A Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

No bunless hotdogs this week. I even tried some new recipes and started replenishing my freezer stash.

You'd never guess this recipe from Ellie Krieger has a substantial amount of butternut squash in it. It has all the comfort of homemade mac and cheese without being so heavy. It is lightened up a bit with ricotta cheese and the butternut, which adds to the orange color. It's actually easier than traditional homemade mac and cheese (if you don't make the pureed squash from scratch like I did) because you don't have to make a roux for the white sauce base. I didn't have the jack cheese, so I substituted sharp cheddar. I would use extra sharp cheddar in the future for a stronger cheesy flavor, as directed. I put it in two 8 in. square pans, baked one and froze the other (lined with foil so I can pull it out and put it in a plastic bag in the freezer) to bake and eat another week. Broccoli makes a great side dish.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

16 oz. elbow macaroni
two 10 oz. packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups lowfat milk
1 1/3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2/3 cup grated monterey jack cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs. plain dry bread crumbs
2 Tbs. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 9x13 inch (or 2 8x8 in) baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook the macaroni according the package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until almost simmery, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, jack, ricotta, salt, mustard, and cayenne. Pour over the macaroni, stir to combine, and transfer to the prepared baking dish(es).

Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 min, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.