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Imagine a world where bacon, cheese, pasta, and butternut squash all live together in an amazingly satisfying dish. Good news: we live in that world and the dish at hand is Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese. Read on for the recipe from BHG.
Prep time: 15 mins
Bake time: 14 mins to 15 mins 425°F
Cook time: 40 mins to 47 mins
Ingredients:
12 ounces pasta of choice
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (3 1/2 cups)
2 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces smoked Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 slices bacon
2 small sweet onions, cut into chunks
3 ounces sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish and set aside. Cook pasta following package directions, drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, combine the squash and the milk in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a summer until the squash is tender (18 to 20 minutes). Stir in the flour. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened (2-3 mins). Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere cheese until melted. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside. Drain the skillet of all but about 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, and return skillet to the heat.
4. Add onions to the hot skillet, and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until onions are golden.
5. Add everything (the squash-cheese mixture, onions, and bacon) to the bowl with the pasta. Toss thoroughly and transfer to the buttered baking dish.
6. Toss bread in a food processor and pulse a few times to create about 2 cups of large bread crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and mix with melted butter. Now, sprinkle the remaining cheese and bread crumbs over the pasta mixture. Bake in oven until top is brown (14-15 mins). Let cool for 5 minutes and you are ready to dig in!
Enjoy and share your thoughts on this recipe in the comments.
