Global
Butternut Mac & Cheese
Creamy, golden mac and cheese with a silky butternut sauce that cuts the cheese without losing the comfort.
~55 mintotal~589 kcalper serving~27g protein~89g carbs~17g fat
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients using the UK food composition tables, so treat it as a guide rather than a measurement. A typical recipe lands within about a quarter of the true figure. Makes about 3.
Ingredients
- 300g wholemeal macaroni
- 500g butternut, cubed
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup grated mature cheddar
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp mustard
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & pepper
Cooking Steps
Roast or steam the butternut until soft, then blend with the stock, milk, mustard and nutmeg.
Cook the macaroni per the packet.
Stir the butternut sauce and most of the cheese through the pasta.
Season, top with the rest of the cheese, and grill 5 minutes until bubbling.
Optional Enhancements
- Cauliflower instead of butternut
- Add peas or spinach
- Wholegrain or lentil pasta
Plant & Growing Tips
Butternut
- Sow seeds directly into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed, usually in late spring.
- Provide full sun and plenty of space, as vines can spread widely, or grow them vertically on a sturdy trellis.
- Water consistently, especially when fruits are forming, to ensure plump, well-developed squash.
Natural Pest Control
- Monitor for squash bugs and their clusters of bronze eggs on the undersides of leaves, hand-picking them off.
- Use row covers over young plants to protect them from squash vine borers until flowering begins.
- Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which prey on aphids that can sometimes infest squash vines.
Harvest
Butternut
- Harvest butternut squash when the skin is hard, a deep, uniform tan color, and resistant to fingernail punctures.
- Cut the squash from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving at least 2-3 inches of stem attached to improve storage life.
- Cure harvested squash in a warm, sunny spot for 1-2 weeks to further harden the skin for long-term storage.
Storing & Freezing
Fridge up to 3 days; freezes 2 months.
