Sneak some veggies into your kids meal with this delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe. Great for toddlers and baby weaning too!
If there’s one thing I love about this time of year it has to be the fact that it’s squash season! So carby and comforting, butternut squash is definitely up there in my top favourite vegetables. My kids unfortunately are not as big fans of the stuff but I’ve found a way to cleverly sneak it into their diet.
Butternut squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A, vital for healthy skin and eyes. It is also a good source of Vitamin C and fibre too, making it a really great food to include in your family’s diet.
One thing that often puts people off cooking butternut squash is the preparation. Peeling and chopping a squash is hard work but for this recipe I have a super easy method that requires just cutting it once lengthways.
Now I know I have called this recipe Mac and Cheese but I haven’t actually used macaroni! I used conchigliette pasta as that was all I had! My toddler also has a habit of stuffing loads of pasta into his mouth and the small pieces of conchigliette make eating a little easier. Its also a great pasta to use for baby weaning too.
If you try this recipe please do let me know what you think. Or tag me in a picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I’d love to see your pictures!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Main Meal
Cuisine: European
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Sneak some veggies into your kids meal with this delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe. Great for toddlers and baby weaning too!
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 200g / 2 cups macaroni or conchigliette pasta
- 200ml / 7oz whole milk
- 100g / 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c / 390f.
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds and place the two halves of squash flesh side up on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft and has fully cooked through.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Once the squash has cooked, spoon out the flesh straight into a blender or food processor. Add the milk, cheese and butter and blitz until all the ingredients have combined to a sauce consistency. If it seems too thick then add a little extra milk. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the butternut squash sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe made more sauce than I needed for the pasta. It can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen in a container or freezer bag.
PRODUCTS USED:
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You might also like my recipe for Butternut Squash Fries and Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.
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Didn’t make a smooth sauce. Good flavour though. I’d use the roasted squash, puree in the processor and add to a cheese rue in future
★★★
Super Easy to make but it did not go down with Super Fussy 2yr old. Hubby and I ate it and we have lots of sauce and leftovers which will be great for quick dinners next week. Sadly still unable to find recipie that Super Fussy 2 yr old will eat.
★★
Loved this… takes some time but is super easy!! I added a tbsp of mustard to deepen the flavour for mommy and daddy, but our toddler didn’t mind at all! 🙂
★★★★★
I made this tonight for my very fussy 5 year old. I was sceptical about the flavour as I am a massive mac and cheese fan. This was absolutely fantastic and so easy to make! I cooked the butternut squash flesh down with some water in the tray as suggested by others. I used a little less milk, 150 ml. And more cheese at 200g. I also added a sprinkle of dry sage before blending the sauce. My kids inhaled it, especially the fussy one! Thank you xx
So glad you liked it!!
This came out really well and it made absolutely loads so have a stash in the freezer too!
★★★★★
could i be lazy and use the frozen butternut squash if so how much of it
thanks
I used a 12 oz bag of frozen butternut squash and it was perfect
I’ve made this for my son many times as he loves to eat it and I love cooking such an easy but healthy recipe. To make it even more of a meal I also brown some mince with shredded zucchini and add it to the pasta and sauce.
Love the idea of adding zucchini!
Lovely tasting recipe and really easy way to get an extra veg into the children!
As a few other people have said above though, I think the cooking time for the butternut squash is maybe wrong? I had to cook it for nearer to an hour before it was soft and cooked through.
Will definitely do again though as it was a hit with everybody 🙂
★★★★
This was a huge success tonight with my 5 year old who doesn’t like butternut squash! Thank you ????
★★★★★
Brilliant!!
I haven’t tried this, but I fully intend on making a lazier version with a can of pumpkin in place of the squash tomorrow. Any reason that wouldn’t turn out well? I realize I’ll probably have to tinker with the rest of the amounts to get it just right because I doubt one can equals a medium squash. But this seems like an amazing recipe 🙂
Hi Meg, I’m sure pumpkin will work just as well. Let me know how it goes!
Oh yum! I was looking for things to keep in the freezer and serve as needed. Will be making this sauce! Have you tried it on anything else, like veggies or quinoa…maybe tofu?
I made this and once I adjusted the ratios between butternut squash and everything else it was really delicious. I had to double the amount of pasta, milk, and cheese so it would be less like a butternut squash puree and accents of pasta.
Just made this recipe for my 18 month old and it’s gone down a treat! Made loads extra to keep in the freezer, thank you!
★★★★★
This butternut squash recipe sounds lovely. Do you think it would work with a non dairy milk such as oat milk and a non cow’s milk cheese?
I just discovered your site (and youtube channel) this morning while looking for heart-healthy alternative dinner side dishes. I found this recipe, and just made the cheese sauce. OH MY GOODNESS it’s fantastic. Hubby and I both love it and the kids are going to as well. (I did bake the squash cut side down for 45 minutes in a bit of water and it came out perfect). Thank you so much for this recipe. Looking forward to trying out more.
★★★★★
Thanks Carla! So glad you liked the recipe!
I am so glad that I have found your site! Your recipes are super helpful! I also like to sneak veggies into our dinners 🙂
Thanks so much.
Thanks Jodi!
I made this for my 18 month old. He loved it so much when his bowl was empty he tipped it upside down and tried to lick out all of the sauce. I used Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa and Brown rice Pasta, for the extra protein and fiber. This is such a great way to get in extra veggies for myself and my son. We are making a double batch today so it last more than one day!
★★★★★
Wow that’s a brilliant endorsement! Thank you so much! xx
Can I make this with normal cheese?
Absolutely!
Loved it! Squash took an hour to cook and I glazed the flesh with a bit of oil, salt and pepper.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!
I tried the butternut squash according to the recipe, and it was still really unevenly cooked even after cooking it for an hour, and the cut edges were unpleasantly dry. It gave the sauce an unpleasant flavor of undercooked squash. I’ll try baking cut side down in water next time.
This was so good, so glad I made it! My butternut squash, cut in half crosswise and then lengthwise, took about 45 minutes in the oven. I doubled the recipe and we loved it so much! Thanks for the recipe, will definitely make again.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it Crissy!
This looks fab but Can you freeze this for reheatin in microwave ?
You can. Pasta can sometimes go a bit funny when its been frozen and reheated so I like to just freeze the sauce and make up a fresh batch of pasta when Im ready to use it!
A tip to get your squash even softer and avoid getting a dry top when roasting is to do the same single cut, but then place cut side down in roasting dish with about 1cm water. Roast for 30/40 mins depending on size and you virtually have instant purée.
Great tip, I’m going to try that the next time, thanks!
Looks so tasty! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
★★★★★
I’ve never added butternut squash to a cheesy sauce but I love the sounds of this.
I know, its sounds a little strange but it works really well!
I love butternut squash in a sauce, it is such a glorious colour and so silky smooth. Lovely pasta dish!
★★★★★
Its an amazing colour isn’t it, I love it!