By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 4
316 cal · 45 min
Healthy Mac and Cheese
Recipe GLPRf81522bedacaef
Creamy, nutritious mac and cheese made with roasted butternut squash and caramelized onions. This comforting dish delivers rich, cheesy flavor with hidden vegetables and fewer calories than traditional versions. Perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 small butternut squash (about 4-5 cups cubed)
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 small yellow onion
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Slice the yellow onion into thin rings and add to the pan.
Sauté the onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until they become soft, fragrant, and golden brown in color.
Meanwhile, prepare the butternut squash by removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or knife. Remove the seeds and stringy flesh, then cut the remaining squash into small ½-inch cubes.
Bring the chicken or vegetable broth to a boil in a separate pot. Add the cubed butternut squash and cook for 5-7 minutes until completely fork-tender.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked squash to a blender. Carefully measure out and reserve ½ cup of the cooking broth, then pour it into the blender with the squash.
Add the caramelized onions and milk to the blender. Sprinkle in the teaspoon of salt and blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. This should yield approximately 4 cups of sauce.
Pour the warm squash sauce over the cooked macaroni and stir gently to coat all the noodles evenly.
Taste the dish and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little milk or water until you reach your preferred consistency.
Divide into serving bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve warm.
Comments
Butternut squash as the cheese base keeps costs down and makes this available everywhere in Charlotte—Walmart and Food Lion carry it year-round, and Harris Teeter often has it on sale in fall and winter. The stated 45 minutes is honest for roasting squash and cooking pasta, though impatient cooks should know that steaming the squash whole and halving it cuts five minutes off. This reheats well in a skillet with a splash of milk, making it solid for a weeknight with leftovers. The only caveat is that the sauce depends entirely on butternut squash flavor, so a pale or watery squash will disappoint—pick one that feels dense and heavy for its size.
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