramelized edges, (my favorite part.)

So, it may not be healthy- but it is the epitome of comfort food. I served this to my family with a big green salad and it was perfect! It would be a wonderful dinner on a blustery fall night!

Because I like you guys so much and to help you bake up this butternut squash macaroni and cheese, or any other delicious baked and roasted dishes this fall, I am giving away my very favorite variety of baking dishes.

This is the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown Bakeware in the 4.5 Qt. Large Oval Baker.
It comes in Blue, Eggplant, Green, Red and Yellow. (Valued at $50)

I use it for everything from fruit crisp to baked pasta. The handle feature kicks butt. No more burns.

If you would like to enter to win one of these you need to do the following:

1) Leave a comment below saying what fall dish you would like this for, (Oh! And what color you would like!)
2) “like” the post on Facebook* (the little “thumbs up” at the bottom of the post!)

If you would like ADDITTIONAL ENTRYS!! You can do any of the following (just leave me a comment so I know you did it!)
1) tweet this post
2) sign up for a subscription on the home page so you don’t miss any great posts or giveaways!

Good Luck Guys! I will announce the winner Saturday morning ☺

*if you are not on facebook, that ok- just let me know

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese, serves 8
-1lbs macaroni noodles
-¼ loaf of white bread

-4oz butter
-1 large yellow onion, minced
-½ large butternut squash, small diced

-4oz butter
-4oz flour
-2 cups cream
-1 cup milk, (plus another cup reserved if needed)
-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
-1 clove garlic, minced
-¼-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2) Boil the macaroni noodles. Drain them 1 minute shy of their “al dente” cooking time, and rinse with cool water. Drain and set aside.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

4) In a food processor, add the bread, (torn into chunks) to the bowl. Pulse until you have a fine crumb.

5) Empty onto a sheet pan and toast in the hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and crispy. Set aside.

6) In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat.

7) Add the onion and cook until soft.

8) Add the butternut squash to the onion and cook until tender about 8 minutes. It should be just tender though, not mushy or falling apart.

9) Season the onions and squash with Kosher salt and transfer to a bowl.

10) In the same heavy pot, melt the rest of the butter for the roux.

11) Add the flour to the butter, and start stirring with a wooden spoon.

12) Stir constantly until the butter and flour form a smooth paste. Cook for several minutes.

13) Add the cream, 1 cup at a time, stirring the roux into a smooth consistency.

14) Add 1 cup of milk and stir the roux until smooth.

15) At this point, if you feel like your sauce is too tight (thick), then stir in the extra cup of milk until smooth.

16) Add the garlic clove and stir in.

17) Add the cheese to the sauce and stir and stir! (this took me about 10 minutes to get it smooth)

18) Add the cayenne pepper and taste the sauce to determine if you would like extra spice or salt.

19) Remove the sauce from the heat.

20) Add the macaroni noodles.

21) Add the onions and butternut squash to the macaroni noodles and sauce.

22) Stir everything together really well.

23) Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

24) Spoon the macaroni into the baking dish.

25) Sprinkle the crumbs generously over the top of the macaroni.

26) Bake the dish at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until the macaroni and cheese is very hot and bubbly on the edges. The top will be crispy and golden.

27) Spoon up into dishes and serve hot!