Macaroni and Four Cheese

Chef

Cookbook

The Food You Crave

Published by Taunton

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This image courtesy of Christopher Hirsheimer

This creamy, crumb-topped macaroni-and-cheese gets is bright orange color and a big nutritional boost from puréed winter squash. Don’t tell and no one will ever know. They’ll just thank you for making their favorite cheesy comfort meal.

Serves8

Cooking Methodbaking

CostInexpensive

Total Timeunder 1 hour

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionBuffet, Family Get-together

Recipe Coursemain course, side dish

Dietary Considerationegg-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free, vegetarian

Mealdinner

Moodblue

Taste and Texturecheesy, creamy, crisp

Type of Dishbaked pasta, pasta

Ingredients

Cooking spray
One 16-ounce box elbow macaroni
Two 10-ounce packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups lowfat milk
1 1/3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the macaroni according the package directions. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar. Jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.
Combine the bread crumbs. Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.