Squash, Mac & Cheese

While not regularly featured in my cooking, this is recipe I really like to make when I'm in the mood to add in veggies I don't usually use. Now, you can't go into this expecting macaroni and cheese as you know it. You gotta be open minded, and know that this will taste much more like veggies than cheese, but that's OK. It's good. Seriously.

The original recipe by Ellie Krieger is a bit more involved, only in that it asks for a few more ingredients which I usually don't have on hand. The following is what I tend to do on those days when I decide to buy frozen squash but nothing else from the original recipe, knowing full well that I can still make something tasty that was inspired by it. I like it because it allows me to eat a veggie I wouldn't usually eat, while reminding me a bit of that once-a-year indulgence, mac n cheese. Plus, the way I make it has that "little bit of this, little bit of that" attitude I enjoy in cooking.

Squash Mac & Cheese

Inspired by Ellie Krieger's Recipe

Ingredients

1 package of frozen squash

1 cup skim milk

2-3 cups pasta, depending on how much you have and how saucy you want it

a hefty handful of grated cheese (I used meunster today)

salt, to taste

ground cayenne pepper, to taste

a few bread sticks to stand in for breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Boil pasta for 5-8 minutes so that they are cooked but still sturdy (they'll be going into the oven and you don't want them to fall apart)

3. In a saucepan combine frozen squash and milk and cook over low heat until defrosted. Once it's broken down, increase heat to medium until almost a simmer, then remove from heat.

4. Add cheese, salt and cayenne.

5. Add your drained pasta to the squash mix, then place in a greased pan (today I used a glass bread loaf pan, but something flatter/wider would work even better).

6. Top with crushed bread sticks for a crunchy finish before placing in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes, plus 3 minutes under the broiler.