A Day in the Life of a Butternut Squash (aka Squash Mac’n Cheese)

This week is my fall break, it’s fabulous.  Two days off of school?  Thank you Mississippi!  To celebrate, my sister (the one who cured me of my fear of yeast), came down to visit!  Obviously with the two of us together, delicious cooking ensued.  She’ll be guest blogging the next two posts (hence the weird squash perspective), but don’t worry, the recipes are still fabulously delicious.  Enjoy!

Yawn. Good morning y’all, what a heavenly day. The sun is a shinin’ and the birds a chirpin’, today is going to be a good day. My brothers and sisters are all still asleep while I enjoy some sweet morning dew. What a lovely day in the Delta. Today I am going to market, I have plumped up nice and my rind is good and thick, I will surely be a prize pick! All my life I have dreamt of 

Okay, that was getting exhausting. Long story short, we decided to go to the farmers’ market in Greenwood near Laura’s house. Now, before you go and picture some adorable roadside stand with local farmers and fabulous local produce, let me burst your bubble (much as mine was burst) and tell you that this was not really all local produce, but more produce that was sold outside, by locals… It was still cute, but it was not really a true farmers’ market. Anywho, we stopped by the pick up a butternut squash for an inventive twist on a southern classic, Mac’n Cheese. Sidenote, while at the Paula Deen buffet in Tunica (go ahead, soak it in, let that jealous rage bubble…) this group of crotchety old people very loudly noted that Paula’s mac’n cheese was not, I repeat, NOT, any better than Stouffers… BLASPHEMY!  Anyway, we had decided when I arrived to make this butternut squash recipe I had read about in my Cooking Light magazine. It sounded kind of odd, but perhaps delicious in a this is good but is not exactly a true mac’n cheese kind of way.

To our surprise though, it was fabulous and tasted like real mac’n cheese! You couldn’t even tell there was squash in it! It was yellow from the squash so you didn’t really miss that cheddar color. In fact, it was so good and tasted so much like real, artery clogging mac’n cheese that Laura’s one friend who does not like squash had seconds. To be quite honest, I think he missed the conversation about there being squash in the sauce, perhaps he was distracted by the football game. Either way, he loved it and later asked for the recipe, which his wife, excited to sneak vegetables into his diet, assured him she would get form Laura.

So here’s the recipe.  Butternut squash mac’n cheese (8 servings):

Ingredients:

3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 lb)

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp Greek yogurt

5 oz (1 1/4 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese (or, you know, swiss if you’re in the Delta.  Let’s be honest, Walmart does not carry Gruyere)

1 oz (1/4 cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

4oz (1 cup) grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 lb pasta (whatever kind, but something that will hold the cheese, like ziti or something)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees

2. Combine the squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat.

3. Place the squash mixture in a blender.  Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Greek yogurt.  Remove the center piece of the blender and secure the lid.  Place a towel over the opening in the top and blend until smooth.  Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyere (or swiss), pecoino Romano, and 2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Stir until combined.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta and stir it into the squash mixture.  Spread mixture evenly into a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. If you want to, heat a tbsp of oil in a saucepan and brown the breadcrumbs.  Otherwise, just add breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Sprinkle over the top of the pasta.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and delicious looking.

*There should be a picture of the final product here…BUT basically the moment I set it on the table it started to get devoured, soooo, no picture.  Let me assure you though, it was fabulous.*