Nourishment + {Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese}

I was planning on sharing this recipe yesterday, but as I was writing...something didn't feel right about honoring Lorrie and then tacking on "and here's some mac & cheese."  Though I know she would have loved this recipe :) She loved savory meals paired with fresh fruit!  When I created this recipe, I was not really thinking about dieting or weight-loss or calories.  Nope, I was thinking about nourishment.  And I was thinking about Babycakes' lunch and teaching her to love good foods, like butternut squash and blueberries.  So that got me to thinking -- I'm so glad I changed the name of this blog. It is more about nourishment and overall good health than dieting, calories, or sugar.  And no matter where we are in our lives, or what our bodies looks like, feeding our body nourishing foods is what's most important. The quantities will should be different based on our shape and caloric needs...which why portion sizes are such a big part of the weight-loss equation.  But, I don't feel like mac & cheese should be forever off limits. Especially this one.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese:

Incredibly high in Vitamin A (~350% of your daily recommended value), beta carotene, folate, riboflavin, potassium, and iron, butternut squash delivers a super heavy nutritional punch. And it is the perfect addition to this mac and cheese.

Paired with a side of blueberries, this meal (aka Babycakes' lunch) gave her a serving of vegetables, fruit, dairy, and grains. AND she loved everything so much, she asked for a second helping of all of it - even the blueberries!

Which gave her enough energy and nourishment to tackle a long driveway hike in the afternoon. :)

Want other easy kid-friendly lunch ideas?

1) Turkey & Apple Quesadillas with Creamy Pumpkin BBQ Sauce

turkey apple quesadillas with creamy pumpkin bbq sauce

2) Autumn Harvest Chili + Superfood Cornbread

superfood cornbread plus chili

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Description

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese // @noshandnourish

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 cup Butternut Squash (cubed)
2 cups Shells (or Elbow Macaroni)
1 cup Shredded Cheese (I used a combo of American & Swiss)
1 tablespoon Butter
1⁄3 cup Milk

Notes

Note: I bought the pre-cubed butternut squash that comes in a 12oz bag --- so worth it!!

Instructions

  1. Boil the cubed butternut squash in about an inch of water over the stovetop for approximately 6 minutes, or until soft.  Then, drain out the water and transfer back to the saucepan.
  2. In a separate saucepan, cook the pasta.
  3. Smash the cooked butternut squash with a masher or an immersion blender.
  4. Add in the cheese and milk to the smashed butternut squash, and stir over low heat.
  5. Once pasta is done, drain out the water and add back to the saucepan. Melt in the butter to coat the pasta.
  6. Then add in the pasta to the butternut squash/cheese mixture.
  7. Stir and then serve!
  8. Add salt and pepper to taste -- this made a big difference for us actually!

Yields 4 Servings