The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Autumn Mac and Cheese

4.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 52 votes, average: 4.00 out of 52 votes, average: 4.00 out of 52 votes, average: 4.00 out of 52 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5

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Level: Intermediate

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Description

Mac and cheese stuffed with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, apples and caramelized onions.

Ingredients

  • ½ whole Small Butternut Squash, Peeled And Chopped Into Cubes
  • 1 whole Large Apple, Peeled And Chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
  • ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
  • ½ whole Sweet Onion, Chopped
  • 2 cups Brussels Sprouts, Chopped
  • 1 pound Whole Wheat Pasta (I Used Shells)
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Flour
  • 2 cups Milk (I Used 2%, Was What I Had On Hand)
  • 8 ounces, weight Cheese, Grated (I Used Smoked Cheddar)
  • ½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Plus More For Topping
  • ¼ cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay chopped squash and apples on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping once.

While the squash is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and Brussels sprouts with a pinch of salt and pan roast for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently. Heat a large pot of water to a boil, and begin to cook your pasta.

Set aside squash/apples and sprouts/onion mixture. If pasta is cooked, set it aside as well. Reduce oven heat to 350F.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the milk while continuing to whisk, and begin adding the cheeses as well. I find that adding cheese in batches about 3 minutes apart works best. Continue to whisk together so the cheese melts and doesn’t stick to the bottom. The entire process takes about 10 minutes and you want the heat on medium-low; this will help thicken the cheese sauce. I find you don’t want it too thick, as it will thicken in the over.

Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. Begin to layer pasta, vegetables and apples, and cheese sauce in batches, just mixing to make sure all is combined. Top with panko and another sprinkling of parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

2 Comments

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dandydishes on 11.4.2010

*drool*

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jenng on 11.4.2010

This looks amazing!

2 Reviews

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lanoa on 1.13.2011

I really enjoyed this spin on mac n’ cheese. No, it’s not as gooey or cheesy as your traditional Mac, but that’s what I love about it. You really get to taste all the ingredients, nothing is over powered by the cheese sauce. It makes a large batch so next time I’ll split it in two and give one to a neighbor. Perfect for a cold snowy night.

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jenng on 11.7.2010

Unfortunatly I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. It needed at least 50% more sauce and twice the veggies. Thanks for sharing :)

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