Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

 

I am pretty skeptical of healthy "makeovers" to classically rich dishes.  Mac and cheese without 14 cups of cheese?  Hmm....I don't know.  I was searching for something I could make for a friend that just had a baby when this recipe happened to pop up on the teambeachbody.com website.  What new mom wouldn't want a big old pan of mac and cheese and food for atleast 2 meals?

 

The recipe contains pretty basic ingredients, nothing to fancy here.  

 

 

Ah, yes.  I forgot how fun peeling a butternut squash can be.  



 Bringing all of the goodness together into the pot.

 

Yum.  

 

 

Makes 10 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry whole wheat macaroni 

1 tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

3 cups cubed butternut squash

1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup low fat milk

2 Tbsp low fat plain Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

nonstick cooking spray

chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

 

Note:  I substituted the chicken broth for vegetable broth the first time I made this and it was still delicious.  The second time I made it, I substituted the red pepper for Italian chicken sausage and it was equally delicious, and a little more filling.  Some other options I have been thinking of trying out are some chopped up broccoli or some ground turkey.

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain and set aside.

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

4. Add onion and peppers; cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are soft.

5. Combine squash, broth and milk in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat (keep an eye on it, because it can boil over quickly). Reduce heat to medium and gently boil for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.

6. Place squash mixture in a blender or food processer and blend until smooth (make sure to cover the lid with a dish towel since hot foods tend to explode up in the blender).

7. Combine squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt and cheeses and stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.

8. Place macaroni mixture in a 13x9 pan that has been coated with spray.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until macaroni is bubbly. 

 

21 day fix container count: 1/2 green, 2 yellow, 1 blue