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Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms: a seasonal, delicious, fast and easy one pot dinner that the whole family will love!

Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Course Entree
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 t dark mustard seeds
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 lbs sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1 small-medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup AP flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup grated Havarti cheese
  • 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish, optional
  • 1 1/2 lbs pasta cooked to taste in salted water (I used penne and rotini because I was using up some opened boxes)

Instructions

  1. Start the pasta while you are working on this dish. When you drain the pasta, run some cool water through it to prevent sticking.
  2. Place the olive oil into a large, heavy pot or deep sided pan with the mustard seeds over medium high heat. Place a lid askew on the pot to prevent popping mustard seeds from escaping. When the mustard seeds slow their popping add the onions with a pinch of salt.
  3. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until they start to brown a bit at the edges. Add the garlic and mix in. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
  4. Push the onions to the sides of the pan and add 1/3 of the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. After about 3-4 minutes, mix those mushrooms in and repeat with the next third of mushrooms. And then repeat again, until all of the mushrooms have been cooked into the onions and have reduced, releasing their water.
  5. Add the butternut squash with a pinch of salt and mix into the onions and mushrooms. Add the wine, scrape to deglaze the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Let the wine boil off for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then cover the pot and reduce to maintain a gentle simmer for 10 minutes (if your squash chunks are on the smaller side, check at the 5 minute mark to see if they are tender).
  6. By now the squash should be tender. Sprinkle the flour into everything and stir it in. There should be enough liquid to mimic a roux of sorts. The flour should be coating everything. Let it cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to cook the flour taste off.
  7. Slowly drizzle the cream into the dish, stirring to incorporate it into the flour. The mixture should resemble veggies (onions, squash, mushrooms) coated in white sauce. Continue to cook, stirring, until you can tell the white sauce has thickened (about 5-10 minutes).
  8. When it is thickened, turn the heat way down and mix in the cheese. When the cheese has melted, mix the pasta in.
  9. Serve hot, with chopped parsley if desired.