You’re not going to want to miss this dish! This “grown-up” macaroni and cheese will wow your dinner guests and the built in vegetables will leave you feeling less guilty when going back for seconds.
Back in the Fall I was in Los Angeles for a conference. It was late and I was exhausted and hungry, so I walked into the hotel restaurant and ordered the first dish that sounded semi-appetizing while also not breaking the bank. What did I order? It was acorn squash macaroni (I assumed it was like zoodles but with acorn squash.) When the waiter brought out these cute little acorn squash stuffed with macaroni, my first thought was, “I don’t know about that.” As my stomach grumbled I figured I’d give it a go anyway because how odd of a pairing could it be? I took my first bite and WOW. I had to have it again. So when I returned home I threw on my apron, found a yummy mac and cheese recipe, and pretty much winged the rest of it. Thankfully it turned out beautifully and now I’m going to share the deliciousness with you all!
Tips – you can cook your acorn squash face-up from the get go, but I find they’re softer if they’re brushed with oil and cooked face-down in a pan that has a teaspoon or two of water in it. I also recommend getting larger acorn squash they accommodate more macaroni… always a good thing. Serve this with a side salad or vegetable of your choice.
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- 1 lb cavatappi noodles
- 5 Tbs butter
- 1 Tbs flour
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 3 large acorn squash
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp water
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place face-down on a large baking pan and add two teaspoons of water to the pan.
- Bake squash for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the squash bakes, bring a large stock pot of water to boil. When boiling, cook the noodles until al dente (10-15 minutes). Strain and set aside.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Then slowly add milk and heavy cream, whisking until combined. Heat mixture until it bubbles over medium heat (~5 minutes).
- Reduce heat to low and add in cheeses. Stir until melted. Then pour the sauce over the macaroni and mix to combine. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
- Flip over squash so that they’re face-up. Spoon as much macaroni into the squash. Feel free to top with mozzarella, then return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Sounds wonderful. Good comfort food for winter doldrums in MI!