Talk about a cozy fall dish! I saw these squash at the store and decided that they would be the perfect bowls for a comforting dish of macaroni and cheese. These roasted acorn squash are stuffed to the brim with noodles covered in white cheddar, gruyere cheese, a hint of dijon and a touch of onion.
These noodles are standalone delicious, so if you don’t like the squash, just make a fat bowl of the pasta. However, acorn squash are buttery and add great texture to the meal. Plus, you don’t need to make a side dish with this one! It’s plenty filling and stays nice in the fridge for leftovers.
The hardest part of this recipe is cutting the squash open, so make sure you have a sharp knife. I like to cut into mine just a bit until the knife is half an inch deep, and then I bang the squash on the counter a few times (with your hand on the knife handle), and that typically gets the knife clean through.
What you need: A sharp knife, a baking sheet, a sauce pan and a large pot.
Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 stuffed squash, plus a little extra macaroni on the side
Ingredients for the squash:
- 4 acorn squash
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- a pinch of salt and pepper
For the macaroni:
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups of white cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup of gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 cups of 2% milk
- 1 pound of macaroni pasta
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
- Panko bread crumbs, for serving
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove tops of squash with a sharp knife, and remove all core and seeds with a spoon. You may need to slice a small part off the bottoms if the squash don’t sit upright.
Place all squash on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Make sure they are upright and replace their tops. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside each one, and sprinkle all of them with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, until a fork can sink into them (but not so they are mushy). Set aside.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain in a strainer and put noodles back in the pot.
In a small saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and soft. Then add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more. Next, add the flour and stir together quickly before it burns, about 30 seconds. Then, stir in the milk and leave on medium heat until the mixture is slightly bubbling and appears thick.
Switch the heat to low and add the shredded cheddar and gruyere, dijon, nutmeg, and thyme. Stir until all cheese has melted and there are minimal lumps. Once complete, pour the cheese onto the noodles and stir to combine.
Stuff the squash with the mac and cheese, as much as can fit without entirely overflowing. Sprinkle panko crumbs and more thyme on top if you desire. Enjoy immediately!
