Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese

January 11, 2018

The Christmas decorations are all down. Andy is back at school. The snow has all been melted by this weird, foggy, misty 40-degree weather we have been having. It is too early for Valentine’s Day prep (in my humble blogging opinion).

Now what?

I’ll tell you now what! I want my Christmas break back. I needed just one more week to reclaim what was taken from us by colds and flus. That is what I would wish for from my Fairy Godmother.

Alas, ol’ FG was a no show, so we trudge on, forward.  I just hope I am not the only person just trudging by in her salt stained Ugg’s because she is too lazy to pull out the real waterproof boots.

When I sat down to write this post, I had a weird de ja vu kind of feeling. I am still coming out of the haze leftover from the flu after all.

Just to be safe, I went on my own website and searched for “butternut squash mac and cheese.”

Lo and behold, I friggen made a very similar but gluten free version of this recipe 5 years ago.

Duh.

Gimme some credit though; it did take five years before I started to repeat myself.

Lucky for you guys, in the five years since I posted that, I had two kids and became lazy when it comes to making dinner. (For the record: I’m not calling you guys lazy if you don’t want to go make that gluten free version where you peel, trim, and most likely cut your finger off when dealing with a butternut squash.)

This version, I keep it easy with a 12-ounce bag of frozen, steam in the bag, pre-cut butternut squash. No risk of finger amputation with this recipe!

Also, in the five years since I posted that original version, I have come to tolerate less dairy (cue up the saddest symphony ever for that last sentence). For real. So I cut back and only used 3/4 cup of cheese and 3 cups of almond milk.

Your gut will thank me for that one.

Alright guys, heres to no more duplicates in 2018.

Unless they are way easier. AMIRIGHT?

Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese

An easy on the dairy version of shells and cheese with lots of flavor from almond milk and steamed butternut squash.
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings 6 -8 Servings

Ingredients

  • For the Shells and Cheese:
  • 1 Pound Medium Shells
  • 12 Ounces Frozen Steam in Bag Pre-Cut Butternut Squash
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Mustard
  • 1 Clove of Garlic grated
  • 3 Cups Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk
  • 3/4 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

For the Topping:

  • 1/2 Cup Mauna Loa Chopped Macadamia Nuts
  • 1 Slice of Stale Wheat Bread torn into small pieces
  • Pinch of Fresh Parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prep either 2, 8x8-inch baking dishes or one 9x13-inch baking dish by greasing the bottom and sides with butter.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain noodles and set off to the side.
  3. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium/low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine, forming a roux. Let the flour cook out for a minute.
  4. Add the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika to the roux. Whisk to combine.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add in the almond milk. Whisk to combine the roux and the milk. Increase the heat to medium. Continually whisking until the mixture starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, microwave the bag of frozen butternut squash according to the instructions on the packaging. Let it slightly cool for a moment.
  7. Add 1/2 a cup of shredded cheddar to the sauce, whisk to combine.
  8. Remove pot from heat, add the steamed butternut squash, and using an immersion blender puree until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Add the noodles to the sauce pot and mix to combine. Transfer shells and cheese to the prepared dish/dishes.
  10. Pulse the macadamia nuts, bread, parsley, salt, and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped.
  11. Top the dish/dishes with the remaining cheese and the crumb topping.
  12. Cover the dish/dishes with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes until golden.
  13. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

You Might Also Like