Okay so I know that title was a mouth full, but after a long day of cleaning and running after my almost 2 year old beauty I’m lacking some creative juices here lol. This recipe is indeed what it claims to be though; a soup turned mac and cheese. For about a year now I have been trying to find clever ways to incorporate vegetables into my daughters diet. She eats well, but tends to focus more on fruit, cheese and crackers. She does like pasta so I try to get as many veggies packed into whatever pasta concoction that is on our weekly supper menu as I can.
I fell upon a few recipes for Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and thought ‘what the heck, lets give it a go’ lol. I followed pretty closley this recipe by Pinch of Yum. The first time I made it, I tried the butternut squash sauce before adding the cheese and pasta and almost fell over cause it was SO delicious. Thats when I decided to make it into a soup first and then use the left overs to make the mac and cheese the next night. 2-in-1 meals are always loved and cherished because as much and I LOVE cooking, having a night off is always appreciated now and then ;).
So, if you are looking to make just the mac and cheese, I encourage you to check out the link above, its a great recipe and super easy to follow. However if you are wanting the soup first or want to see how I make my version of this healthy mac and cheese (I add meatballs and throw it in the oven to get a nice au gratin on top), then stick around :).
For the soup:
1 medium-large butternut squash
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon butter
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cooking cream
salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter in a skillet on medium heat then add the diced onion. Cook for about 20-30 mins on medium-low, until nicely caramelized. In the meantime peel, deseed and cut up the butternut squash into cubes. Put it in a large soup pot with the 6 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes or until fork tender. Before draining, reserve 4 cups of the boiled broth and set aside, don’t forget to check on the onion ;).
Once the squash is drained I suggest letting it cool for about 10 minutes before adding it to the blender to avoid heat explosions. So once slightly cooled, working in two batches add the squash, caramelized onion, cooking cream and 2 cups of the reserved broth to a blender (or if you have an immersion blender, save your self the blender hassle and just do it all in the pot). Blend until smooth, being cautious of the heat in the blender. I tend to take the lid off here and there and stir the soup in the blender to let some heat escape. Add the first blended batch to the soup pot, blend the rest and add it all to the pot. Now you can stir in the last 2 cups of the reserved broth to the pot depending on the texture of soup desired. Add salt and pepper (I like lots of pepper) to taste and reheat the soup on medium heat stirring often to prevent any burning.
I served this soup with some amazing gluten free cheddar biscuits that I have yet to include on this blog lol, but here is the recipe for them (tested and true) . Enjoy!
NOTES
Everyone seems to have their own method to preparing their squash. I found it easier to cut off the bottom portion of the squash. Remove and discard the seeds from inside of the squash. Then with a very sharp knife, I hold the top of the squash and peel the skin off, avoiding slipping and cutting off my finger lol! Joking not joking. So whatever method works for you, go for it, just be careful :).
For the Mac and Cheese:
Approx. 6 cups of left over soup, reheated
1 box of penne gluten free pasta (or whatever pasta you like)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400F and grease a large casserole dish and set aside.
Cook pasta 2 minutes less than recommended and add to reheated soup. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese until melted. Pour pasta mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and bread crumbs. Place in oven uncovered and cook for 15 minutes until top had browned and crisped up nicely. Sometimes it needs 2 minutes under the broiler to get the best crispy result. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
And because I am a carnivore I tend to add some meat balls to mine. Trust me, its heavenly. My meatball recipe will make it up on the blog soon enough, along with the cheddar biscuits…good things come to those who wait ;). Enjoy!
Sarah in a box 