Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This creamy butternut squash mac and cheese combines roasted squash with a sage-infused béchamel, mature cheddar, and Parmesan, then finishes in the oven under a crisp breadcrumb topping. It's cozy fall comfort food with plenty of creamy sauce and a golden baked top.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This is definitely a little more of a labor of love than a regular stovetop mac and cheese, although thankfully nowhere near lasagna territory. 😀 It's the kind of fall comfort food Grant and I love for a cozy Friday night or lazy weekend dinner.

The roasted butternut squash is whisked into a sage-infused béchamel with cheddar and Gruyère or Parmesan, giving the sauce a silky texture and the mac and cheese an autumn twist.

I've also included a couple of shortcut and texture variations below. We haven't personally tested those versions yet, but they're useful options if you want to experiment.

Scroll down for step-by-step instructions, chef's tips, variations, serving ideas, wine pairings, and make-ahead tips.

Jump to:

• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Recipe at a Glance
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Seasonality: When Is Butternut Squash in Season?
• How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Variations and Add Ins
• What to Serve With Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Best Wine Pairings
• Storage and Make-Ahead
• FAQ's
• More Butternut Squash Recipes
• Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Recipe at a Glance

• Ready in: 50-55 minutes
• Serves: 6
• Main ingredients: Pasta, roasted butternut squash, milk, butter, flour, cheddar, and Gruyère or Parmesan
• Perfect for: Cozy fall dinners, family meals, and comfort food
• Cooking method: Stovetop sauce + oven baked
• Topping: Bacon and sage crumb or vegetarian Parmesan breadcrumb
• Make ahead: Yes
• Dietary information: Vegetarian when made with the vegetarian topping

Ingredients You'll Need

This mac and cheese starts with a classic béchamel, then adds roasted squash and plenty of cheese.

• Roasted butternut squash - Use very soft roasted flesh from our Whole Roasted Butternut Squash or Roasted Butternut Squash Halves.
• Whole milk - Infused with onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and fresh sage before making the béchamel.
• Macaroni or short pasta - Choose a shape that holds plenty of sauce.
• Butter and flour - Form the roux that thickens the béchamel.
• Mature cheddar - Gives the sauce plenty of cheesy flavor.
• Gruyère or Parmesan - Adds a slightly nuttier, saltier finish.
• Nutmeg - Just a little works beautifully with béchamel and butternut squash.
• Breadcrumb topping - Choose the bacon and sage crumb or the vegetarian Parmesan version.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

Seasonality: When Is Butternut Squash in Season?

Butternut squash is one of our favorite vegetables for fall and winter, especially because it works just as well in cozy weeknight dinners as it does in holiday dishes.

It also stores well after harvest, so it's an easy ingredient to keep on hand throughout the cooler months for soups, sauces, pasta dishes, salads, and roasted sides.

Want to learn more about when produce is in season? Explore the USDA Seasonal Produce Guide.

How to Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Roast the butternut squash

Prepare the roasted butternut squash using either our roasted butternut squash halves recipe or our whole roasted butternut squash recipe.

Once roasted, let the squash cool slightly, then scoop out the soft flesh and set aside.

Chef's Tip: For the smoothest sauce, use very soft roasted butternut squash. Mash it with a fork before adding it to the béchamel.

Infuse the milk

Add the milk, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and sage leaves to a saucepan. Heat until just below boiling point, then remove from the heat.

Cover and let the milk infuse for 20-30 minutes. Strain and discard the flavorings.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously season the water with salt. Cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the packet instructions.

Drain and set aside.

Chef's Tip: Slightly undercook the pasta. It will finish cooking in the oven and soak up some of that creamy sauce.

Make the topping and set aside

For the bacon crumb, cook the chopped bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Add the breadcrumbs and sage, set aside.

For the vegetarian topping, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, and sage in a small bowl, set aside.

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a large casserole dish with butter,and set aside.

Make the sauce

Make the roux by melting the butter in a large heavy base pot over low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes without letting it brown.

Gradually whisk in the warm infused milk until smooth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy.

Chef's Tip: Add the milk slowly at first and whisk well between additions. This is the easiest way to keep the sauce smooth and lump-free.

Whisk in the roasted butternut squash flesh until smooth. Add the cheddar, Gruyère or Parmesan, nutmeg, and season with salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy.

Assemble

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until well coated. Spoon into a greased baking dish.

Bake

Sprinkle the topping over the pasta. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.

Serve and Enjoy!

Let the mac and cheese rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Variations and Add Ins

We haven't personally tested these versions yet, but here's two easy ideas if you want to change things up.

• Pumpkin shortcut - Try replacing the roasted butternut squash with canned pumpkin purée when you don't have roasted squash ready to go.
• Add roasted squash cubes - For more texture, keep the sauce more traditional and fold Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes through the pasta instead of blending the squash into the béchamel.

What to Serve With Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Because this mac and cheese is rich and creamy, we like serving it with something fresh, crisp, or green.

• With a simple green salad - Try our Bistro Salad or Rocket Salad.
• With a fall salad - Roasted Beet Salad with Feta or a pear and blue cheese salad would both work beautifully.
• With Brussels sprouts - Serve with Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic or try our Roasted Brussels Sprouts. 
• With green vegetables - Steamed green beans, broccoli, or simply roasted vegetables help balance the richness.
• As part of a larger meal - Add No-Knead Focaccia or Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread if you're serving a bigger fall spread.

This works beautifully as a main course, but you could also serve smaller portions as part of a holiday meal or roast dinner.

Best Wine Pairings

For a rich, cheesy pasta like this, I'd choose a wine with enough freshness to balance the béchamel and cheese.

• Chardonnay - Especially good with the creamy sauce, sage, and nutty Gruyère.
• Dry Riesling - Its freshness works nicely with the gentle sweetness of the butternut squash.
• Pinot Noir - A lighter red option that works particularly well if you use the bacon and sage topping.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Make ahead: The roasted squash, infused milk, and breadcrumb topping can all be prepared ahead.

You can also assemble the mac and cheese ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake. For the creamiest result, I'd bake it only once rather than baking, chilling, and reheating the whole casserole.

If baking straight from the fridge, it may need a little longer in the oven because the dish will be cold.

Leftovers: Once cooled, cover and refrigerate leftovers. Reheat gently until piping hot, keeping in mind that the pasta will absorb more sauce as it sits.

FAQ's

More Butternut Squash Recipes

If you have more butternut squash to use, try our:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Wedges
• Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Feta and Pomegranate
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce
• Roasted Butternut Squash Slices with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

This butternut squash mac and cheese is exactly the kind of dinner we want once the evenings start cooling down: creamy, cheesy, bubbling around the edges, and topped with plenty of golden crumbs.

Give it a try and let us know which topping you used in the comments below. And don't forget to Pin it for later!

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The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.