squash mac & cheese

i promised myself i'd try this "pureed veggies" cooking concept for years, however the truth of it is- it just didn't sound appealing. now that i have a tiny being who throws her veggies on the ground followed by an "uh-oh", i had the perfect reason to give it a shot. to my surprise you couldn't taste the squash at all! this is my perfect blend of ina garten and jessica seinfeld. comfort food + sneaky little veggies. your kiddos won’t know what hit them.

squash mac & cheese

1 lb elbow noodles, cavatappi or gemelli pasta
4 cups skim milk
8 tbl butter, divided
1/3 cup flour
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz mini babybel swiss cheese, diced
2 cups squash puree*
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup breadcrumbs

1. cook pasta according to directions.
2. melt six tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. add flour and cook on low heat for two minutes. slowly whisk in milk and cook on low heat until sauce thickens.
3. add cheeses, squash puree and salt and pepper. stir until melted. add cooked pasta to sauce and stir until combined. pour into a casserole dish.
4. add breadcrumbs to two tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle on top of the pasta.
5. bake pasta at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

* they do sell squash puree in the freezer section nowadays, however, if you feel ambitious, you can do it yourself. simply cube a butternut squash or three of the smaller yellow squash, roast with olive oil, salt & pepper at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and puree in a food processor.