Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese recipe made with spiralized butternut squash noodles. This is a gluten free and healthier version of mac and cheese!
Are spiralizers still cool? Even though I am still in my twenties and I literally spend the majority of my day surrounded by teenagers, I am always so behind on the trends. Music trends, clothing trends, food trends.. it is all so hard to keep up with. But I remember that there was a time a couple of years ago when spiralizers were BIG. Almost no one was eating pasta. It was all zucchini noodles this and carrot spirals that. Now as the trend seems to be on the decline, I start getting interested. Typical.
Now I’m wondering why I didn’t buy a spiralizer earlier!
To be honest, I don’t really need to wonder. I live in such a small apartment that I really need to think long and hard about what kitchen gadgets to buy and what to live without. Since I don’t buy zucchini all too much, and I LOVE my pasta, I thought I wanted to prioritise buying a french press over a spiralizer. (By the way, one of the best decisions ever.) But then, just like fate, I received a spiralizer as a wedding gift. Now my collection of kitchen gadgets is finally complete.
Of course my first recipe using my spiralizer needed to be mac and cheese. When I say that I had pasta for dinner, you can bet that 98% of the time I had macaroni and cheese. It is so versatile, and also, you really can’t screw it up. So it was only natural that my first faux pasta recipe using my spiralizer was going to be this Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese. It is a lot healthier than my regular baked mac and cheese recipe, and a lot faster because you only need to bake the noodles for 5 minutes instead of boiling and draining them.
Not that I am going to give up making my regular mac and cheese recipe. But now with a spiralizer in my kitchen gadget arsenal, I may be making it a lot less often.
But did you know that you can spiralize a butternut squash?? It is usually zucchini that I see around the blogosphere, but with fall just around the corner, I thought that this would be the perfect time to use butternut squash in this Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese.
If you were to ask me, I think that people should dust off their spiralizers and make this for the new (school) year. Make it seem like I am on top of the current food trends. Help a sister out, will ya?
If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it! Rate it, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on Instagram! I always love seeing what you are creating!
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and spiralized
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2-2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Cut the spiralized noodles in half. Place them on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the coconut flour and whisk until it forms a thick paste. Add in the milk and combine until thickened.
- Once thickened, add in the butternut squash noodles. Mix in the cheeses and stir to combine. Once the cheeses have melted, divide into bowls.
What a great idea! I love squash, and I love mac & cheese and I’m sure I’d love them together.
If you have a spiralizer, or your store sells them pre-spiralized, it is such a quick and easy dinner idea!
Love butternut squash AND mac and cheese so this is a winner in my books. Plus, how cute are those serving dishes? I’m such a sucker for cute dishes…starting to run out of space, lol.
Thanks Dawn!! I am also a sucker for serving dishes. 😉
Yummm! I love the texture and flavor of butternut squash! I’ve always thought it had a cheesy taste/ quality to it, so using it as a pasta alternative in mac and cheese is genius! I bet it tastes amazing!
It is so good!!! Thanks Dominique!
You see butternut squash mac and cheese recipes all over Pinterest right now but none of them actually uses butternut squash as the pasta! LOVE this recipe – it’s actually the only version I can really see myself making AND eating!
It is so good!! And that is so funny, I am the same way! Cheese makes everything better 😉
this looks delicious!!! squash and mac n cheese are meant to be together in the fall!!!
I 100% agree!! Thanks Georgie!!
Love butternut and Mac and cheese! This is such a good way to sneak in some extra veggies with my toddler. She won’t even know hehe.
YES!! I am sure your toddler would love it!
I love the use of butternut squash for fall pasta recipes. This looks like the perfect side for so many dishes. Delicious!
It is one of my new favourite fall recipes 🙂
Sounds really tasty. Great idea to use spiralized butternut squash in place of wheat pasta!
Makes it easy when I can serve the same thing to my friends who are gluten free 😉
Now, that sounds interesting! I just got a spiralizer recently myself and have been having all kinds of fun trying new ways to use it! Never thought of cheese with squash, though – hmmmm…
You must try it! It is so good!
What a lovely combo. Two of my favorite. This is so creattive and looks so delicious. Pinned.
Thanks for the pin! It is seriously a favourite around here!
This looks like the ultimate fall comfort food! Butternut squash is such a good flavor addition to classic mac and cheese.
Yes it is!! Thanks Julie
Mmm, mmm! What a delicious recipe! I love the idea of the sweetness from the squash with the savoriness of the cheese – yum!
It is such a great combo 🙂 Thanks Holly!
great idea. healthy n filling. looks delicious. my kids are a mac n cheese fan, butternut squash will make it healthier..
Kids and adults can get behind this mac and cheese. 🙂
I still use my spiralizer but then I am always untrendy….. lol
Hahaha. It is so good, I don’t really care if it’s trendy anymore 😉
Brilliant recipie! That’s a great way to incorporate “healthy” into a all time favorite comfort food!
Yes!! I totally agree. Thanks Ashley!
This is one of my favorite ways to serve butternut squash to the kids – they have no idea, and then I can also justify a side salad for even more veg!
hahah, what a great idea! 🙂
Hey anyone actually made it!? I hate reviews were ppl just say how good it SOUNDS! Obviously if sounds good that’s why we are all here smh
Outstanding recipe thanks so much! tasted so much good!
So glad you liked it!
Love the twist to the classic mac and cheese recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome 🙂
My picky kids love this take on mac and cheese, I honestly didn’t expect them to but they always ask for seconds!
That makes me so happy to hear!
OMG made this for my kids and they didn’t know the difference!! Will make again.
So glad it was a hit with your kids 🙂
I never thought to make this pasta substitute to keep me on track. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
You’re welcome! 🙂