Faux mac 'n cheese

The BF and I went to brunch this past weekend at Lost Society on U Street, which just opened for Sunday brunch a few weeks back. Browsing the menu, I saw mac ‘n cheese listed as a side dish–and knew I had to have it.

You see, I have a thing for mac ‘n cheese. Kraft, homemade, Annie’s, four cheese…you name it, I’ll eat it and love it. And the mac ‘n cheese at Lost Society did not disappoint. The white cheese dish was creamy perfection, and topped with the right amount of crisp breadcrumbs to add texture.

But alas, cheesy, creamy mac ‘n cheese is not exactly a nutritious part of a balanced diet.

So instead of trying to recreate Lost Society’s version of the dish, I opted to use a recipe adapted from Cooking Light that uses butternut squash for color and creaminess, and a whole lot less cheese, cream and butter than your average mac ‘n cheese.

Before adding the panko and baking

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta
• 3 cups cubed butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 2ish cups cheese (I used parmesan, a smoked gouda, and some goat cheese)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup panko

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

1. Cook squash, milk, broth and garlic over medium/high heat for 25 minutes or until squash is soft.

2. While squash cooks, bring water to boil and cook pasta.

3. Once squash is soft, pour mixture into blender (or use immersion blender) with cheeses, salt and pepper–I added the parmesan and gouda, and waited to add goat cheese later.

4. Mix squash with pasta, adding goat cheese and any additional herbs or spices (red pepper would be good here, or some sage).

5. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.

6. Pour mixture into baking dish.

7. Heat up small amount of olive oil to a pan, and brown panko until golden.

8. Sprinkle panko and parmesan over top of pasta.

9. Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbling.

Enjoy!

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