Episode 77 - Mac and Squish

By: Kristy on Friday, December 09, 2011

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Isn't squash a wonderful vegetable?  Its tasty, cheap and fun to say.  SKWASH!  Know whats even more fun? Sometimes to be cute (or at least what *I* think is cute and,which may or may not actually be cute in the real world) I call it a squish.  Acorn squish! Butternut squish! Everywhere a squish, squish... Old Macdonald had a...wait, what was I talking about again?

Ah yes, the wonders of the squish.  This squish mac and cheese is adapted from one I saw in a Rachael Ray cookbook.  She used pre-cooked, frozen squash in her version.  Personally, I don't like paying $4 to buy something I could easily get for $0.99.  I need that extra $3.01, people!  It can go towards paying off the debt I will inevitably end up in due to my recent flurry of nail polish buying (damn you Essie!).  I look at it like this - nail polish is cheaper than clothes and still makes me feel pretty.  This is my girl excuse.  I need to feel pretty.  Pretty trumps frozen rich people squish.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

What the heck is that black spot? 

1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 butternut squash, guts removed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk (whatever's in the fridge will work)
3/4 cup shredded old cheddar
2 1/2 cups cooked macaroni

First you need to roast your squash - drizzle it with olive oil, stick it on a baking sheet cut side down and roast at 425 F for about an hour.  When its done, you should be able to scoop the soft squashy-goodness right out of the skin with a spoon.  Put it in a bowl and set it aside.
Now, make your cheesy sauce - melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat then add in the flour to make a thick, disgusting paste.  Cook the paste for a minute or two, then whisk in the milk.  Let it cook for a minute to thicken and then add the cheese in little by little, until the sauce is smooth and cheesy.  Taste it and add some salt or pepper if you think it needs it - ours didn't. Scoop in the squishy squash (ha!)  and stir until well blended.  Mix the sauce with your mac and you're done what is probably the healthiest mac and cheese you've ever made.

So, what do you do with the other half of the squash? We roasted ours and stuck in in the fridge and then I ate it out of a bowl with some salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Mmmm, snack time.  People are always writing recipes telling you to add brown sugar or maple syrup to your squash to sweeten it.  Those people are crazy.  Have you ever tasted plain roasted squash?!  It's plenty sweet all on its own.  Try it with the hot sauce for some sweet and spicy deliciousness.