Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and whatnot. Place cut side down in a large casserole dish in about 1 inch of water and roast at 350ºF for about an hour. Once cooled, scoop out the squash and puree or mash with a large fork until smooth. If you don’t feel like going all Martha Stewart and breaking out the roasting pan, go ahead and buy the frozen pureed squash from the store. I won’t tell anyone! It costs a little more but it works just as well. Allow the frozen squash to thaw first.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine the milk and 3/4 cup of the squash puree in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture just barely to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in the cheddar and ricotta cheese, mustard and nutmeg. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in the elbow macaroni and cook according to package directions. Toss the drained macaroni in a large bowl with the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Stir together the Parmesan and Romano cheese with the panko and butter. Sprinkle the panko-parmesan topping over the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. This is a great way to get your little ones to eat more veggies!