Autumn Mac and Cheese.
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It’s a delicious, creamy dish, with a secret surprise inside…
Who would have ever thought I’d be adding green things to my mac and cheese?
Where, oh where has my little blog gone?
My goal was to create a comforting mac and cheese dish that packed a nutrient-rich punch and a whole slew of delicious autumn flavors. And it worked and worked and worked over again. I should know. I’ve only consumed that entire casserole dish.
Okay that is a tiny fib. I haven’t eaten all of it. Yet.
I’ve let Mr. How Sweet have a few tastes too. But just a few.
He doesn’t like fancy mac and cheese anyway. He only likes noodles + cheese sauce. Plain, plain, plain. That’s the name of Mr. How Sweet’s game. Well, at least it was until this past weekend.
He dug in with a spoon before I was even finished taking pictures. In fact, that very last picture waaaay down there is Mr. How Sweet digging in. Perhaps my foodieness is finally rubbing off on him?
Autumn Mac and Cheese
1 pound whole wheat pasta (I used shells)
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 cups brussels sprouts, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups milk
8 ounces cheese, grated (I used smoked cheddar)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese + more for topping
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lay chopped squash and apples on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping once.
While the squash is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and brussels sprouts with a pinch of salt and pan roast for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently. Heat a large pot of water to a boil, and begin to cook your pasta.
Set aside squash/apples and sprouts/onion mixture. If pasta is cooked, set it aside as well. Reduce oven heat to 350.
In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of butter on medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the milk while continuing to whisk, and begin adding cheese as well. I find that adding cheese in batches about 3 minutes apart works best. Continue to whisk together so the cheese melts and doesn’t stick to the bottom. The entire process takes about 10 minutes and you want the heat on medium-low, this will help thicken the cheese sauce. I find you don’t want it too thick, as it will thicken in the over.
Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. Begin to layer pasta, vegetables and apples, and cheese sauce in batches, just mixing to make sure all is combined. Top with panko and another sprinkling of parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Anyone else’s favorite part the crunchy crust on top? I definitely hurry up and hog that part before someone else can get to it. Bonus points if there’s bacon.
101 Comments on “Autumn Mac and Cheese.”
I’ve had troube loading your blog lately…finally got it to work!
This looks awesome! Love brussel’s sprouts!
This will be in my belly soon. Going to the store for ingredients tonight!
Thanks!!
You may have just converted me to a Mac and Cheese lover! That is a huge feat that can only be accomplished through green stuff!
O-M-G…genius. end of story. I want this now. :-)
That looks incredible!! I always love adding broc to mac n cheese- after all, broc and cheese is just as yummy! but I love the loads of veggies you put in there..perfect!
Look at you with all those veggies! You’re going to turn into a brussels sprout on eof these days. I have never added them to mac and cheese, but it sounds so tasty!
Interesting take on mac & cheese! It’s a healthy version cuz of the veggies right? ;)
Wow! What a great way to healthify an otherwise terrible-for-you (yet absolutely delicious) dish! I’m making grown-up mac and cheese for my dinner party this weekend and cannot wait!
Oh my goodness! I never made mac and cheese like this. Fabulous!:)
YAY!! This looks amazing! I want this for dinner…or breakfast, or whatever :)
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Oh my this sounds REALLY good. This is now on my “Recipes to Make” list!
This recipe looks great. I’m starting to look for “lite” cookie recipes to make for holiday presents.
Yum. I love mac and cheese. Hubs likes his plain too. I have all these veg from my CSA so I’ll try it out. I have some sausage too that I think I’ll add. Yum.
I just HAD to stop over and give you all the praise in the world for this recipe – I saw it on eatliverun, made it tonight – veganized, and it’s great!
Thank you for this recipe! I made a 1/2 recipe, and got 2 dinners and 2 lunches out of it. It microwaves really well! I subbed spinach for brussel sprouts, and had to use normal bread crumbs instead of the panko ones, but it was a delicious work-week meal.
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Wow, this looks delicious! :) I’m adding this to my weeknight menu!!
Wow! Am i ever glad my daughter-freshman in college sent me this website! cant wait to try your veggie mac…and the other recipes newly discovered, such as the better than crack brownies that I’ll be making when we head to Tuscaloosa for the Auburn/U of A game. Roll Tide….
Defs will be a new regular on your site.
So glad you found me. Thank you! :)
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I just made this for dinner. It is so delicious! The apple lends just a bit of sweetness and the cheddar in the sauce is just enough to give it a little bite! Thank you for posting!
So glad you liked it!
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Made it and it was a hit! (IS a hit, we’re still chowing as I type)
So glad you are liking it!
Sooo…finally got around to trying this and it. was. Amazing…definite hit and made for a great Monday meal…thanks for sharing it :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
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This just came out of the oven and it looks DELICIOUS. I’m trying to be patient and wait for it to cool down, but it smells like it’s worth the too-hot mouth dance.
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Wow what an odd combo, maybe because I don’t like Brussels Sprouts, but I like cabbage, weird huh? However,my Husband doesn’t like Squash, so maybe I could make this and then we will both have to eat the vegetables we don’t care for. I honestly don’t get how no one like squash???
Confession: I’ve never had brussels sprouts. Covered in cheese with delicious squash may be the way to try them. This looks amazing!
This was WONDERFUL! I didn’t really know what to expect but I will definitely be making this again during the fall, although I may throw in some bacon next time because, why not?
Made this tonight and it’s delicious!!! Took a long time so we were eating late for a week night, but definitely worth the trouble. Thanks for the great ideas!
So, uh, I love you.
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Great idea with the veggies! I didn’t find good brussel sprouts at my market, so I subbed with radish. I also added half a can of pumpkin and used pumpkin pie spice instead of just nutmeg. Turned out great! My S.O. was hesitant about the squash in his pasta, but he came around after the second bite.
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