The classic parental nightmare: getting your little ones to munch on more veggies. This season, Elle Penner, our Registered Dietitian has got a trick up her sleeve with butternut squash mac & cheese. Sure it’s a little sneaky but one serving of this creamy, butter-nutty dish will meet your daily vitamin A needs. It’s high in protein, great for vegetarians and kid-approved. Hurry and test it out before butternut squash season is over!
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Ingredients Directions Preheat oven to 375F. In a large pot, combine cubed butternut squash and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until squash is tender. Remove from heat. Add milk, Greek yogurt, dry mustard, salt, pepper and puree until smooth with an immersion blender. Stir in Gruyere and Romano cheeses until melted and then fold in pasta. Pour everything into a large cast iron skillet or 13 x 9-inch baking dish lightly brushed with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn oven to Broil (Low setting). Sprinkle cheddar cheese over macaroni and return to oven for an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese has browned and some edges of noodles are crisp. Nutrition Information Serves: 8 | Serving Size: approx. 1 1/2 cups Per serving: Calories: 427 ; Total Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 44mg; Sodium: 788mg; Carbohydrate: 52g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 6g; Protein 20g Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 435mg; Iron: 2%; Vitamin A: 20%; Vitamin C: 3%; Calcium: 6%
Elle Penner, MPH, RD, is the Registered Dietitian and Food & Nutrition Editor at MyFitnesssPal, as well as an active runner, food-enthusiast and healthy lifestyle blogger. For more healthy recipes and fitness inspiration, check out her blog, According to Elle, and connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
Photo courtesy of Elle Penner. Original recipe can be found on According to Elle.
