Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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This butternut squash mac and cheese recipe strikes the perfect weeknight balance. It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, it’s comforting and completely delicious. This mac and cheese is not so rich that you’ll get a belly ache or fall asleep immediately after dinner.
This recipe is redeeming, too—it’s full of luscious roasted butternut squash, which amps up the golden hue without overwhelming the flavor. This mac and cheese is a real crowd pleaser. Our toddler loves it and so do we.
The cooking method is a thrill. This pasta comes together in one pot. You don’t ever strain the pasta. You don’t have to fuss with a béchamel sauce. You don’t have to get out the blender for the butternut.
If you roast your squash in advance, this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. This is a unicorn of a pasta dish and I’m so excited to hear how it turns out in your kitchen.
Butternut Mac and Cheese Ingredients
You’ll find the full recipe below. Here’s what you should know about the key ingredients before you head to the store.
Butternut Squash
Roast your squash in advance and this recipe comes together quickly. You can roast it a day before or earlier in the day—simply let it cool, then cover and refrigerate it for later.
Roast a large squash, and you’ll have twice as much squash as you need for this recipe. Freeze the other half for a future batch of mac and cheese! This recipe is flexible—use anywhere from one to two cups of mashed butternut squash per batch. (The recipe specifies two cups for max veggie power, but you certainly can use less.)
We’ll simply cut the squash in half and roast it until tender. Then peel off the skin, mash up the squash that you need, and drop it into the boiling water. Any little lumps will work themselves out while the pasta cooks. It’s like magic.
In a hurry? You can use one 15-ounce can of puréed butternut squash in place of the roasted squash. Or use one can of pumpkin purée (not pie filling) and follow my Pumpkin Mac and Cheese recipe instead.
Short-Cut Pasta
Again, this recipe is flexible and I’ve used a variety of pasta noodle shapes with success. My favorite, which you’ll see in the photos, is pipe rigate. Other options include macaroni noodles, casarecce, cavatelli, fusilli, and the like. To make this recipe gluten free, we successfully used Jovial brand’s brown rice-based fusilli.
Tip: “Short-cut” pasta refers to compact noodle shapes, as opposed to long strands like spaghetti.
Cream Cheese
No béchamel required for this mac and cheese. Cream cheese stirs right into the pot and makes this pasta creamy, lightly tangy, and luxurious. You’ll use half of a standard block of cream cheese for this recipe, and I don’t know about you, but I’m always glad to have some extra cream cheese on hand for my toast.
Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan
Use a flavorful cheddar cheese for this mac and cheese. My favorite is Kerrygold, which annoyingly comes in a 7-ounce package rather than an even 8-ounce, but 7 ounces will do!
Parmesan cheese further amps up the flavor. Dust your individual servings with a little more Parmesan, if you’d like.
Tip: Grate your own cheese rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in powder that can cause the cheese to clump when it melts.
A Few More Basic Ingredients
You’ll also need olive oil (for roasting the squash), butter, garlic and onion powder, water and salt. Easy enough.
Watch How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
How to Safely Slice Your Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is large and dense, so it can be difficult to manage. Here are some tips on how to prepare it safely:
- Start with a sharp chef’s knife and a stable cutting board. You can place a lightly damp tea towel beneath your cutting board to keep it from moving around.
- Use the knife to cut off the tip-top and very bottom ends of the squash.
- Stand the squash upright with the thickest flat side as the base.
- Carefully slice through the squash from top to bottom to divide it in half. Your fingers should never be in the blade’s way.
- Lastly, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them (we won’t need them for this recipe).
Serving Suggestions
Serve green salad on the side—perhaps my Super Simple Arugula Salad, Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas, or any improvised salad with a simple vinaigrette.
This recipe yields quite a lot of pasta (eight servings). It reheats well for packed lunches and leftover dinners. I’ve even frozen the leftovers in this large silicone ice cube tray—once reheated in the microwave, the texture isn’t quite the same, but it’s still nice enough for our toddler to enjoy. While I haven’t tried, I believe you could cut the recipe in half and cook it in a medium-sized pot.
Love this butternut mac and cheese?
You’ll also enjoy these recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
- Real Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Please let me know how your butternut mac and cheese turns out in the comments! This is the first one-pot pasta dish of this nature on the blog, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This butternut squash mac and cheese is a delight! It’s just right—cheesy and creamy but not too rich, with subtle roasted butternut squash flavor. To help this recipe come together quickly for a weeknight dinner, roast the squash in advance. If you choose a large squash, you’ll have about twice as much as you need—freeze it for future use. Recipe yields 8 servings (quite a lot!) and leftovers are great.
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large butternut squash (1.5 pounds or larger), halved
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pound short-cut pasta (pipe regate, macaroni noodles, casarecce, cavatelli, fusilli)
- 5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- To roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Scoop out the squash seeds with a spoon (we won’t need them for this recipe). Rub the olive oil over the cut sides of butternut, then place them on the prepared pan, flat sides down.
- Bake until the squash flesh is easily pierced through with a fork, about 40 to 60 minutes. Once it’s cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard it. Use a potato masher to mash up the squash—don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth. You’ll need about 2 cups mashed squash for this recipe (you’ll likely have plenty extra, which you can freeze for future mac and cheese). Set aside, refrigerate and/or freeze the squash until ready to use.
- To prepare the mac and cheese: Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion powder and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the butter is fragrant and you see little brown flecks forming in the pan. Add the dry pasta and gently toss to coat it in butter.
- Pour in the water and salt. Add 2 cups of the mashed butternut squash. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the lid and set the timer for 8 minutes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the timer goes off. Do not drain the water. Stir in the cream cheese. Cook until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente (careful when you taste, it’s quite hot), about 4 to 5 more minutes. Turn down the heat as necessary to avoid scorching but maintain a steady simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheddar and Parmesan, and stir until the mixture is melted and creamy. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Season with salt, to taste (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more). Serve the pasta in bowls with extra Parmesan grated on top, if desired. Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
Notes
Make it gluten free: Gluten-free pastas vary widely. Choose a spiral-shaped gluten-free brown rice pasta, such as fusilli, over other pasta types (my tester was pleased with Jovial brand). Stir gently and don’t cook the pasta any longer than necessary or it may start to lose its shape.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Just WOW! My husband and son are meat and potatoes guys but both had extra helpings and my 16yo so. Said “mom, you can make this again anytime!” So creamy and satisfying! I added roasted mushrooms, red pepper and broccoli plus sautéed spinach for my leftover meal.
Hi Kate, I love this recipe and have made it a few times this fall season!
I want to prepare it a day or so ahead of my Halloween party. I wont freeze it, but will keep it in the fridge.
What do you recommend for reheating? For example, should additional milk be added? Should it be reheated on stove top or microwave?
I don’t think you will need additional liquid. If you feel like it is dry, you can add some. Either way to reheat will work.
Hi Ningel, I have successfully frozen this recipe. I would thaw it in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave. (Re-heating it in a pot on the stove-top causes a lot of the cheese to stick/scorch.)
Hi! I got spaghetti squash by accident. Can I use spaghetti squash instead of butternut? Thanks!
Sorry you can’t, but try my Spaghetti Squash “Pizza” Bowls.
I made this microwaving frozen, cubed butternut squash and Banza chickpea rotini. I cooked the pasta for a minute less in the initial boil, since I find it’s prone to overcooking, and then barely simmered it with the cream cheese and cheddar for a couple of minutes until it all melted. It turned out great, and I appreciate that with the precut squash that this is an easy, one-pot meal!
Using cream cheese is such a smart, time-saving hack (I can never seem to make a proper bechamel). And 100% agree on roasting the veg to give much deeper flavor. Love this recipe and look forward to more yummy, wholesome and quick options like this for weeknights.
Great to hear you loved it, Marissa!
This turned out so great! I actually can’t believe how delicious it is! I was sceptical about the one pot thing, but it worked like a charm. I followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t have Parmesan. 10/10 would recommend. I’ll be making this again.
Great to hear, Kathryn!
Very good and easy to make! I added black pepper and smoked paprika at the end. Everyone loved it!
Great to hear, Neha! I appreciate your review.
Just made this per the directions and it is rich and creamy… no signs of squash, which is necessary for my squash hating little! Ha! I did add more seasoning in the end to shift the taste from sweet to savory. And when serving, I’m considering drizzling pesto over top. Thank you for the recipe! Next time, I might decrease the cream cheese and increase the grated cheese for more umami.
This is incredible!!! I’ve made other butternut Mac and cheese before but THIS!!!!!! WOW! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Joanne!
I am making this but going to add cooked shrimp to it for protein and recommend seasoning to add for that?
At first, I was nervous about my daughter liking the mac and cheese, but I was delighted when she ate it all and asked for more. She is usually a fussy eater and only eats unhealthy foods that shouldn’t be eaten all the time. Thank you for making this recipe and many others that have added yummy but healthy foods into her diet.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Edith. I appreciate your review.
At first, I was nervous about my daughter liking the mac and cheese, but I was delighted when she ate it all and asked for more. She is usually a fussy eater and only eats unhealthy foods that shouldn’t be eaten all the time. Thank you for making this recipe and many others that have added healthy foods to her diet.
Hooray! That’s great to hear. Thank you for sharing, Edith.
Easy and tasty exactly as written. Love it!
Great to hear, FJ!
This is a great recipe, easy and delicious. We make it with goat cheddar and pecorino romano, add some chives and dill and use tofutti instead of cream cheese and add a teaspoon of paprika. At the end we bake it with some onion crisps on top. My husband, who grew up on very traditional mac n cheese, loves it!
How can recipe be modified for cooking in a slow cooker?
haven’t tried it, sorry!
thoughts about freezing this if I make a double batch?
This recipe is amazing! The ultimate comfort food.
Thank you, Lisa! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I want to make this for Thanksgiving tomorrow and I wonder if you recommend making the sauce today, ahead of time and adding it to the cooked pasta the morning of Thanksgiving. Second question could this be turned into a baked Mac and cheese dish?
Appreciate your insight!
I haven’t tried this as a baked dish, sorry!
For me, it was too bland. I made the recipe as written except I used zapallo squash. We ate it with hot sauce. Easy to make though.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. I appreciate your feedback.
Then you didn’t make the recipe as written …because the recipe calls for butternut squash- not what you used. Not really a fair comment to put ‘made as directed but changed the ingredients and didn’t like it’ haha I promise all of Kate’s stuff is Delish *~ingredients as written~*
Can I use cubed butternut squash for this instead and cook it for less time in the oven?
Others have tried that and didn’t mind the results.
Delicious and easy! My five year old had a second plate she loved it so much. Thank you!!
Great to hear, Shannah!
Trying this tonight with pumpkin! Will report back!
I hope you loved it, Gitan!
It was delicious! Perfect lunch leftovers and even some portions for the freezer. My friend who is a teacher is going to use this recipe with her high school class! :)
Oh, when I saw how much liquid was left I thought I was in for a fail! How wrong was I?
Added some freshly ground black pepper after the cream cheese. I always find Mac & cheese a bit of a faff for something that tastes mediocre, so be making this again.
I’m glad it turned out and you plan to make it again, Dave! Thank you for your review.
I’ve been making this with delicata squash I grew and kids and adult love it! Don’t make extra because it isn’t good as leftovers; too mushy.
I find the left-overs are good, and have even frozen it. To each their own.
Love this Mac n cheese!!! I’ve made it a handful of times now and honestly feel like it’s better than regular Mac since the squash helps keep the consistency creamier than most homemade versions.
Delightful! I didn’t have cream cheese so I substituted 8oz heavy cream, and everything else the same using cellentani pasta. It’s a hit! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
This is incredible!! To add more protein (and use up the contents of my fridge) I made it with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, and it’s fantastic! I also used leftover ricotta once and that was also great. Such a creamy, delicious and easy recipe!
I enjoyed this quite a bit! One pot BRILLIANCE! I used a cheddar-gruyere for extra punch, then at the very endstirred in a pound of baby Bellas sauteed with onions for extra veg and some umami. Thanks for showing me a brand new method for making delicious, healthy Mac and cheese!
Thank you, Christy!
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for months. I recently had oral surgery and thought… perfect time to try, as it’ssoft and nutrient. SO glad I did. I already had chive cream cheese and extra sharp smoked cheddar. Amazing. This will be on rotation for sure!
I love to hear that, Jen! Thank you for your review.
This is a fav for my toddler and me. Easy and hearty! Can confirm you can halve the recipe easily and it’s perfect. I roast two squashes at once and freeze so we always have some at the ready. We usually add in some mix-ins, like spinach, frozen broccoli or peas, or mushrooms.
I cooked the squash in the microwave for 10 minutes depending on the size. Just slice in half and scoop out the squash ommiting seeds.
This is the very best butternut Mac n cheese recipe! I’ve made this 3 x now- this last time I substituted blended cottage cheese for cream cheese and it was still delicious.
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Jamie.
Hey Kate, Does this freeze well?
Hi Meg, I don’t think this is a great option to freeze. Sorry!
Nice base recipe. Made this twice, and improved it the second time a bit by adding a bunch of thyme during the butter browning and a stripped thyme leaves again right at the end, a shake of mixed Italian herbs, half a chicken stock cube, and a TSP of mustard. It’s also great if you add a TSP of cream cheese again at the end.
This was so easy and so good. My kids had no idea it was full of butternut squash. Thank you for this recipe
You’re welcome, Caryn.
So glad I decided to try this recipe! I’ve been craving mac n’ cheese and this healthier recipe was exactly what I needed to satisfy the craving! Easy to make and delicious! Will definitely make this recipe again! The recipe is perfect as is but just to try something different I added italian seasoned crispy brown rice and baked in the oven. Thank you for another great recipe!
I’m happy you tried it too,Lynn! I appreciate your review.
Hi!
Love some of the recipes that I’ve tried! I’m just wondering why you would even have a microwave in your home? They are super bad for us! And you have a toddler!
This was delicious, everyone loved it even my my daughter ! I thought mine came out mushy but they said it was fine. So creamy and delicious, I used frozen squash and blended it :)
Our go to favorite. Hit with kids & adults alike.