Baked Mac and Cheese

Happy New Year readers!   It is a good time to reflect on the past and look towards the future.   

What better of a meal to be the first of the new year than one that looks to the past but has an slightly updated twist?  Mac & Cheese is a classic comfort food that was very absent from my life.  Italians eat baked ziti with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  As wonderful as that dish is, I have always longed for that orangey, gooey mac.  Why haven't I done this?  Because the thought of powdered cheese from a box is completely unappealing, even though it is the only image I have of traditional mac and cheese.  Same with any type of jarred melted cheeze product thrown on pasta.   Of course, I could have bought tons of fresh cheddar cheese and cream to make a rich homemade mac, but all of the calories were too overwhelming.  I basically gave up on the idea for many years, until recently.

Out for dinner over the holidays, I ordered mac and cheese at Lord Hobo's in Cambridge.  It was tasty, but it was just rigatoni pasta with some melted white cheese...not the look I wanted in my first attempt of eating mac and cheese.  The dish did inspire me to try and figure out how to get a fresh, fairly healthy and local mac and cheese.  I searched the web and the first recipe that came up was from the Food Network. A four cheese mac bake.  I click and I see the secret ingredient is butternut squash..hey that is orange!  I then saw that she used frozen butternut squash and lost respect for the chef.  I took the squash idea and ran.   So how to do this in a healthy and vegetarian way..meaning no hard cheeses that uses animal rennet?  Well, first you only use 2 cheeses to make things easier.  I chose VT Creamery Goat Cheese and VT Monterey Jack (made with vegetable rennet..read the labels!).  Local butternut squash, easily found at Whole Foods.  Instead of the traditional white elbows, I use whole wheat.  Seasoning was simple mustard seed, paprika and a bit of saffron (not too much!).  For the crumb topping, I had some sliced Iggy's whole wheat sourdough bread.  I toasted and ground it up in my food processor.  Added a teaspoon of olive oil and done.  

Looking to be one of those people that sneak a vegetable into your kids/husbands/partners meal?  Well here you go...

Mac and Cheese

Serves 2 
1 oz   Vermont Creamery - Goat Cheese Classic Chevre
1 oz   Vermont - Monterey Jack Cheese,
1 cup pureed- Butternut Squash--Fresh

1/4 cup (dry) Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni
3 oz (half single container) Chobani - Greek Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
1 tsp Mustard Seed Yellow

pinch of Saffron (optional)

1/2 tsp Paprika

salt and pepper

bread crumbs

1tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Peel and cube the butternut squash.  Put in steamer and let cook.  If you chose to use frozen pureed squash..I will not judge.  Put it in a pan or microwave to defrost and move to the next step.

Measure out all the other ingredients so they are ready to be added.  You can mix the seasonings together in one dish and cheeses in another.

Boil water and cook pasta until al dante.  Don't over cook since you will bake it after.

Puree butternut squash and add to large cooking pan.   Bring to a simmer and add yogurt.  Stir in until well mixed.  Add in cheeses and seasonings.  Remove from heat and stir until well blended.  Drain and add pasta.  Mix and place in casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Orangey color? check
Creamy? check
Gooey? little bit!
Healthy? oh yeah!

Plus there was a crunch from the crumbs and a sweetness from the squash.   I really loved my dinner tonight.  I added a side of roasted broccoli and it was wonderful.

Hope you all can take this and make something delicious!

Stay happy and healthy!

~L