This Mac and Cheese with Goat Cheese and Roasted Butternut Squash recipe makes mac and cheese feel luxurious! There’s so much flavor thanks to the goat cheese and butternut squash, it’s the perfect fall dinner when you are craving comfort food!

If you are a lover of anything called Mac and Cheese, then this Mac and Cheese with Goat Cheese and Roasted Butternut Squash recipe is for you.  I have given you what to exchange to make it vegan at the end.

How to Make Mac and Cheese with Goat Cheese and Roasted Butternut Squash:

  • Cut up a butternut squash into chunks (about 2-3 cups total) and put in a pan with a little water and roast at 350 degrees until squash is tender.  This should take about 40 minutes.  If you don’t have the time to roast, put the  chunks in water and cook in the microwave or you can used canned.  

diced squash

  • Once roasted, put the squash in your food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add 6-8 oz of farmers goat cheese.
  • Mix the two while the squash is still warm to help melt the goat cheese a bit.
  • Add 1 cup half and half.
  • Add 3/4 to 1 cup chicken stock.
  • Add a little salt and pepper and blend well.

    photo 1

    Butternut squash in Cuisinart.

  • For a creamier mixture, add more cream.
  • You can also add chopped spinach, sautéed mushrooms, peas, or whatever you like to the creamy butternut mixture, once it’s blended.
  • Boil your favorite small pasta, just undercooked.

Ever since my twins were little, a treat for them was picking out the pasta for me to cook.  Even today at 16 years old, that is still the case.  This morning at breakfast I had four small pastas out and they debated and picked out tubetti rigati.

  • Mix the just undercooked pasta with the creamy butternut squash mixture. Pour  into a greased, with butter, 11×13 pan and cook at 375 degrees until nice and bubbly.
  • For added comfort, mix 2 cups breadcrumbs with some grated cheese of your choice, salt, pepper, and a little parsley and put on top of the Mac and Cheese before baking…super yum!

How to Make this mac and cheese recipe Vegan:

Now to make it vegan for hubby.  Shhhhhh, don’t tell the kids …sometimes they get this too.

  • Simple – the cheese and cream I replace with one 14-oz can of coconut milk.
  • Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock or no chicken chicken stock.
  • Replace the butter with whatever you want – olive oil, canola oil, etc.
  • As for the topping, use whole wheat breadcrumbs, crushed nuts, and a little vegetable stock.

This Mac and Cheese with Goat Cheese and Roasted Butternut Squash recipe makes a lot, so sometimes, especially if I make it on the weekend, I will freeze leftovers for later. Enjoy!!

MAC AND CHEESE WITH GOAT CHEESE & ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE

MAC AND CHEESE WITH GOAT CHEESE & ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This Mac and Cheese with Goat Cheese and Roasted Butternut Squash recipe makes mac and cheese feel luxurious! There's so much flavor thanks to the goat cheese and butternut squash, it's the perfect fall dinner when you are craving comfort food!

Ingredients

  • 1 Butternut Squash, cut into chunks (2-3 cups total)
  • 6-8oz farmer’s goat cheese
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 3/4-1 cup chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Box of your favorite pasta
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs
Grated cheese of your cheese 
Parsley for garnish

Instructions

    1. Cut up a butternut squash into chunks (about 2-3 cups total) and put in a pan with a little water and roast at 350 degrees until squash is tender.  This should take about 40 minutes.  If you don't have the time to roast, put the  chunks in water and cook in the microwave or you can used canned.  
    2. Once roasted, put the squash in your food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
    3. Add 6-8 oz of farmers goat cheese.
    4. Mix the two while the squash is still warm to help melt the goat cheese a bit.
    5. Add 1 cup half and half.
    6. Add 3/4 to 1 cup chicken stock.
    7. Add a little salt and pepper and blend well.
    8. For a creamier mixture, add more cream.
    9. You can also add chopped spinach, sautéed mushrooms, peas, or whatever you like to the creamy butternut mixture, once it's blended.
    10. Boil your favorite small pasta, just undercooked.
    11. Mix the just undercooked pasta with the creamy butternut squash mixture.
    12. Pour the mac and cheese with goat cheese and roasted butternut squash into a greased, with butter, 11x13 pan and cook at 375 degrees until nice and bubbly.
    13. For added comfort, mix 2 cups breadcrumbs with some grated cheese of your choice, salt, pepper, and a little parsley and put on top of the Mac and Cheese before baking.

Notes

How to Make this Recipe Vegan

  • the cheese and cream I replace with one 14-oz can of coconut milk.
  • Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock or no chicken chicken stock.
  • Replace the butter with whatever you want - olive oil, canola oil, etc.
  • As for the topping, use whole wheat breadcrumbs, crushed nuts, and a little vegetable stock.