Not even a pro mac ‘n cheese devourer (is that a word?) can complain about the vegetables hidden in this Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.

It’s official.

I’ve become a professional vegetable hider.

And I’m proud of it.

I mean, they’re in smoothies, cakes, cupcakes and even bread. Booya!

Basically, this macaroni and cheese is the bomb. It also freezes well, which is a good thing because this recipe makes a butt-ton of mac ‘n cheese.

It’s just like the picture below says: delicious! To maximize the veggie-goodness, I’ve been piling a serving of this macaroni on top of my salads. It’s wild how the warm mac ‘n cheese is so delicious on top of the cold, crispy greens!

Anyway. Let’s talk butternut squash. Better yet, let’s talk about pesticides.

Eww.

Ever since I got pregnant with Liam, I’ve tried my best to choose organic options when feeding my family. I definitely strive to buy the dirty dozen organic and when our budget allows it, purchase other organic products. Butternut squash is a great example!

It still just boggles my mind that we’re eating this fresh produce or even food made with that produce that is just doused in chemicals. I don’t want to be all preachy because I like to keep the mood happy and light, (and I’m no doctor) but I seriously think that all of our crazy health issues have been partially caused by all of these chemicals that we’re exposed to and even consume!

So nuts.

Just to give an example, when I go grocery shopping (no matter how good of a deal I’m passing up) I will only buy organic of the following staples:

• milk
• eggs
• salad
• apples
• carrots
• strawberries
• blueberries
• …

You get my point. And we could talk about this all day (or at least I could), but basically, I’m just trying to feed my family and myself as healthily as I can. Stay away from preservatives, pesticides, etc. Making homemade stuff is so much better than cookies that you buy and can maintain freshness for MONTHS at a time. Seriously, ew.

Do what you can. Eat healthy. Steer clear of pesticides. Oh, and invest in fruit & vegetable spray (worth it!). The end.

Go enjoy this mac ‘n cheese and do it because I said so.

I’m a mom, I can say those things now. 😉

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

adapted from Eat Good 4 Life

Ingredients

• 16 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 4 cups puréed organic butternut squash
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese or mexican cheese blend, divided
• 1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt (I use Stonyfield)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup skim milk

How-To

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cook your macaroni noodles according to packaged instructions in a large pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until tender.
4. Drain the cooked noodles and put back into the large pot. Stir in the puréed butternut squash, cooked onion and garlic, 1.5 cups of the cheese, the greek yogurt, mustard and milk until combined.
5. Stir and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes then broil for a few seconds until golden brown.

Note: For a smoother sauce, you can always blend the onion/garlic mixture in with the butternut squash, then combine with the rest of the ingredients.

This post was sponsored by Stonyfield. I received yogurt coupons as compensation. All opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for further information.