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Winter squash mac and cheese being spooned from a dish.

Winter Squash Mac and Cheese

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This Winter Squash Mac and Cheese is the ultimate Fall and Winter comfort meal! Creamy, golden, and full of seasonal flavor. This homemade dinner feels fancy but still easy enough for the weeknight!

  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pasta

4 Quarts of Water

1 pound of Shell Shaped Pasta

For The Winter Squash Cheese Sauce

1 Kabocha or Acorn Squash, about 2 pounds (will need 2 cups of squash for the sauce)

2 Tablespoons of Oil

1/4 cup of chopped Shallot

3 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

2-3 Fresh Bay Leaves

1 large bunch of Fresh Thyme

1/4 cup of All Purpose Flour

3 cups of Milk

1 1/2 teaspoons of Salt

3/4 teaspoon of Pepper

2 cups of shredded Smoked Gouda

1/2 cup of shredded Fontina

1/2 cup of Mascarpone Cheese

For The Topping

1/2 of a small Delicata Squash

1/2 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs

2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

1 Teaspoon of dried ground Sage

2 teaspoons of dried Parsley

1 cup of shredded Fontina Cheese

Instructions

  1. Turn your oven on to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the Acorn or Kabocha squash in half and brush with 2 Tablespoons of oil. 
  2. Bake the squash for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is easily pierced with a fork. While the squash cooks, shred the smoked gouda until you have 2 cups, and shred the fontina until you have one cup. Leave your oven on at 375 degrees to bake the macaroni at the end.
  3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and put on another pot with 4 quarts of water to boil for the pasta. Chop the shallot until you have 1/4 cup. Add the 2 Tablespoons of Oil and 3 Tablespoons of the butter to the Dutch oven and add the shallot, bay leaves, and thyme to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the shallot is translucent. Adding the bay leaf and thyme during this step helps create layers of flavor. 
  4. Remove the thyme and bay leaves to a paper towel (you will be adding them back to the pot). Add the 1/4 cup of flour and stir to form a paste. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until you no longer smell raw flour. Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
  5. Slowly add the 3 cups of milk, stirring to keep the sauce from forming lumps. Add the thyme and bay leaves back to the pot.
  6. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Drain the pasta once it is done and set aside.
  7. While the sauce thickens, Slice the delicata squash into rings (make sure they are no more than about 1/4 inch thick) and cut the rings in half and remove the seeds from the squash slices. Set the squash rings aside for the topping. Scoop the flesh from the roasted kabocha or acorn squash and mash in a bowl with a spoon or potato masher.
  8. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl and add the 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of dried parsley and the 1 teaspoon of ground sage. 
  9. Remove the bay leaves and the bunch of thyme from the pot. Finish the sauce by adding the 2 cups of smoked gouda and the 1/2 cup of mascarpone and stir to combine. Add the 2 cups of mashed roasted squash and stir.
  10. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until the pasta is coated. Top with 1 cup of shredded fontina and the bread crumb mixture. Top with the delicata squash rings.
  11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden and the squash rings pierce easily with a fork. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

How To Adjust this Recipe to Save Time

There are a couple of ways to shave some time off this recipe.

First, you can roast the squash in advance by following the cooking instructions in step 1 and the first part of step 2. Scoop the flesh from the squash and store it in a gallon freezer bag for a day or two until you are ready to make the mac and cheese. From there, simply start with shredding the cheese and turning on the oven in Step 2. 

To save additional prep time, you can shred the cheese in advance and store it in a shallow airtight container for a couple of days.

Roasting the squash in advance and shredding the cheese ahead do save you about 45 minutes off the total cook time!

Recipe Variations

You can use Kabocha, Acorn, Butternut, or even pumpkin to make this recipe! Most any Winter squash is great here.

This is wonderful with some crumbled cooked bacon or pancetta on top.

Try adding some caramelized onions on top when it comes out of the oven. You can also stir in some chopped kale before adding the topping and baking.

Other Recipe Notes

This reheats beautifully! If you have any leftovers, simply heat them until warm in a microwave safe bowl. 

Leftovers will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Shells are the best pasta for this recipe, but you can also use penne.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 488
  • Sugar: 7.8 g
  • Sodium: 746.8 mg
  • Fat: 19.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 59.3 g
  • Protein: 18.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 49.6 mg

Find it online: https://thecoppertable.com/winter-squash-mac-and-cheese/