Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (Baked)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Nov 9, 2026 
This easy baked butternut squash mac and cheese is creamy, cheesy, and lighter than most mac and cheese recipes. No roux and sauce that comes together easily in the blender, it works well as an easy holiday side dish or a cozy weeknight dinner!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Okayyyyy, I’m a little obsessed with this butternut squash mac and cheese, and it’s honestly become one of the things I’m most excited to make in the fall.
I created it because I wanted something cozy for fall dinners and for the holiday table that didn’t eat like a brick (if ya know what I mean), so I worked roasted squash right into the cheese sauce instead of leaning on heavy cream, and it still ended up soooooo creamy!
Now, the part I’m most proud of with this one is how little work the sauce takes.
There’s no roux to whisk and nothing that can break on you, so it’s pretty darn fool-proof.
Because everything for the sauce goes into the blender at once, it’s truly so easy to make.
That, and the fact that the squash even roasts in the same pan you bake the mac in makes this one simple enough for a weeknight but still special enough for a holiday table.
In testing, how you cook the squash turned out to matter more than anything.
I tried steaming it to save time and the sauce came out watery and bland, whereas roasting it concentrates everything and gives you that caramelized sweetness the cheese plays perfectly against.
I also tried throwing in the entire roasted squash (going past 2-cups), which made the sauce too thick to coat the pasta evenly and threw off the ratio to the other ingredients.
On that note, know that the pasta will look extremely saucy when you stir everything together, and that’s exactly right, because the shells drink it up in the oven and cutting the sauce is how you end up with a dry pan.
And no, this one really doesn’t taste like squash! It reads as sweet and nutty against the sharp cheddar, and even my daughter ate it, who claims to “hate” all squash.
I like to serve mac and cheese with something to cut the richness, like my fall dense bean salad which pairs so well with this butternut pasta bake.
And, if you have more butternut squash to use, my butternut squash orzo dump-and-bake should go on your list to make next!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Butternut Mac and Cheese!
I Love Making this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese When:
- You’re bringing a vegetarian dish to Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner that works just as well as a main as it does a side.
- You want healthy comfort food that’s lightened up, since this one’s made with butternut squash and cottage cheese.
- You need a vegetarian main dish for a crowd.
- You have a butternut squash on the counter and need an easy recipe for it.
Robyn’s Testing Tips for Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- I prefer to pull the pasta a full 2-minutes before the package says. I cooked it to package directions once and it kept softening in all that sauce in the oven, so what came out was mushy instead of having any bite left.
- Don’t rinse the pasta after draining! The starch clinging to the shells is what helps that squash sauce grab on.
- Blend the sauce longer than feels necessary, a full minute or so until it’s completely smooth (this will keep anyone from guessing what’s in it 🙂)
- I like using pre-cubed squash when I’m short on time, and about 20-ounces gets you what you need. Just spread it in a single layer so it roasts instead of steaming against itself!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (Baked)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeds removed, (or about 20 ounces pre-cubed butternut squash)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound pasta shells (or elbow macaroni)
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package garlic and fine herbs Boursin cheese
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 1 cup low-fat or whole-milk cottage cheese
- 1½ cups freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray with cooking spray or grease a 9×13-inch baking dish (the same dish you’ll make the mac and cheese in).
- Roast the Squash: For halved squash, drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and place cut-side down in the baking dish. For pre-cubed squash, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and spread in a single layer in the baking dish.
- Roast for 35-45 minutes, uncovered, until completely tender and lightly caramelized. Let cool slightly, then scoop the flesh from the skin if using halved squash.
- When the squash is finished cooking, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Cook the Pasta: While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of package directions, so it still has a strong bite to it. Drain (do not rinse), and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: To a blender or food processor, add the Boursin, chicken broth, cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, mustard, pepper, and nutmeg
- Carefully add 2 cups of the roasted squash and blend or puree until completely smooth.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the cooked and drained pasta into the baking dish (the same dish you used to roast the squash).
- Pour the butternut cheese sauce on top, and stir until all the pasta is evenly coated. Spread into an even layer. The pasta will look very saucy. This is correct.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top.
- Serve: Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
- I definitely recommend grating the cheddar yourself if you can. The bagged kind has anti-caking starch which can keep it from blending smoothly into the sauce.
