Light And Easy Homemade Mac And Cheese

At my brother’s wedding in Alabama several weeks ago, we were served the best southern BBQ chicken and Macaroni & Cheese for dinner. And ever since that delicious dinner, I haven’t been able to get Macaroni and Cheese off my mind. So I decided I was going to whip up an easy homemade mac and cheese for dinner for my husband and I. Buttt there was one little catch; I wanted to make a healthy version. And that’s where the secret ingredient in this light and easy homemade mac and cheese comes into play.

This easy homemade mac and cheese is thick, creamy, loaded with flavor, and you’ll never guess what the hidden secret ingredient is… BUTTERNUT SQUASH! It saves you from having to use butter and heavy cream because when the squash is blended with greek yogurt, chicken broth, and cheese, it makes a delicious, creamy thick sauce. . It’s a miracle! Healthy Macaroni and Cheese WITH veggies hidden in the mix, who knew mac and cheese could be so nutritious?! I found the recipe from Kelly’s blog Eat Yourself Skinny. Thank you Kelly; you and your mac and cheese are amazing. I am forever thankful.

The recipe is super easy to make and will leave delicious leftovers for lunch or dinner. I love meals like this one that I can cook in a big casserole dish and save for several meals. It freezes great as well, so if you don’t have room in the fridge, no problem! Now that your mouth is watering for this delicious light and easy homemade mac and cheese, let’s get cookin’!

The Recipe:

Secret Ingredient Healthy Macaroni and Cheese & BBQ Chicken

August 3, 2017

by Meredith

Category Dinner Healthy Recipes Homemaking Lunch

Persons

6

Ingredients

• For the Macaroni and Cheese:
• 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1¼ cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
• 1½ cups Almond Milk (or fat free dairy milk)
• 2 Tbsp plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
• 1 box (1 lb) uncooked shells
• ½ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a medium saucepan, combined cubed butternut squash, chicken broth, and almond milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until squash is tender.
3. While the squash is simmering, boil a pot of water and cook your noodles per instructions on the box
4. Pour hot squash mixture into a blender (I used our nutribullet and it worked like a charm) and add Greek yogurt, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and pour mixture into a large bowl.
5. Stir in cheese until melted, then stir in your cooked and drained pasta.
6. Pour everything into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray and spread evenly.
7. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and place in oven for about 30 minutes, depending on your oven.
8. Turn to broil for the last 3-5 minutes, until breadcumbs are browned.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes.
10. Serve up your light and easy homemade mac and cheese and ENJOY! 🙂

Tags

butternut squash mac and cheese,

healthy mac and cheese,

light mac and cheese,

quick dinner recipes

I give this recipe a 10/10 and I hope you and your family feel the same way. Let me know how this light and easy homemade mac and cheese turned out for you in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss another healthy recipe again!

Shop the post:

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links that help keep this blog running. Thank you for supporting my blog!