squash macaroni & cheese

It has already been a hectic week and today is only Tuesday. After staying late at work I can honestly admit I was in no mood to spend my night in the kitchen once I made it home. As I was driving away from the city contemplating what would be the quickest and easiest thing to throw together (and not end up eating popcorn for dinner), I remembered the tray of squash macaroni and cheese patiently waiting for me in the freezer.  I know what you're thinking, squash has no place in macaroni and cheese. I can assure you though it does. I originally found this recipe on a blog that I follow called Cole's Kitch.  It's yummy as is but I've made a few tweaks since I have made this quite a few times, sometimes only with what I had on hand. The recipe with my favorite additions and substitutions is below; and as I mentioned, this dish freezes well. Enjoy!

squash macaroni and cheese
yields 6 servings

1 medium butternut squash
olive oil
herbs de provence
12 ounces penne pasta (or any other shape you prefer)
1 large shallot, diced
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Rub the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs de provence. Place squash cut sides down on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Once the squash has cooled, scoop out the insides and mash in a large bowl with a spoon.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add shallots and cook about 2 minutes. Add nutmeg, pepper, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until the shallots are translucent. And flour and mix well. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Increase heat and continue stirring until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat and allow the sauce to thicken, still stirring constantly. Stir in cheese until it is fully melted.

Add sauce and rinsed noodles to the bowl with squash. Mix well. Transfer to a baking dish (or two) and bake covered for 30 minutes. Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over top of the dish. Bake for 5 - 7 more minutes or until the breadcrumbs turn a golden brown.