In a commercial kitchen, two ceramic bowls filled with a gourmet mac and cheese with a hand plating a spoonful into one of the bowls.

Jasmin Pittman

Equal Plates’ Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

A recipe upgrade on a classic Southern staple from our Community Partner.

As temperatures start to dip and the first hint of color emerges from the leaves, we’re on the lookout for the kind of recipes that feel like being wrapped up in a warm, cozy quilt.

Our current Community Partner, Equal Plates Project, is an Asheville based-nonprofit that knows a thing or two about making nourishing, comfort food. Equal Plates Project exists to support local farmers, address food insecurity, and build community through scratch-cooked meals, and we were thrilled when they offered to share one of their favorite, seasonal recipes with us.

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A ceramic bowl in a terracotta color is filled with a gourmet mac and cheese dish with garnish

This butternut mac and cheese embodies what Equal Plates Project is all about—incorporating locally-sourced, fresh ingredients into delicious, nourishing, and culturally relevant dishes.

Last season as an experiment, they asked their farm partner, Full Sun Farm, to grow tons of butternut squash. As a great storage crop, it would allow them to center a local product in their meals even throughout the winter.

The experiment went well to say the least. The farm yielded such a big harvest that Equal Plates Project received 200 pounds of butternut every week from September through April.

Three sliced roasted butternut squash halves with seasoning on top sitting on a white plate.

Faced with an abundance of winter squash, Executive Director, Madi Holtzman, had an idea: to try the butternut mac and cheese hack she remembered from her days at The Nashville Food Project.

Since Equal Plates Project shares meals with emergency shelters, veterans, low-income seniors, folks navigating homelessness and families involved with the justice system, their meals not only need to provide nourishment, but also comfort and accessibility. But their biggest hope is that the people who eat their meals feel all the love and respect they put into cooking the food.

A chef holds a spoon and is scooping some gourmet mac and cheese into bowls from a casserole dish.

The butternut in this dish adds beautiful texture, color, and flavor, and of course, a valuable punch of nutrients. We’re putting this recipe on rotation throughout the season!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For macaroni:

- 1 box pasta

For butternut puree:

- 1 butternut squash
- Salt and pepper
- Fall spice blend - a healthy pinch of each:
- Brown Sugar - 2 healthy pinches!
- Cinnamon
- Crushed red pepper - small pinch!
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Allspice
- Clove

For cheese sauce:

- ½ yellow onion
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 qt milk
- 1 pint heavy cream

For cheese mix:

- 16 ounces of mild shredded cheddar
- 12-16 ounces medium/sharp cheddar (we use Looking Glass Creamery Drover's Road Cheese)
- 12-16 ounces of shredded mozzarella or blended cheese mix
- 8 ounce block of melting cheese like velveeta
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp sage
- Salt & pepper to taste

For Persillade (just a fancy French way of saying Parsley Breadcrumb):

- 1 clove garlic
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 qt Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil

White ceramic plates and bowls hold different ingredients including chopped butternut squash and herbs and spices

For Pasta:

Cook 1 box of pasta to al dente or per package instructions. (Could be any pasta really, but we use elbow macaroni, cavatappi, penne, or fusilli.)

For Butternut Puree:

Halve 1 large butternut squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Coat in oil and sprinkle the cut side with a light dusting of Fall Spice, salt and pepper and rub in with your hands. Bake at 350 degrees cut side down for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork.

Let cool for 30 minutes, then scoop out flesh with a spoon. In a vitamix or blender, working in small batches, blend flesh until smooth adding water as needed until it reaches a very smooth, pourable consistency. Set aside.

For Cheese Sauce:

Chop 1/2 a yellow onion and saute slowly in a large pot until translucent. Add 1 tsp of fresh, chopped garlic and stir. Add 1 quart of milk and 1 pint of heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add spices listed under cheese mix above. Just as it comes to a boil, add all cheeses. Mix well until the cheese is completely melted. Add butternut puree.

Ceramic plates and bowls hold ingredients for mac and cheese including shredded cheese, peppers, and herbs.

For Persillade:

In a food processor puree garlic, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add 1 quart of Panko breadcrumbs and mix again until the breadcrumbs look green. Spread on a large sheet pan and dry in a warm oven at about 200 degrees for one hour.

For Mac and Cheese:

Combine sauce with pasta in a large bowl. Portion into your favorite East Fork dish, top with more shredded cheese and dust the top with the Persillade and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 min or until the topping starts to turn golden brown. Serve.