I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I love hiding vegetables in everything! From entrees like cauliflower mac ‘n cheese to desserts like butternut squash bundt cake, there’s nothing better than a delicious food that has a hidden vegetable. You’d never know!

Well, in this acorn squash mac ‘n cheese, it’s kind of hard to hide that the squash is in the mac ‘n cheese because I put it right back into the squash shell. But, I think it’s so fun to have individual servings and using the natural bowl of the acorn squash! Ya know?

The acorn squash gives the mac ‘n cheese a wonderful orange color and adds to the creaminess of the dish. I think the only thing that I’d change for next time is putting parmesan on the top instead of mozzarella. It would cut better when you dig into the dish. 😀

Have a great weekend! It’s hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving!!!! Where has the time gone?

Acorn Squash Mac ‘N Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash
• 2 cups of noodles (I used Rotini)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2-3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

How-To

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
3. In an 8″ square dish, lay the squash halves insides-down and pour 1/2″ of water in.
4. Bake for 30-60 minutes until the squash is tender inside.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce and noodles:
   1. Cook your noodles according to the packaged instructions.
   2. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted whisk in the flour until combined. Whisk in the milk until completely incorporated and it begins to thicken. Once thickened, remove from the heat and add in the cheddar cheese. Stir until blended.
   3. By this time the acorn squash should be done.
6. Scoop out the insides of the squash into the cheese mixture. Whisk to combine.
7. Add in the cooked noodles to the cheese sauce.
8. Scoop the cheese covered noodles into the acorn squash shells.
9. Sprinkle the panko and mozzarella on top.
10. Empty the water that is in the 8″ square dish.
11. Place the acorn squash back in the square dish.
12. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the top.
13. Serve warm.

Servings: 2